In your head syndrome - How do you deal?

[Saskatoonian]

YES! I just came on to second BFNE and go one step further - I’d absolutely do what someone said not to and would blow it off as nothing - only to find that you’re already back !

Every spring, I have to readjust my tolerance for speed (a winter inside is no good for gallops) and jump height. Nothing remotely earth shattering or career ending about this - it’s just readjusting. No. Big. Deal. Increase the height gradually, push yourself just enough, and remind yourself how fun it is doing it. If you have to lie, do it. My brain may just be trainable, but when I look at a challenging jump (Em, think that oxer at Lucinda last fall!), I grin and say “oh yeah.” ooooh, now I want to go jump.

PS jumps look so much bigger inside…

[subk]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8667912]
Ok so the unloading of 100 hay bales and 50 straw bales didn’t count?[/QUOTE]
Not unless you are doing it once a week.

[fordtraktor]

Emily, I have a lot of the same issues and really do think that you’ll be totally fine once you get used to the big fences. That is why I love to do this with gymnastics…you don’t have to worry about the distances. Set up something that’s easy for the horse, then just put it up and you know the distances are there. All you have to do is keep your leg on, keep him straight and get used to the height again. Then I like to have the second fence of an easy line be the “big” one – a simple four stride vertical to oxer is great. Set the vertical at 3’3, then grow the oxer up and square and out. You can get it “right” every time and before long, your comfort level will be there again.

Do the more challenging stuff in your lessons, at home jump the bigger stuff when you know it is going to be confidence-building for you and your horse.

I am actually doing the same thing with my young horse though the fences are much smaller. I used to show in the 4’6 stuff and school GP height when I was younger but I am older, have two kids, took a lot of time off from jumping big stuff and now 3’ looks huge to me and when I get nervous I start missing. So I set up stuff I know I won’t make a mistake at – so it builds both our confidence at the same time.

I think I stay plenty fit doing farmwork. it depends on how much you are doing. Some people’s setups are less work than others. Here, I seem to manage to keep very active, always something going on.

[Abracadabra]

I’m in, and its not about jumping with me! I’ve been told recently that I’ve learned to grip, and have no relaxation, so I’ve been trying riding without upper leg, (the handbrake on), now I feel like i’m flopping around all over the place, I’ve also been watching my own video’s and my hands are $HI*, and not at all independent, bouncing up & down with my posting trot, and I have no idea i’m doing it, if I hold everything steady i’m gripping, and if I go loose & floppy, i’m bouncing around. so i’m stymied, and so to counter it i’m not riding - stopped dead, 2 horses in a field, great weather, sand ring, and i’m not riding. just don’t wanna. I used to be quite happy with my level of success, now i’m disheartened, and I quit.

[Synthesis]

[QUOTE=Abracadabra;8669786]
I’m in, and its not about jumping with me! I’ve been told recently that I’ve learned to grip, and have no relaxation, so I’ve been trying riding without upper leg, (the handbrake on), now I feel like i’m flopping around all over the place, I’ve also been watching my own video’s and my hands are $HI*, and not at all independent, bouncing up & down with my posting trot, and I have no idea i’m doing it, if I hold everything steady i’m gripping, and if I go loose & floppy, i’m bouncing around. so i’m stymied, and so to counter it i’m not riding - stopped dead, 2 horses in a field, great weather, sand ring, and i’m not riding. just don’t wanna. I used to be quite happy with my level of success, now i’m disheartened, and I quit.[/QUOTE]

Repeat after me “Riding change always feels wrong and strange”

Give it time, you’re just oscillating back and for between 2 extremes. You just need to find the middle ground between the two. Just go ride, go hacking if you can.

And stop watching videos of yourself riding if its having that effect. Some people find them helpful, some find them paralyzing. If you aren’t going to the Olympics, just enjoy your horses :love-struck::encouragement::tickled_pink: