Hi there,

I am a regular horse rider at a local stables and a while back i went out on a hack and we had to canter down this canter track and because of my balance not being brill at height i got a little scared and it has backed me off from riding.. i want to get back onto horse back but dont kno what steps i should take?

I am a novice rider

Hi i have the same problem.I think a lesson on the lunge would be good as the insructor has control of the horse while you are learning to deal with balance.I didnt get round to this as i cant afford a lesson with having a show shetland to look after! Im not an expert but this may help.

hi there,

ok i will try that and see how it all goes....hopefully i will get my confidence back soon

Not sure if this might help or not... the advice about a lunge lesson is good But I realised very early on that two things make a difference to confidence.

1) The Horse

2) The Tack

Some horses ARE more difficult to ride than others, some move/rock/sway/dip more in each gait. Some have to be kicked and not squeezed.

Saddles affect balance and comfort so much! I learnt to ride bareback lol, hopping onto any horse I could, but boy get myself a Stubbens saddle and I could fall asleep. Tried to compete in a local jump show in a normal saddle, lol jumping saddles have knee rolls for a purpose, same way dressage are cut low and long so the legs have close contact.

Now why am I saying this? Try a different horse, it may not be you, you may suit another shape, breed or height of horse better. Find the right one and it is bliss! I learnt on riding school horses and showjumpers and point to pointers. But some are far easier than others but guess what... no-one lets on when they have a good'un!

Take it slow but keep trying

Hi there

Ok i will keep that in mind..when my emotions kick in i feel really stupid but i cant explain enough to the instructors why im getting upset. the last time i worked at a stables my boss made me get on a really big horse and canter round and i kept clinging on because all i kept thinking of was me falling off and that is what scares me.

one of my friends had a nasty fall a few years back and it really shook her and put her off riding for a while. When she did get back in the saddle she had a few 'confidence building' lessons at the riding school. Not sure what they entailed exactly but she said they really helped and now she hacks out with me all the time. maybe you should ask at your riding school if they do any such thing.

Good luck! x

In a way I can relate to you, I have been riding since I was 5years old which is many, many years. But I have been ill and I am now on warfarin for the rest of my life and have been told that I can now start to ride Caddy again (but with restrictions some one else has to bring him back into work for me and I am only allowed to walk when riding out, I can do dressage but in a school where it is sand or rubber floor).... Because of this I am terrified of falling off! So once I do get back on Caddy I will start riding in the indoor school, and ride out with friends until I feel confident enough to go out on my own. Maybe you could try having some lessons in a school environment until you feel confident also this will give your instructor a chance to see if you have a balance issue that can easily be corrected. Because I have not rode for so long I will definatley be having lessons again in the school

__________________
www.tonette.co.uk

I'm amazed The Riding School allowed a novice to Canter on a Hack in The first place Most Schools don't allow this until the Rider is Confidant enough..

I'd go with the Suggestions of Lunge lessons for a while....

One Tip Never do Anything that you don't feel Confident with.

Good Luck with future Riding.

I would suggest no more cantering on hacks until you are fully confident cantering in a school, Ive been riding many years and after having a break jumped back into it and went for a hack which turned terrible, it ruined my confidence not just riding but being around horses, I started out with lunge lessons and just walk/trot, I also helped out at my riding school, turning out/grooming etc before I felt confident enough to get my own horse, it was a long slow battle but well worth it.

Dont rush yourself, just do what you feel comfortable with

If you are a novice then you need to learn to ride.

The only place to do that is a registered riding centre which has to have trained instructors in order to be insured.
More importantly they will have a small herd of "school master" horses and it is these kindly beasts of burden that teach you to ride,
School masters are chosen carefully because they won't canter off.

Lessons aren't cheap these days, but broken bones are very painful.
Whenever you fall off, your head falls at least six feet. Think about it.