Nerves when showjumping... Any ideas how to over come them ?

Question

Recentley I have been having trouble with my nerves when showjumping. My pony was starting to go really well until oneday i was jumpng a simple 1 meter upright and he stoppped and i fell of and he stood on leg nothing broke but i cant stop thinking to my self if could have been so much worse.

I have always had problems with confidence jumping but never like this. I get nervous going into an 80 cm fence. anyone got any ideas on how to over come my nerves, things that i can repeat to myself when riding to help me.

it may sound stupid to some but too me its a really BIG problem.

Does anybody else have this problem ?.. How have you overcome nerves ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

x

Answer 1

The only thing that can help you is you! SELF CONFIDENCE! You need to be grateful it was not much worse and maybe do smaller jumps for a while. You need to re-build your self confidence! Hope I helped!

Answer 2

just think calm thoughts !

go through the course in your head and

take a few deep breaths !

don't get nervous Ur pony will sense the vibes

and get spooked to !

i had this problem to

i was jumping something similar when i got nervous i fell

and sprained my leg !

I'm back ridding now and the other day we were doing a tiny cross pole and i freaked out !

my teacher toke me and lead me around the Arena and

told me to relax and to take a few mins to chill!

I'm OK now but i do get a bit nervous before i jump a course!

ask your teacher for some help maybe !

Good Luck !

=]xx

Answer 3

Smile while your approaching it. Also lean back and don

't put your hands on the horses neck until he takes off or he might stop, scaring you even more.

Answer 4

Well obviously you need to get back on and go for it, as for calming down, try deep breathing, but also Kalms tablets and/or Bach rescue remedy. My mum always used to give this to me and my little sister before we went in the ring, worked a treat. also, i used both the second time i took m y driving test, and i passed! I was so much more chilled out. try and focus on the fun part of showjumping, and what is happening rather than what could happen. the second you stop concentrating is hen things can go wrong! just go for it, and enjoy!

Answer 5

yes i have problems like that and my doctor game me some calming pills

Answer 6

go in and get over it.  it works 4 me

Answer 7

i do show jumping on my mare and i fell off 3 times and i just get back on and jump some more.I have to jump more in 2 days but if you jump more just say it happens i'm getting back on.

Answer 8

My Uncle had two horses and he let me ride them. I loved righting them, but one day one of the horses got out of the stable and ran away and my uncle sent me to fetch him back.

I was pleased because I cloud ride him back. I got on the horse and get up on his back, I was twelve years old and the horse started to gallop faster and faster on a tar road. He came to the side rode and he tyred to turn up the lane but he sipped and fell on the tar road, the horse fell on my leg.  The horse was ok but he crushed my leg. The horse was all right but I was in plaster for six weeks after.

if you get on a horse, you move with the horse, you don't move against the horse, that is part of of you training.

Answer 9

I absolutly love jumping and it never scares me. Point me at a 6 foot jump and i'll do it as long as my horse can.

The best advice i can give is to imagine how good it will feel to get over it. I live for those few seconds in the air. Just try to think about how much you love to ride!

Answer 10

if you dont feel safe then dont do it right away. take things slowly until you have your confidence back. start working with some cavilletti then work your way up again. you dont want to just try to jump it if your scared, your horse can feel it and he will get nervous and then you will have a problem

Answer 11

i have this problem too! i fell my first year while i was cantering on the flat. i took saddleseat lessons at that time. i ended up breaking my helmet and getting a concussion. thank god it wasn't worse. well i have this nasty fear of cantering now.....ok. so knowing that i switched to showjumping. since the bigger fences require cantering and my problems lay in the fact i don't balance right, jumps themselves freak me out. i love jumping, don't get me wrong, i just don't have confidence. what helped me out, until my instructor went crazy, was starting from scratch and working on my seat. we did the sally swift method of "centered riding." they also had me in a western saddle while doing all this. i am not fond of western saddles but it helped. i'm building my confidence and was doing really well until they put me on a pony who cantered full out b/c he used to do barrels. i say just start small and work back up. it happens to everyone at some point! :)

Answer 12

I had a bad fall a year ago whilst jumping, I wasn't hurt but it shattered my nerves. It put me off riding for a bit, and when I did get back in the saddle, I could barely stand riding my horse anywhere NEAR jumps for fear that he might take off with me over them. When I was asked to jump a course, I tried, but then broke down in tears. I was terrified.

I decided to take a private lesson at my riding school on the smallest pony I could fit on, and asked the instructor to take it easy on me. I gradually built up my confidence and managed to jump a few small jumps.

I also bought a serious body protector. It made me feel more secure knowing that I wouldn't be as badly hurt if I did have another fall.

Take a couple of lessons like that, or even just by yourself, and also breathe slowly and steadily, tell yourself you've already cleared the course, tell yourself you wont get hurt and keep a positive attitude.

Hope this helps :3

Answer 13

when i go to shows sometimes when im in the jumping ring i just burst out singing and it clams me down. also just think of how great it would be once you get over it. but just dont really think about it i guess. just go and do it!!(:

Answer 14

If it scares you so much, why are you doing it? I can understand if you have such a passion for it that you can't stop, but is it really worth getting frightened over? There are other diciplines out there that are just as fun and a bit more challenging (in a good way). Why don't you give dressage a shot? It is great exeecise for both horse and rider, both physically and mentally.