confidence issues

So sorry to hear of your accident, sounds really nasty and your lucky it wasn´t much worse, I am sure you will slowly get your confidence back, don´t be pushed into getting back on before your ready, take care P xx

firstly, if you are, dont feed your horse hard food unless he is doing a lots of work every day. start of slowly, dont rush, just walk, maybe try a tiny little trot, or you could even go on the leadrein or lunge. once youve mounted, chill. if you get tensed up cos you think he is going to do something bad, chances are he will pick up on your nerves and think theres something to be scared about and spook. i once fell of twice over a jump, and got back on again and was helped over it. after that i was fine. i used to fall of nearly every week when my pony was still 5 (shes around 7 now) because she bucked but i kept on going and now ive won 11 rossetes. if it was the place that scared your horse, get and expierienced person to come with you, and lead your horse down there and walk him round before getting on. if your still feeling un confident, they could walk around with you. if something spooked the horse, then when you next take him down there, reassure him (by patting,stroking/scratching him on his favourite spot).

Hi Rachelle.....I was sorry to read of your nasty fall and can fully appreciate both how scary and traumatic it was for you and also how it´s knocked your confidence both with riding and in trusting Freddie.

I had (as you may have read on a similar post on this forum) a very nasty fall from a youngster named ´Nomad´.......he was notorious at when in a canter,lowering his head almost to the ground and bucking one off (in fall flight - NOT NICE at all)......despite this,he was a very good horse and just had this quirky attitude from time to time.

He wasn´t mine and many people suffered the same experience...but eventually,he was taken back into the school and re-schooled as well as being checked over by a vet,dentist and back specialist.

Nobody could find a problem with him,that would make him act this way but the re-schooling did the trick and those (like myself) that had had bad experiences with him,was asked if we would ride him again both during schooling periods and also once again out on hack´s.....I did and he was indeed a very different animal.

It maybe worth your while,seeing if you can have some schooling done with him in a controlled area such as a manage or small paddock and maybe look also at what bit you are riding him in.

Another tip that I learnt with headstrong and keen horses,is to lunge them for about 20 minutes to half an hour BEFORE you go out on them....this way,they can get any fizz and extra buzz out of their system BEFORE you get on board their back´s.

I think Freddie need´s some education and learning whose the boss between you......I think you might also benefit from having some one to one tuition on board Freddie with an Instructor so that you can both learn to trust each other and perhap´s be advised as what´s best to tackle his quirky behaviour.

I´ve had some nasty falls off of Chiff Chaff in the past (it was never done maliciously,just something that happened) but I still kept her and I trust her implicitly to this very day!.

I hope you find a way to be able to both gain your confidence and also to come to terms and some form of understanding with Freddie..........I wish you all the very best now.