Confidence on Different Horses?

[PhysicalForce]

So I do not have my own horse, but I have had the opportunity to ride a lot of different horses, and I showed in the 3'3 Hunters on my mare in high school.

When I still had my Thoroughbred mare in High School, we were schooling 3'9 to 4' most of the time, and we would occasionally school up to 4'6 or so but because the highest classes offered in my area was 3'3 with the occasional 3'6 class here or there. And I never had confidence issues with my mare, she was extremely honest and very athletic. I think while I owned her (about 7 years) she maybe had 4 refusals and never while showing. She was so honest I was never worried about her stopping, and she was so athletic I trusted her to stay on her feet and she always did.

In this time I was riding ponies for my trainer, and a lot of them I helped start over fences. I had my share of dirty stoppers and bratty ponies, and they never shook my confidence either. But I never really jumped them over 2'9 either.

Then my trainer rescued a Hanoverian mare, and I got to rehab her and started showing her. As far as we knew she had never been ridden let alone jumped. Over a couple years we were schooling up to 3'9 and she is where I think my confidence problems started. She was green, and kind of looky and had a stop here or there. But she was never bad about it, I could feel her when she was going to stop, and she was pretty honest. But she didn't feel very athletic, she was a gorgeous hunter, but she pretty much maxed out at 3'9 and I could feel it. She wasn't as athletic as my mare who could get us out of a bad distance at 4'6 and not even feel like it was more effort than taking a stroll through the park. And the Hanoverian just didn't have that. I had to make sure I got her to where she needed to be, because she could not make up for mistakes.

Now in college, I have been riding some friends horses. And I have noticed that if I am riding a horse that doesn't feel super athletic, I get really nervous jumping over 3'. Most of them are talented and broke enough to jump around 3'6 courses, but if they don't have that extra "oomph" they really make me nervous. And none of them have ever given me a reason to. They are all honest and totally capable of jumping around 3' and 3'6 courses.

So is it normal to feel like this? Is it something I might grow out of with more time and more miles? I would really love to be able to show more after college and eventually have a 3'6 horse.

[JinxyFish313]

When I was younger I had a tough time moving from my ponies and horses who made a noticeable effort over fences to horses who could jump from anywhere off what I felt was an inadequate pace. I guess its sort of the opposite of your situation, but had the same results as I felt very similar had my doubts.

My best advice is to really work on your flatwork. The more skilled you are between the fences, the easier they come to you and that takes away that feeling of "oh crap if I don't get him there perfectly its going to end badly". Ride as many different types as possible, and have faith in your own ability. If it means jumping a little lower on a horse you aren't used to, no biggie!

[Go Fish]

As far as we knew she had never been ridden let alone jumped. Over a couple years we were schooling up to 3'9 and she is where I think my confidence problems started. She was green, and kind of looky and had a stop here or there.

If she'd never been ridden or jumped, perhaps schooling such a horse at 3'9" after just two years is part of the problem, even if this schooling has covered a couple of years. A horse that stops either has been overfaced, has physical issues or just plain doesn't care for jumping (perhaps a hunter career is more in order). A green horse that I'd dragged out of the field, had never been ridden or jumped - I would be hard-pressed to have this horse schooling 3'9" fences. Sheesh, it would take the first year just to get her fit and broke on the flat.

Give the horse and yourself a break. You've been rushing things. Back up a bit, have some success at the jumps with this mare and see if it restores your confidence. Good luck! :)

[PhysicalForce]

Oh I kinda worried that wrong. We took a little over a year to start riding her and just my trainer hacked her around a bit. It was 2 years once we started her over fenced that she was stepped up to the 3'6 and 3'9. Although looking back, it was pretty fast.

And I do think you are right. I never got flat out scared, and I never really voiced my worries, and my trainer liked to push harder than I think was necessary. I know I would never have taken her that far that fast if it had been on my own, I was moving along at the desired pace of my trainer. Whom I blindly followed. :no:

Jinxy- Thanks, I am going to definitely work on my flat work. You can never get your flat work TOO good, so I am going to really work on that!

[tcgelec]

Read "That Winning Feeling" by Jane Savoie. I found that once I reached a certain point I needed to train my mind as well as my body and my horse. It made a big difference in overcoming some confidence issues that were beginning to germinate.

[AddingStrides]

although at much lower heights. but remember, too, that Ammy Owner horses on the A circuit can sell (in a normal market) for $250,000 and up. So horses with the training and ability to do 4' are even more rare and more expensive. in other words, to have a truly trustworthy 3'6" or 4' horse is a rarity.

[TSWJB]

.

My best advice is to really work on your flatwork. The more skilled you are between the fences, the easier they come to you and that takes away that feeling of "oh crap if I don't get him there perfectly its going to end badly". Ride as many different types as possible, and have faith in your own ability. If it means jumping a little lower on a horse you aren't used to, no biggie!
this is the best advice! its really the flatwork that takes away that OMG i am going to crash jumping. and not jumping above what the horse is comfortable to jump. move up gradually and if the horse is struggling, move down a notch. confidence is a precious thing, you can have all the confidence in the world and one bad fall can take it away. that is why you should not try to go above horse's/riders ability. this is supposed to be fun. and if you stay within the horse's scope, jumping is really fun.,
riding lots of different horses really does improve your confidence as well!

[HiddenAcres]

I think everyone that's been lucky enough to have one of those fabulous TB "I've got this one, boss" horses has been given a great gift.

When you're buying one for you - or making one up for someone else - you know what's fun to ride and what you want. I don't know if it's an athletic thing or a TB thing, but it sure makes life pleasant! Riding the others will make you a better rider/trainer, and it probably makes for a better instructor as well. But when you get to choose what you ride, choose the "partner" horse and take that confident feeling back with you.

[PhysicalForce]

Thanks so much everyone, what you are all saying makes so much sense! I will see if I can find that book somewhere!

Adding Strides- I know I will never be able to get a really fancy 3'6 hunter. It is just out of my reality. But I would like to have a nice, quiet horse, similar to my Thoroughbred mare I had, that oozes athleticism and honesty, that I can maybe go jump around an A show here or there, but never hit the big circuits or anything. I just will want a horse I can love and enjoy, and show for the fun of it.


HiddenAcres- Yeah, my mare was very special. She wasn't a super easy ride in that, she was so long and tall, she was really hard to keep together, and she definitely had her "Thoroughbred" moments. But she knew her job, and did it very well. I was schooling XC once with my Pony Club, and was schooling a prelim bench, and she chipped and lost her footing and we rolled onto the bench, scared me really bad, she was fine, she was done for the day and I cold hosed her legs and returned the next day, I was terrified of anything over 3' but the instructor wanted me to jump the bench again, and she packed my scared but all around the prelim course that day! She was a very special mare! And now she is a trail horse/broodmare and loving retirement I hear!