Check out our brilliant tips for helping you to stay positive and restore your riding confidence.
1 Be honest
Remember the reason you want to ride, and why you got your horse in the first place, whether it was to enjoy hacking out or compete in a certain discipline.
If things aren’t going to plan, you need to consider whether your and your horse are the right match.
Owning a horse that doesn’t suit you, or scares you, means you can’t do the activities you want to.
A change in equine partner could make all the difference, with confidence quickly being restored.
2 Stay positive
Don’t listen to that nagging voice from within which says you’re being useless, wimpy or pathetic. Give yourself some positive support and encouragement.
“A useful tip is to keep a handful of paper clips in your pocket,” says riding and confidence coach Charlotte Dennis.
“Each time you tell yourself something negative, or you have a negative thought, transfer a paper clip from one pocket to another.
“Think about why you say these things to yourself and next time swap a bad thought for a positive one.
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