Thank you for me its havin confidence with my horse on the ground . Got hurt many years ago so I get that panic attack feeling when I walk into the arena. Like a bad hot flash. I fear of what will happen when alone with my horse.

I have recently bought my first ever horse and although the first 2 weeks have been a dream, since then it became a nightmare. I’m not confident at all, fearing basically everything, that I’m actually less trained than my horse, I can’t control her, don’t understand her and sometimes I’m even unable to do the things I used to do before. My trainer tells me I just need to lose the stress and nerves because I can do it but it’s just not that easy to let lose of the negativity.

Hi, I’m Sherri Battershell. Barbra I Love Your Lessons, Your Positivity is Wonderful! Thank You! I Love Horses, I grew up mostly in Northern VA, rode anytime, anywhere I could. I babysat, petsat, did yardwork to buy my first horse. Conquistador. I rode English Saddle, also had a Western Bareback pad. We showed, jumped smaller fences and explored trails together. Later on in College, I rode, showed and helped train horses for private stables. My Hubs and I shared a 16.2 hand horse nicknamed Wink, a talented jumper and speed demon once he got his legs out. I developed good… Read more »

I have not ridden for some time and am not young. I do not have the opportunity to ride with anyone as I live in a quite isolated area, so have lost confidence in my riding also my horse is not young either
I like that this is a whole person/horse thinking

Worrying what other people think is definitely the #1 issue that is holding me back. I want my young horse to be exposed to lots of experiences so she becomes a very well rounded horse. I make excuses not to take her to shows simply because I’m afraid she’ll do something I don’t know how to handle and she’ll make us both look like idiots. The reality is, she has handled everything I have thrown at her beautifully and she has been exposed to a lot through trail riding and camping lots of different places. So I need to learn… Read more »

My confidence in showing, I own 2 quarter horses which I compete in reining and ranch riding classes, is the fear of what others think and I can hear people saying ‘ there she goes again doing the same mistakes’. I have two talented horses, the gelding is 16 and the mare is 5. I can have panic attacks before I enter the ring.

What resonated with me is that I really care what others think. I am getting back into riding after 29 year break. The other person at paddock is a pro and years and years of riding – she can be brutally honest about my mistakes and often takes over. She is trying to help I know. I need her knowledge at times too. But it’s really set my confidence back…all the ‘constructive criticism’. Second thing most resonated with me is do this in your own time. I’m often told I should be way ahead of where I am. This really… Read more »

I have no confidence within and I know this affects everything externally not just riding! My horse has been recovering for a couple of years, she is now 17 and I am 48 and I feel like we are too old to get it together again! Not sure if its my age but I dont feel confidence about much any more.

Wow. I can relate to this lesson in so many ways. Having been bullied through my school life where been a rider was my lonely release from this and the friends I made a this time was a great help. With a long story short also so I’ll fast forward to now where what other people think and the face book really is not good for me. As the riding I do now they want to post photos of the show. So I’m hopping to get some confidence to over come my fear.

Can’t open lesson 1… click on it but just flickers and settles back as before