This is a me issue not a pony issue. My confidence issues are all pretty much at the canter to sum things up easily. Pretty much all the bad things that have
happened to me have been at the canter. Broken ankle, bucked at the canter, screwed up hip horrible pain from falling, have fallen at the canter, bucking
period, at the canter, bolting, obviously at the canter. So my confidence is like a wonky see saw back and forth dealing with the canter. Its been ingrained
into my mind that canter = bolting = bucking = pain.
Poco is finally at the point to where I can canter her and be reasonably sure of her not bolting or taking off. But I dont canter often because of that block in my mind. Ive been on her before, canter along, OMG spook, and her teleport sideways and not bat an eye at keeping control and staying put. Mainly because we are already there, we are already cantering, no big deal.
But lets face it, most of my rides are at the walk and trot. With Red, I have yet to canter her out of the pasture I ride in. Ever, not once, zip, zilch, nada.
Red has
Never bolted
Never bucked
Never taken off
Never acted up period at the canter.
She flows in, then she flows out, she had one minor canter thing "But I wanna keep going! ok fine I'll trot" Lasted what a few strides? And then cantering her period, I try not to plan on cantering because then I start on the what ifs, and then I chickenshit out. "Oh she seems too worked up, lets do some more transition work!" which yes is always good working on her flexibility and transitions, but where does that leave me in the long run?
Ive been working on it with my god-horse, planning on cantering then committing to the canter with him in different places, in an arena, a field, towards and away from the barn, but staying in the riding area. Ive been working on it for awhile now and Im finding I have made very little progress in getting past the work up road block. If I get into the canter then im fine, its ok and it doesnt surface again until the next ride, then it starts all over.
It doesn't help that when I really get into the mindset and trying to work hard at it that my hip twinges, probably all in my mind, which will make me tense up which will cause real pain in my hip which tosses me into all sorts of discombobulatedness.
I just wish there was something that would just click in my mind "woot canter time lets do it!" instead of clicking "Ok time to canter... now, ok maybe now, ok maybe now, no wait too worked up, lets do it later."
Poco is finally at the point to where I can canter her and be reasonably sure of her not bolting or taking off. But I dont canter often because of that block in my mind. Ive been on her before, canter along, OMG spook, and her teleport sideways and not bat an eye at keeping control and staying put. Mainly because we are already there, we are already cantering, no big deal.
But lets face it, most of my rides are at the walk and trot. With Red, I have yet to canter her out of the pasture I ride in. Ever, not once, zip, zilch, nada.
Red has
Never bolted
Never bucked
Never taken off
Never acted up period at the canter.
She flows in, then she flows out, she had one minor canter thing "But I wanna keep going! ok fine I'll trot" Lasted what a few strides? And then cantering her period, I try not to plan on cantering because then I start on the what ifs, and then I chickenshit out. "Oh she seems too worked up, lets do some more transition work!" which yes is always good working on her flexibility and transitions, but where does that leave me in the long run?
Ive been working on it with my god-horse, planning on cantering then committing to the canter with him in different places, in an arena, a field, towards and away from the barn, but staying in the riding area. Ive been working on it for awhile now and Im finding I have made very little progress in getting past the work up road block. If I get into the canter then im fine, its ok and it doesnt surface again until the next ride, then it starts all over.
It doesn't help that when I really get into the mindset and trying to work hard at it that my hip twinges, probably all in my mind, which will make me tense up which will cause real pain in my hip which tosses me into all sorts of discombobulatedness.
I just wish there was something that would just click in my mind "woot canter time lets do it!" instead of clicking "Ok time to canter... now, ok maybe now, ok maybe now, no wait too worked up, lets do it later."










