Jason Webb works with riders and handlers of all levels who have had a loss of confidence. It is nothing to be ashamed of and can affect anyone at any level at any time.
Often a negative experience has caused the loss of confidence, a bad fall or getting hurt, a horse who keeps acting out and the rider is left with the feeling of helplessness not knowing how to prevent the undesired behaviour or manage the horse effectively. Feeling useless and having a bad experience can lead to low self-esteem and this can eat away at your confidence. In many cases the rider or handler simply lack the tools to manage a new situation and feel unsafe, this will soon result in them losing their confidence.
Then there are the riders who have lost their confidence having had a break from horse riding. Many have stopped to have a family or due to an injury or illness and those people can return with the dreaded “what if’s” creeping in about getting hurt and how this might impact on their family life, how they will earn a living etc etc! Again this is perfectly natural!
Then we meet the older riders who are suffering with age related lack of confidence, we often hear them say “I used to be so brave when I was younger” and they doubt themselves and feel frustrated that they are no longer the brave rider or handler that they used to be! Of course as we age we become stiffer, often aren’t as balanced and our reactions and timing slows down, it will happen to us all! However it was interesting to learn that it is actually scientifically proven that as youngsters we are more reckless, our body releases certain chemicals that promote our recklessness and so it’s no wonder that as we get older we are a little more tentative, we’ve also seen a great deal more of life and know the dangers, often with a lot more to lose than we did in our formative years!
Whatever the reason the one thing everyone feeling this way has in common is they are often embarrassed by their lack of confidence and feel quite emotional. Everyone we meet just wants to overcome that horrible feeling and to start enjoying their time with their horses and have fun again!
Jason has seen first hand that if you can put the handler or rider back in the driving seat and feeling in control then confidence follows very quickly, it’s the feeling of being out of control that often frightens us the most. Jaosn’s online training resource will give you the tools to manage your horse in various situations both on the ground and under saddle. We appreciate that confidence can not be rebuilt in a day, it does take time but it can come back and you can enjoy your equestrian time again with the right tools and support!
To find out how you can become a confident handler and rider again please look at the exercises in Jason’s online resource now!