Confidence issues...
I've been riding for two months now, but I've only had four lessons (we had bad snow in England that put me out of action for a while, plus work committments.)
My instructor thinks I'm way too tense. Which sucks because being tense is just naturally me/my body posture. My instructor is new to me, she's great, she makes me do loads more stuff by myself (my other instructor left the barn.)
Normally I ride a horse named Owen. He's a 16.2hh percheron X and I just LOVE him. Like from the second I saw him I fell in love with him. We get along great and he is wonderful, he will turn a corner by himself, you can control him with your voice. I feel so, so safe on him. Because he's so easy going my instructor thinks he might not be best for me (though we discussed today and think we might stick with him though.)
Today I rode another horse named Toby who my instructor thought might be a better fit because he's smaller (about 14.5hh.) He was really hard to control and steer (not in an out of control way) and I just got really frustrated because I could not get the walk/trot transition! I don't know what I'm doing wrong except maybe not kicking him hard enough. I'm just concerned I'm not making progress. I've yet to let go of the strap on the saddle in trot because I feel a little out of control. I think the plan is to have some lessons on the lunge. I just felt like he wasn't as chunky and there wasn't as much of him under me, though he has a wonderful and kind personality. My instructor thought he might even be trying to look after me too much, like he sensed my body was tense and so didn't want to trot because he thought he needed to look after me.
I'm also worried I'm just not fit enough. Two circles of posting trot and I'm breathless and my heart is beating really fast. I'm not overweight just not wildly active or fit or strong. I thought I might do an exercise DVD, do some running and use my treadmill some more.
So to summarize my questions are:
1. How do I get over this whole 'loving and bonding with one horse, and only one horse' thing?
2. How can I transition up smoother or really at all? (Transition down is fine)
3. What kind of things can I do to get fitter for riding?
ETA:
My instructor thinks I'm way too tense. Which sucks because being tense is just naturally me/my body posture. My instructor is new to me, she's great, she makes me do loads more stuff by myself (my other instructor left the barn.)
Normally I ride a horse named Owen. He's a 16.2hh percheron X and I just LOVE him. Like from the second I saw him I fell in love with him. We get along great and he is wonderful, he will turn a corner by himself, you can control him with your voice. I feel so, so safe on him. Because he's so easy going my instructor thinks he might not be best for me (though we discussed today and think we might stick with him though.)
Today I rode another horse named Toby who my instructor thought might be a better fit because he's smaller (about 14.5hh.) He was really hard to control and steer (not in an out of control way) and I just got really frustrated because I could not get the walk/trot transition! I don't know what I'm doing wrong except maybe not kicking him hard enough. I'm just concerned I'm not making progress. I've yet to let go of the strap on the saddle in trot because I feel a little out of control. I think the plan is to have some lessons on the lunge. I just felt like he wasn't as chunky and there wasn't as much of him under me, though he has a wonderful and kind personality. My instructor thought he might even be trying to look after me too much, like he sensed my body was tense and so didn't want to trot because he thought he needed to look after me.
I'm also worried I'm just not fit enough. Two circles of posting trot and I'm breathless and my heart is beating really fast. I'm not overweight just not wildly active or fit or strong. I thought I might do an exercise DVD, do some running and use my treadmill some more.
So to summarize my questions are:
1. How do I get over this whole 'loving and bonding with one horse, and only one horse' thing?
2. How can I transition up smoother or really at all? (Transition down is fine)
3. What kind of things can I do to get fitter for riding?
ETA: