Go back to jumping the height you were last confident at--even if that's trot poles on the ground.
It's not just you that's lost confidence in him--he's lost confidence in you, too! Everything was going so well and then he got worried about something--and then you fell off (not your fault!) but he's now upset and obviously not enjoying the jumping anymore. If I was you, I'd go lower and once you're both happy with each other again, build up from there.
In fact, I would start with just trot poles no matter what. Get him going over a trot pole course as though it were a real course. Then make a little pile of poles (or 18" crossrail, whatever) and do that course until you're 100% comfortable. When you start to get higher, make only one or two of the course's jumps the higher height, the rest smaller. That way you won't be anticipating every jump.
I totally feel you. I had a pretty bad jumping accident two summers ago while jumping just over 3' in a lesson. We're still not back in full swing jumping-wise; mainly my own confidence. My horse lost his for a while, but when I ride him over fences he is *super* careful with me now--I think he thinks he let me down and is trying to "square up
( ... )
I would have your instructor set up a low gymnastic and go through it first as trot poles, then have him set them low, go through and on the trot poles coming in, close your eyes. let our horse take you over. you won't anticipate, he will do his job. Once you feel comfortable, open your eyes. There's no harm in going back down. The other day my instructor set the jumps up higher than i've jumped in a loonngg time, and my hands and feet went numb I was so nervous. I voiced my concern, she lowered them, and we moved on to something that I felt better with. :)
This was great to read! :) My trainer now is wonderful and is exactly the type of baby-stepping, taking it slow, supportive person you describe; I love her huuugely. But they don't have any horses right now that are completely reliable for the fences, so I'm trying to figure something out somewhere else for a little while where I can build my confidence with the bigger jumps back up. It really can be the most frustrating thing in the world to look at a course and go, "But I DID this already when i was THIRTEEN! Why am I so freaked out?" Oh well. Constant progress!
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It's not just you that's lost confidence in him--he's lost confidence in you, too! Everything was going so well and then he got worried about something--and then you fell off (not your fault!) but he's now upset and obviously not enjoying the jumping anymore. If I was you, I'd go lower and once you're both happy with each other again, build up from there.
:)
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In fact, I would start with just trot poles no matter what. Get him going over a trot pole course as though it were a real course. Then make a little pile of poles (or 18" crossrail, whatever) and do that course until you're 100% comfortable. When you start to get higher, make only one or two of the course's jumps the higher height, the rest smaller. That way you won't be anticipating every jump.
Good luck!
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There's no harm in going back down. The other day my instructor set the jumps up higher than i've jumped in a loonngg time, and my hands and feet went numb I was so nervous. I voiced my concern, she lowered them, and we moved on to something that I felt better with. :)
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