Speaker: Vicki burden
What did you come to me for help with?
Vicki burden : Hi, my name's Vicki. I got in touch with Sam this time last year. So February of last year. I had come back into riding after 20 years. I had my own horse. Hoolie, who had had for a few months, started off absolutely lovely. It got to the stage where we were shying at a lot of things, rearing up five or six times during our hacks, trying to get past things. The brakes weren't working very well. Just lots of different things came to a head, and I found myself rushing him, just trying to get past not having the confidence, losing a lot of confidence with him. I felt that I wasn't good enough for him, that he deserved better. It was just spiralling, really. And I knew that I needed to get help for the both of us. So lucky for me, I found Sam on Facebook.
And how has working with me helped you?
Vicki burden : So once I got in touch with Sam, I started a Confident Rider Course, with her it was every Monday for four weeks with a group of people. we went through breathing, tools to help control my anxiety and things. And after the first session, I came away feeling really positive but I didn't know quite how I was going to put it into practise because of how I was feeling previously and how everything was going with us. So I went to the yard, went out on my own, and I honestly couldn't believe the difference after the first session! Whereas before we were having a little difficulties five or six times I knew that I was the problem. And with my breathing and everything else, we got round the whole hack absolutely fine! And that was just after one session. So then I then I obviously realised that it was working and was really excited to start the next one. So we did it for four weeks. Sam helped massively with all my confidence issues. A year on, it's things I'm still putting into practise today. I still have to remind myself every now and again. And now when we do get into little situations, it's nothing like it used to be. And I can just enjoy him now like it took, maybe after the first... It worked instantly Basically! We got on, we did it, we concentrated on our breathing. And it worked instantly, but over the course of the 12 months since, we've just been working on it all the time. When we have little blips, we go back to think about what Sam said.
What would you say to anyone thinking of working with me?
Vicki burden : I would say to anyone that has little confidence issues, just to get in touch with Sam. It doesn't matter how small they are, because mine started off really small. And then obviously we were getting into pickles all the time and I would just say go for it because it doesn't just help... It hasn't just helped me in my riding, it's helped me in my everyday life basically, it's given me a lot more self esteem, a lot more confidence, I speak up for myself a lot more. It's just an all round great way to be a great place to be and if you're lacking a little bit of confidence, or you just want to seek a bit more confidence than definitely in touch with Sam!
