I once was a consistentat 1D rider, I've had a few injuries an such, nothing bad but everytime I come back after one I ride more timid.  How does one go about getting over this?  I always feel like I'm going fast to the first barrel, which seems to be my mane issue an watch my videos an I look like I'm slow loping.   Any advice?  I gotta get over this.

Keep going.  It's the only way.  And try and do one thing more - kick...........been there.  

Watching because I'm the same way. I feel as if I am making an NFR quality run then I end up in the eighth D.

Mine bucks when I kick. He will go faster with an over and under, but the bucking has made me insecure, and it's a vicious cycle because I'm afraid to let go of the horn to use the over and under in case he bucks, all the while, while knowing that he's not going to run without the over and under. I'm 60 so that doesn't help.

I went from running a barrel hunting fool that ran in an o-ring snaffle in my 20's to mid 30's, to now at 60 running an OTT horse who's stride especially to the first barrel still make my hiney pucker a bit, LOL!!! I got frustrated because I bought a horse with some real speed and then turned him into the best "old lady " horse ever.  I had a small cowbred horse in to sale for a young woman I had helped during HS rodeo and was running him to get him sold and my husband was like "how come you don't run Easy (the OTT horse) like you do Shooter? Shooter, you are up on his neck, hustling and also letting him run,not pulling on him to slow down"  After some discussion my husband ended up buying Shooter for me mostly to reteach my brain how to be comfortable with going fast again and it helped tremendously.  Shooter is broke more like the reined cowhorses I rode for a long while so it gave me confidence to hustle and ride again.  Easy truly appreciated it too and we put down some 1D times this summer with our new found confidence.

I feel you, every time I get back after a little spill I end up looking like I’m auditioning for a snail race. My advice? Pretend the barrels are made of marshmallows soft, harmless, and impossible to hit. Works… sometimes. 

I apprediate this post...  As I get older.....70 now... I find I lose so much time running home because he likes to take the bit and run through the alleyway and it scares me and so I lose all my time because he doesn't want to stop... any advice is appreciated..  thanks in advance

Bucked when you kick, are you riding with spurs? is it that contributing to the attitude? 

As far as riding timid, it takes time to build back what was lost. I have had my confidence shot on more then one occassion and as I get older I know I lost that edge. But just keep going, just build your confidence back one run at a time, I do have to tell myself on the way to the first on my old horse, I find myself half way there, and go, oh! and then egg him on.  Sometimes you gotta remind yourself who you are on too! Hang in there!