Adrenaline/Anxiety

[Red-1]

This I haven’t tried!!! Thank you!!

I documented out loading/travelling stuff on Rigsby's thread. It starts at post 693 onwards about loading.

I just bought my first cob! Introduction + feed advice + photos!

Yep another one with dressage legs the likes of me can only dream of. You don't look a bit Michelin Red, you look far too elegant Thank you, you are so kind. I just lost 4 1/2 stone! Well, I will have done, when I lose just 1/4 lb more! 1 1/2 stone of which is since I got Rigsby in September. I...

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My main concern was loading but standing on the box was also part of it and it is all to do with relaxation, confidence and acceptance.

I did used to train fancy horses, not just cobs.

 

[SpeedyPony]

He basically lunges himself if someone is holding him unfortunately. I was the “groom” on Sunday as broken my wrist and my friend was the rider

Ah that's not helpful then! The only other thing I could suggest is to hack round a bit immediately after unloading to see if he'll settle? One of mine needs to be doing something when he's wound- once he's had a chance to walk some of that adrenaline off he'll stand much more happily.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Out of interest, what is he like after you have competed? Is he calmer? Can you tie him up then, i.e. when you are packing all your stuff away.
What discipline is it? Dressage or ODE? Your thread title sounds totally correct - a tonne of anxiety and andrenaline!

He is exactly the same after competing. Nothing changes. Literally have to untack, load and go home. We pretend to show jump.
It’s actually getting worse each time I take him out

 

[DabDab]

I used to have a mare years ago who would snap anything she was tied to but would stand okish on the lorry as long as there was a horse or human there with her. So I just managed her at comps. I tried a number of progressive training methods but she wasn't in the slightest motivated by food so none were terribly successful. She was bad to tie in general though, and it was a habit so ingrained that although she improved she could never really be trusted to stay tied anywhere for long.

One of my mares used to be bad to stand on a lorry as soon as we got to a venue, but was fine at home so was a bit of a challenge for a while. I used to get her off, in hand manoeuvre her about a bit (similar to Red's description above) and then put her back on with a treat and nice haylage (which she doesn't typically get). She has settled over time and is now just a little jiggy and head tossy when we first arrive, rather than lifting front feet off the floor, and she is always fine as soon as she has been off once and done something.

If yours is the same as soon as you load I reckon Red's training technique is worth a good effort

 

[Squeak]

He is exactly the same after competing. Nothing changes. Literally have to untack, load and go home. We pretend to show jump.
It’s actually getting worse each time I take him out

Have you been going out just to showjumping competitions? If so could it be worth taking him places just for a flatwork arena hire or hacking - basically something really low key so that he doesn't think it's always showjumping he's going out for?

 

[Annagain]

Is this the same one that's been very opinionated about jumping and broke your wrist? I'd suspect that maybe he doesn't really like doing the same things as you and it might be time to find him a home where he can do a different job. I don't mean that nastily at all, I've been there and it's not nice but both the horse and I are so much happier now we've both got new partners.

 

[J&S]

The old time horse breaker I knew in the Forest used to tie horses to a bike inner tube attached to the wall by a chain. The inner tube would stretch with a puller so never got that "dead pull" feeling. Worth a try!

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Have you been going out just to showjumping competitions? If so could it be worth taking him places just for a flatwork arena hire or hacking - basically something really low key so that he doesn't think it's always showjumping he's going out for?

We do arena hire for all lessons .

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Is this the same one that's been very opinionated about jumping and broke your wrist? I'd suspect that maybe he doesn't really like doing the same things as you and it might be time to find him a home where he can do a different job. I don't mean that nastily at all, I've been there and it's not nice but both the horse and I are so much happier now we've both got new partners.

The one who broke my wrist did not do it over fences (the curb on the hackamore snapped and somehow the bridle went over his head and he got a fright) and loves to jump. Both of my horses love to jump.
But no, this is not the one who I managed to fall off of.

But I do varies things, from team chasing to dressage to XC and so so many hacks.

 

[Annagain]

The one who broke my wrist did not do it over fences (the curb on the hackamore snapped and somehow the bridle went over his head and he got a fright) and loves to jump. Both of my horses love to jump.
But no, this is not the one who I managed to fall off of.

But I do varies things, from team chasing to dressage to XC and so so many hacks.

Ah right sorry thought it was the same horse.

 

[Identityincrisis]

I have an Arab who was very unsettled standing on the box, he resembled Michael flatterly as he danced so much! It’s taken a year or so but now he stands on the box when we get there until I’m ready to tack up. I built it up slowly, he wasn’t allowed off while he was ‘creating’ this was VERY difficult for me as it went against my natural instinct, but the penny did begin to drop with him and he learnt that if he is quiet he gets off quicker. With regards to tying to the box while tacking up, to begin with I would have a helper and I wouldn’t tie but i would ask him to stand quietly (again building up my expectations) I had a rope halter attached to a long line. I then stopped getting help so I would do this on my own, then I started tying him to the box and rewarding him with treats when stood still, but still with the rope halter and long line just in case. He now stands very quietly but I always have the rope halter on (over a leather headcollar as you never tie up on the rope halter) to give him a correction if needed

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Oh, I also had one who loved his stable mirror. So much sol I put one in the lorry. It worked really well, he loved his pal. At one point, it worked so well I almost ditched it as he started serenading the mirror-pal on his way back to the box, and would rush to get on so he could pull faces at it!

That's so cute! I got Beau a mirror because he was sometimes in alone and he'd fall asleep looking at himself!

 

[Barlow]

I’ve just had Richard Maxwell out to help me with my horse who gets extremely stressy and enters self-harm mode when in my box. We also have the “goes through headcollars like there’s no tomorrow” t-shirt, as well as the “yard staff don’t want to handle your horse” matching gilet.
It’s early days but in the space of four days my horse has completely changed - loads without hesitation, stands still like a rock whilst on the lorry and is happy to have headcollar and lead rope tied to box. We are just starting to close the ramp now and so far so good. I cannot recommend Richard highly enough, he has completely changed my horse for the better!