Advice needed for inconsistant mare!

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Finnbob

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Help!
I'm at a bit of a loss what to do with my mare. She is very green nearly 6yr old. I've just had a baby and she's only really been jumping for the 3 months I've started riding her again.
When we jump at home she is full of enthusiasm and the thing we struggle with (and are working on) is brakes and turning. Yet whenever we go out to clinics or shows it's like she just doesn't want to know, she won't go forward off the leg, she'll jump but it's cat leaps from a virtual standstill.
My instructor seems just as baffled with her as me! He's seen her at home and out as he didn't believe me when I told him! She's so calm when were out (which is nice at times cause at home the nutty arab side of her is nearly always comes out). When were at home she only has to see a jump and she's all jogging and sideways and trying to drag me at it, when were out its like she'll jump it if she has to but doesn't seem to want to or like she's enjoying it like she does at home.

Any suggestions welcome, it's so frustrating cause it's not a consistant problem I get which I can go home and work on, it's like a split personality disorder!
 
Ahhh mares.....

Maybe she just needs more work and more outtings..... esp if you have put her aside to have a baby then maybe both of you need more lessons too. Horse can react differently away and i takes time to get the right way to combatting this, my horse has to be schooled before i take him away in the morning as he goes from mr relaxed into mr "WOOOOO"!!
but I have had him 6 years now and he has settled down alot.
 
Have u tried not jumping at home and hiring different arenas to have lessons in so then she learns to enjoy it everywhere.
 
I have stopped jumping her at home (other than the odd fallen tree!) and have entered her in some more tiny indoor sj and clinics to see how we get on.

My other horse was calm at home and nutty out and I much prefer it that way! She needs some of that fire she has at home - but not too much!
 
Sounds a bit like my mare - just been for a training session with prof show jumper and he says we need to do more on the flat to make the canter more balanced and in a rhythm - leg yield etc to make her respect and listen, alot stronger leg from the rider to assist the turns. As your mare is young and green, the canter possibly isn't yet established enough to cope with turns in a course (I thought my mare was going extremely well on the flat - not so according to the showjumper!!)
The behaviour at shows sounds like lack of confidence that only experience and mileage will correct - go round small courses like you have suggested, do it in trot if she struggles in canter, concentrate on calm, straight and forward.
Lots of poles on the floor at home and plenty of repetition, shortening and lengthening the canter stride between poles etc.
 
well we're entered in a tiny indoor sj this sunday so will see how that goes

thanks for the advice, we'll try all these things too but I think like you say it's just going to be down to practise and getting used to everything
 
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