Any tips on helping my horse relax at competitions?

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tatty_v

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My little horse and I are quite new to the world of competing (just a bit of low level unaff dressage for the time being!) We've had some lovely comments from the judges but on the last couple of outings he's got quite attached to whichever horse we have travelled with from the yard and then got himself in a bit of a tizzy when he has to leave them to do the test - think rushing, fidgeting and calling out for his companion during the test. It's a real shame because we can do a lovely test when we're concentrating! I'm trying to help him by making sure I'm on top of my nerves so I don't unconsciously transmit them to him, plus lots of exercises in the warm-up to keep his attention, but has anyone got any tips on how to manage the companion issue?

At home he is turned out alone for a couple of hours before his fieldmate joins him for the rest of the day. He's on a yard with 40 other horses though so there's always one within nose-touching distance over the fence. He's also always stabled next to another horse. He's a quirky little character at home - some days he couldn't care less about being on his own, other days even 5 minutes is too much and he'll hoon around screaming until he's brought in or his fieldmate is brought out. Despite this, he's an angel to ride and hacks on his own without a care in the world!

I'm starting to think I just have a contrary little chap who sometimes wakes up on the wrong side of bed, but any tips would be welcome!
 
Take a fortnight off work and find something to do with him everyday away from the yard and on his own. You can go to a show without competing him, use the warm up and them come home. During the fortnight you will have 3 weekends to enter him to compete somewhere. Many venues have competition during the week too.

I did this with a 6 yr old hunter I had years ago. He was a nutjob, but after cubbing every morning and a dressage outing on the Sundays he settled down.
 
Can you hack him out alone more often, just to get him used to "leaving to go to work"? It may just take time and mileage for him to grow out of baby-mode... My mare gets corked up at shows too, so often a bit earlier than our class I hack her out on the showgrounds (usually near the warmup or horsebox parking) and do a lot of bending/leg-yield type things that work her mind so she is more concerned about where to put her feet than where he buddy is. It's really easy as a rider new to showing to get a bit nervy like "OMG shut up, you're embarassing me" but it's really important to keep nerves and emotion out of it. Do lots of up/down transitions, halts, back up, turn on the fore/hind, anything to keep them mentally engaged on something positive rather than a negative reinforcement of "don't do that."

Sometimes it's so bad that I put my mare in what I call the "Time-Out" bend when she refuses to flex and just wants to giraffe-around the arena, where I bend her around one side or the other to my boot, and sit straight/look ahead and think about anything other than riding (literally, what I'm going to cook for dinner, or lyrics to a song) until she stops jigging, softens and take a deep breath. Immediately I release, praise and let her walk on until she gets agitated again, when I bend the other way and repeat. After the first time I tried this process, it only takes one or two "time-outs" until she realizes that she gets to move her feet (her favorite gear is "go") as long as she is doing as I ask.
 
Thanks both, I'll up the hacking out alone and see if we can get out and about on our own a bit too. Love the idea of the "Time-Out" bend as I already use small circles and figures of 8 as a way to get and keep his attention so it seems like a good extension of that! x
 
Do you go out with the another horse to non-shows and do a bit of work by yourself? E.g. go out hacking, have the other horse stop for a bit and then do some circles further away; go out in trailer to somewhere with some space (even a large paddock would do) and split up to do work in different areas so he learns that life will not end if he isn't with his friend for a bit. Start by working close together, then move further away. Perhaps hitch a ride to as many competitions as you can but without competing, and just work on getting him going as well as you can working at a different time to his travel-buddy; then enter when you are more sure of his trust in you.
As others say, also lots of work by himself on hacks so that you become his trusted friend instead of him only relying on another horse.
It is actually surprisingly common for horses to become clingy to a member of their 'herd' (even ones they normally hate at home) but if you persist then you should be able to get it down to an occassional 'where are you' neigh. I had one that would call out if we went different sides of a tree! At his first baby event he neighed about 17-18 times in the dressage test, about half that during the showjumping, then only a few times on the cross country (as he had to focus on the hills and jumps more). He got better each time he went out and eventually would only 'talk' to the other horse as he got back near the trailer.
 
I found that repetition was the only way I settled my mare eventing. She used to get so tense before dressage test as she used to get nervous although she would always try her best. I took her on her own to every winter dressage competition I could as they were quieter and she soon learnt to relax. We still get the odd bit of tension but she is 100x better than before.
 
I would also suggest joining a riding club if you don't already belong to one and going to some clinics. Whilst that won't replicate the leaving his friend to go into the ring, it is a good way of getting them out and about without the competition nerves element and if it is a bit enough arena hopefully during the lesson you can go off to work away from the others at the other end of the school. It really helped my horse.
 
It should hopefully be a case of taking him on his own to competitions - he'll soon get used to it. I see it all the time running dressage competitions, people that travel 2 horses together often have a nightmare as they are calling for each other throughout the test and wont relax. Its different if you are travelling 3-6 horses together like the pro's do, as one is rarely left by itself on the lorry and these horses are competed so frequently they very quickly get over any separation anxiety. But 2 together is the worst thing you can do if you have a horse that tenses up when you go out - so travel solo and that should solve your issues.

Get out and about to different places and events as well; the only time he goes on a lorry/trailer shouldnt just be to a competition. Try test riding clinics, go out for hacks and fun rides further afield, hire a school somewhere...there are plenty of options for going out and doing things that are not a competition. Again do all of this solo and he'll soon learn that going out doesnt have to be stressful and he will relax by himself.
 
Two of my ponies were exactly like this 24/7 after spending their first night next to each other (stables are opposite). They would Winnie constantly with the highest screeching noises you could imagine! So assuming your horse is like this maybe it'll do what ours have eventually done and stop with the clinging! We didn't really do any "exercises" as such but where possible we would bring them in seperatly and leave one out a bit longer that the other. We also compete the more clingy one and after the first few outings and having the other pony gallop around stupidly in a hurry to find her, they soon got used to being apart for longer distances. I also took one to a camp the other week and after 5 days apart they had a little reunion and don't even act like they were ever inseparable! They act fine now, just the occasional Winnie at each other and that's it! But for you I suppse it will be a little different as you said its only the horses he travels with so hopefully he'll just realise he can't always be next to them! Also you could try traveling him by himself more often? Good luck anyway! :)
 
kc100 alluded to this but your problem may be as much the horse left behind as your own horse... It's very likely the other horse is calling out because it has been left alone and he's just replying. Particularly as you say he's generally fine alone and doesn't get too anxious. It may go both ways, of course, but just something to keep in mind!
 
I had very similar issues with my boy... As soon as we were in that arena away from other horses, he would tense up and go awfully. We started giving him zilcene and its magical stuff! Its a totally competition-legal calmer. Doesn't effect them in anyway other than helping them to relax and stay focused. I can't believe how well its worked for us! Just a thought as it may not just be a case of practice, no matter how many times I went competing, he is a naturally worried little horse so he would still get tense. Hope this helps!
 
Back for a little update! We went to a few competitions on our own over the summer (when we could beg transport) and he was fab - relaxed and focused. We even got placed at addington! The last two weekends we've tried going in company again to see if he had built a bit of confidence and it's back to square one. Last weekend he had a meltdown in the warmup but I pushed him through it and we got through our two dressage tests, although he screamed throughout and stumbled twice because he just wouldn't concentrate. This weekend he warmed up ok but had a full scale meltdown in the test to the point that I could barely even ride him to the markers. We then had to stand in the corner of the arena whilst his travelling companion did his test just to stop him screaming, spinning and bunny hopping. He also needed a lead into the SJ arena (very unlike him) although once he got going he seemed better (perhaps because he could see his travelling companion). I'm at my wits end and am thinking that competing alone is looking to be my only option. My husband has suggested giving zylkene a try before I pester him into buying a trailer and driving me everywhere (!) Has anyone had any luck with that? Just want my boy to enjoy going out and do his best like he does when he's on his own!
 
tatty_v said:
Back for a little update! We went to a few competitions on our own over the summer (when we could beg transport) and he was fab - relaxed and focused. We even got placed at addington! The last two weekends we've tried going in company again to see if he had built a bit of confidence and it's back to square one. Last weekend he had a meltdown in the warmup but I pushed him through it and we got through our two dressage tests, although he screamed throughout and stumbled twice because he just wouldn't concentrate. This weekend he warmed up ok but had a full scale meltdown in the test to the point that I could barely even ride him to the markers. We then had to stand in the corner of the arena whilst his travelling companion did his test just to stop him screaming, spinning and bunny hopping. He also needed a lead into the SJ arena (very unlike him) although once he got going he seemed better (perhaps because he could see his travelling companion). I'm at my wits end and am thinking that competing alone is looking to be my only option. My husband has suggested giving zylkene a try before I pester him into buying a trailer and driving me everywhere (!) Has anyone had any luck with that? Just want my boy to enjoy going out and do his best like he does when he's on his own!
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Ah that sounds familiar! Mine used to get very nappy when going in company! zylkene worked absolute wonders for us... doesnt alter them at all, just seems to give them their brain back! Definitely worth a try!
 
I gave up taking two horses to events pretty quick, every time I tried it was always hell - the one left behind at the trailer would mess about, and the ridden one wouldn't concentrate properly. Nothing I tried worked! Try the zylkene, Ive never tried it but anythings worth a go before you go out looking at 4x4's and trailers ;)
 
So after a week on zylkene we bravely attempted the SJ and XC at Keysoe ok Sunday. Probably a tad ambitious but I was hopeful! Alas the problems started as soon as we arrived. He was an idiot in the lorry park and behaved appallingly in the warm up, napping and screaming and refusing to concentrate. It was so busy that I spent my warm up time walking him with a very helpful friend on the ground and trying to keep him out of everyone's way! Having dragged him into the SJ arena, we had a blazing row at the start when he decided to go backwards and sideways and up, but I kicked him through and we set off. He jumped 1 and 2 like a bat out of hell and then threw in a massive one at the first part of the fence 3 combination. I tried to organise him for the second element but he refused to listen, stopped, unceremoniously dumped me in the fence and ran back to the warm up in search of his trailer buddies. *sigh* looks like solo competing is going to be the way forward, which is a real shame. Unless I can gather the shreds of my confidence together to try a different calmer next time!
 
There's a lot you can do but it takes consistency.

Does he tie up on the yard at home alone with no hay? By that I mean will he stand by himself and go to sleep/relax if you leave him alone? If he can't do that at home, you are miles away from him coping at a show. So that's the first thing to work on.

If he will do that, does he stand tied at the trailer by himself at a show? If not, that's your next thing. Ideally have this battle at home first if you can. Set him up (within the bounds of you being successful!) to have a paddy and leave him to it until he is calm. It might take a while. Don't give in. If you give into the behaviour he will tantrum for longer next time.

The problem is at a show you haven't got the luxury of standing around for three hours waiting for him to stop creating so he needs to learn this at home, so that when you go somewhere, he might revert but if you leave him to it he will remember it got him no where.

That's where I would start and I would set up situations that are like a show, at home, until he isn't bothered. Then go somewhere with no plan to compete, and build up from there.

I take my horses out in the trailer once or twice a week minimum. Within a week of buying her, my very difficult Welsh D was like a dope on a rope at a show because I did this work at home.

You have to see it through tho, or you will make him worse.
 
Hiya, he ties up absolutely fine at home and can be left unattended to munch his haynet quite happily. Stands well for other less pleasant things too! (Clipping, mane pulling etc). Will stand outside the school when we are having yard jumping then head in away from his mates and jumps lovely without a fuss. Will school With or without others or with them leaving part way through without a problem and hacks alone without a care in the world. When we have managed to wangle transport to a show on our own, he's been a delight - tied up and chilled between classes, working well and concentrating. The problem is very concentrated on situations where he travels with others. The girls in the yard have got plans to hire some arenas over the winter and see if we can work it out of him, so I'll give that a go. The problem is I'm not super confident so I have to really steel myself to ride through the napping (I'm better at managing it on the ground now). It's exhausting!
 
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