Anyone else have a horse they 'can't take anywhere'? How to solve it?

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Ziggy_

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Don't get me wrong I love my horse and have worked so hard on her since I bought her, but she still has one major fault that I'd like to crack, and that is that I can't take her to 'outings' such as shows without her going loopy.

She's 12, and has BSJA'd, BD'd, XC'd, done fun rides and hunted before I bought her, its not greenness on her part. But she's also been treated badly and been passed from home to home, and I've found there seems to be a very fine line between excitement, and panic for her.

As soon as we arrive she's gets right on edge, snorting, sh*tting, prancing about and not inclined to listen to me in the warm up. She also naps very badly going into the ring, whatever the event. When we SJ, she takes off as soon as she hears the bell and bombs round, with no brakes at all. To her credit, I only have to look at the next fence and she takes me there and she's never refused, run out or knocked down a fence in a competition, but I can't even stop her at the end of the course. And god help us if we go back into the same ring afterwards and she knows its a jump off!!

Dressage is more frustrating- as before she just goes really tense and won't listen. Simple things like turning up the centre line become a battle as she's gawping at something. The judges box is terrifying. She works in a lovely consistent outline at home (albeit in grackle and martingale) but you wouldn't think it from watching her tests! My yard holds regular dressage comps on site and even these apparently blow her brains.

I'm dying to take her out and about more. I've always wanted to go XC schooling, and I'd love to take her on fun rides and maybe even hunting one day. I'm told she was awesome XC before her injury and I can believe it. But at the same time, I don't want to put anyone at risk by taking a lunatic out and having her play up and I don't want my first go round a cross country course to be at an average speed of 200mph!!

I think half the problem, is that I have never competed before her (apart from one or two on riding school horses, which doesn't really count.) so I'm a novice. I don't particularly suffer from nerves but I am new to it and I'm very much still learning the ropes myself when it comes to competing.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has had similar problems, whether its an old horse, young horse, race horse, it doesn't matter; and am open to any suggestions of how I can help. I don't have transport so opportunities are somewhat limited, but, my yard holds regular shows and clinics etc on site. I've made it my goal for next year, that I want to be able to take her places. I'll be hunting next autumn, lol
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In all other ways she's a fab horse, yes I admit she is about the limit of what I can handle and can be bargy but with a sensible head most of the time and enjoys her work. All checks (back etc) are of course done regularly.
 
Have you tried giving her a calmer (an instant one may be best) before you go? I give mine one for hunting now as he's loopy otherwise.

What did her previous owners say she was like when they took her out? If she's done BD then she can't have always been like this.
 
Have similar problem with one of mine... had him 4 years, used to team chase but had been retired from this due to injury, think was tendon related, but he also has stringhalt on left hind.

Anyway, was told he was ok to jump up to about 3'. Didn't find out too much about him as he was a loan arranged very quickly, still don't own him but not heard from owner since had him!

He has the nickname 'wall of death' as can be a real handful, get terribly excited and generally only wants to canter or gallop... this is whether in school or hacking.

Only jumped him a few times and it's just not nice, he has to have his head completely and will go full pelt at everything. Plus side is he would never refuse, run out, be naughty but down side is no control at all and trying to regain any sort of contact after a fence usually leads to jumping all over the place like a loon.

I found out later that owner, a vet, was very hard on him and he can be quite head shy so god knows what he's been through... but made the decision that jumping was just too much for him, didn't know whether behaviour was due to excitment or worry and hated the thought of putting him in a stressfull situation for my own gain so now we just have great gallops round the fields and this keeps him happy.

Sorry not much help that I guess!
 
I know it isn't very useful for you but hunting really helped my horse deal with social situations. She used to get very exciteable at competitions pooing, whinying to everything and sticking her head up in the air completely ignoring me. Since I have started hunting her she is so chilled out and I almost wish I could get a bit of the excitement back! You never know it may make a difference but if your horse as been before I guess it probably won't. I feel your pain though!
 
Not injury as such, bone spavin.

Tried Oxyshot. Slight improvement, our best behaved show ever was on oxyshot - but then I read a bit too much on here, became sceptical and haven't thought to use it again since (d'oh!). Tried Magnesium based ones to no effect.

I'm told she's always been 'difficult' at shows - was sold/changed riders a few times to find someone who could handle her
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but used to get some good results so can't have been in this mad panicky state she seems to be in now, especially for dressage.
 
Calmers can be useful but different ones seem to work on different horses - so a bit of trial and error.

And lessons maybe? Just so you get an armoury of exercises you can go through to concentrate her mind so she's listening to you and not pratting about .
 
Me. Including fun rides and competitions anywhere but at home. Even fun rides at home can be a bit hairy as he gets really excited in big groups. We did a fun ride at a local country park once - Dylan spent 3 hours jogging when he was meant to be walking, and trying to b*gger off if he was meant to be going any faster.
 
Loves hacking. Likes to be at the front and lead the way, likes exploring new routes. Totally non-spooky and traffic proof. Very strong to canter though and has a habit of jogging home which is mostly solved, but crops up again from time to time.

She's excitable to school and jump at home but can be managed by very quiet riding. Of course then when we get to a show she won't listen to my usual quiet aids.
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Definitley try the oxyshot again then, if it works great.

I have a little horse who is a poppet at shows until you actually go in the warm up or ring, then he's very tense and trying to bolt the hell out of there.
Same if I take him away somewhere to school.
He's a doddle at home, clamers have helped , he also better if there are other horses about so showing helps. I built up gradually from in hand to ridden classes and for dressage we stick to walk and trot classical tests that I can put a pelham in for so keep him in those dammed boards.
But turns out he has some serious health issues, I'm hoping once we sort them he might be a bit easier to take out and about.
Camers , mine is better with those that are magnesium AND tryptophan based , like Blue Chip Karma and So Kalm Plus.
Ihave no idea if we'll ever eb able to really compete but he's fun to have anyway.
 
Just consistent, calm work I think. My mare was a fiesty little lady and I had to 'put her in her box' so to speak when we went out. I did that by being so so calm on her back, very 'whatever' attitude when I was at a show. I would literally ride like I could be barely be bothered, like it was soooooooooo uninteresting I could fall asleep. She would pick up on this state of mind and relax. Then I would always do exactly the same warm up at a show as I did at home. It usually involved walking on a long rein (yes even if she was pratting around I would sit slumped with a loose rein and ignore her!) and then picking her up, doing some transitions, leg yielding, half halts to get her really listening.
My mare just wanted to work and she was sensitive so she would pick up on me if I was nervous or uptight. This worked really well and she became so consistent and obedient.
Also I found working her consistently at home with regular lessons, taking her to clinics, schooling sessions at other yards ect helped her to see it all as work rather than excitement!
Your mare just sounds like she gets a bit excited and insecure and needs you to be her leader. Get her focused on you. Hope you work it out she sounds a fab horse.
 
If you have your own transport can you take her out weekly. Not do anything just turn up at shows and tie her up (if you can) and just make it a regular thing so she gets used to being in different enviroments. Sorry not very helpful but perhaps it will help a bit.
 
I don't actually have transport, I used to hack to shows with my friends and sometimes alone as well. She's been better behaved on her own TBH.

She's still very tense in the warm up but just about controllable, its when she hears the bell that she seems to lose the plot.

Thanks for replies so far - to the poster above with the horse called Dylan (can't remember your name as I'm typing sorry) - what have you done about it? Have you kept taking him out and has he gotten any better?
 
hmm so definetely seems to be as soon as she's in ring, could be nerves or excitement but then i guess you probly know that already.

what sort of height did she used to jump before you had her?

do you have lessons on her? i had funnily a chestnut mare who used to rush at jumps was pretty uncontrollable and once when i had a hackamore on (tried most bits) because i could control the pace she went she wouldn't move at all. my instructor at the time said to circle infront of jump then jump and circle again etc.

not sure if this is gona be of any help.

do you have much info on who backed her etc?
 
How about a training holiday in a busyish yard for you both. With a trainer who is experienced, patient and will help you both through the problem?

That would be a safe way of acclimitizing you both to the 'busy' nature of a show and help you both gain in confidence.
 
I think you need to work out what her 'triggers' are and try and desensitise her to these, especially as you say she works well at home, but gets excited even if the competition is at her yard! So work out whether it is the bell, other horses in the warm-up, your nerves, etc., which are setting her off.

I would borrow a bell, or get a tape-recording of one (or several different varieties) and use these during your schooling sessions so she realises there is nothing to get worked up about. Do some mock-up competitions where you dress up, plait and then ride a dressage test in the arena your yard uses for competition, not forgetting the bell, of course!

When you next have a dressage competition at your yard, don't compete, but ask if you can ride in the arena straight after the end of the last test - just get her to walk and trot calmly around the arena a couple of times (not worrying about outline) and then come out. It does sound like she is used to being 'got at' in the competition arena with riders getting stressed, kicking, using hands to keep an outline etc., which has resulted in her getting worked up. You need to prove to her that it is really nothing to be worried about!

If jumping is more traumatic for her than dressage, then concentrate on the dressage to start until she is a bit calmer.
 
Ditto!!! thank god I am not alone
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he is 11 and has regularly competed BSJA before us. He is "solid" and not excitable at homeor hacking but he gets VERY excited at shows and we are talking even with my OH at a quiet unaffiliated clear round with only about 12 competitors there.

He gets off the wagon and it is ears pricked, head in the air, snorting and trying to get into the collecting ring whilst you are trying to tack up. He is very fizzy in the collecting ring, with his tail whirling madly and won't stand still. He has no brakes in the ring you need to point him at the next fence to get him listening and then tries to peg it back to fence 1 at the end of a class. When you bring him back out into the collecting ring then he is leg yielding everywhere snorting.

The other thing to consider is if her background is similar to his, basically imported by a professional who tried to get as much money on his card as fast as possible. This can happen to a lot of BSJA horses as youngsters depending on the rider. And with a young horse, as he was then, rather than working with him he rode in a "pressurising" style to get the horse to push himself beyond his comfort zone. This I have felt is part of the reason he rushes and gets so wound up as he associates competition with pressure and stress.

Interestingly I hired the competition venue one evening to see what happened and he behaved just the same as at home. Hence I have deduced it is the competition atmosphere, rather than being away from home. I am hoping to take him to his first dressage this winter as I have been recommended this as a way of getting him to do something less exciting to him in a busy environment. So I think this is probably a good way for you to go too.

I think sadly it is just time and patience and also getting more confidence yourself (difficult when sat on a timebomb I know) but it really does feed down the reins. I also now go to the show to ride in the collecting ring, then I get to make the decision about whether he goes back on the wagon or in the ring. As I have felt less pressured he has been ever so slightly calmer. Remember you do this for FUN !!! there is no obligation to compete when you get there so go along as often as possible to aclimatise to the environment.

Good luck if you find something a miracle cure let me know
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[ QUOTE ]
I think you need to work out what her 'triggers' are and try and desensitise her to these, especially as you say she works well at home, but gets excited even if the competition is at her yard! So work out whether it is the bell, other horses in the warm-up, your nerves, etc., which are setting her off.

I would borrow a bell, or get a tape-recording of one (or several different varieties) and use these during your schooling sessions so she realises there is nothing to get worked up about. Do some mock-up competitions where you dress up, plait and then ride a dressage test in the arena your yard uses for competition, not forgetting the bell, of course!

When you next have a dressage competition at your yard, don't compete, but ask if you can ride in the arena straight after the end of the last test - just get her to walk and trot calmly around the arena a couple of times (not worrying about outline) and then come out. It does sound like she is used to being 'got at' in the competition arena with riders getting stressed, kicking, using hands to keep an outline etc., which has resulted in her getting worked up. You need to prove to her that it is really nothing to be worried about!

If jumping is more traumatic for her than dressage, then concentrate on the dressage to start until she is a bit calmer.

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Another vote for what TGM suggests. Expose her to what makes her wound up frequently, calmly and repeat until she settles. Forget about the actual competition for now (and don't go XC until you have solved the issue!!!) but use it instead as a learning experience.
 
Ziggy - we don't actually have transport, so it's really difficult for me to take him anywhere
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I find with fun rides that he's a bit better of he's had plenty of exercise/turnout in the couple of days before it, but that's about all, unfortunately (and that's a fairly obvious solution lol).

He's generally an excitable type, goes pretty much mental in fields or anywhere he's ever had a canter.
 
I had a very "hot" gelding who I took everywhere. In nearly every dressage test we got tense comments and the first 10 minutes of warming up for anything consisted of cantering around and around until he stopped squeaking and wanting to p!ss off.
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I just always bitted him according to what we were doing. For fun rides and occasional hunting (which was too stressful and totally blew his brains) he had to have a slightly stronger bit or I'd never have held him, then the knack was not to hold on too much. You had to let him go and keep cantering, but never let the canter get up past a certain speed, or you couldn't get him back. Just a question of knowing the horse really, although he must have looked hard work because he was just a big bundle of adrenalin about going out doing anything.
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Basically you have all answered your own question, those that having problems at shows etc. Go back 2 or 3 steps. Why are there tantrums and because you the kind owner means them no harm??? Should the horse really trust you as you are taking them back in something they find at the moment stressfull. Great horsemanship I think not!!
 
Try Instant Magic, i found it worked wonders with my very stressy mare and I have also used it on my youngster for his first shows so that he doesn't get upset. If she is not like it at home she is obviously picking up on the tension in the air at shows, some horse are like that a lot of the top professionals use Nupafeed on their horses, I think with all of these calmers it is trial and error for finding the one that suits your horse.
 
Ditto TGM, and to some extent JR.

Find the triggers and do everything you can to desensitize the horse in the kindest and calmest way possible.

If you can get to shows to compete, then go to the shows and don't compete, even if you have to do a full season of hacking to shows and watching other people do it. I've done it with Dizz - hacked to local shows to just walk round and come back again. I wanted to get her used to the atmosphere and to learn that she doesn't need to get stressed when she's there - she has the potential to be an absolute fruit loop and I really don't want that for her!

When the shows are on at home, just build up slowly. Take her in hand (in a bridle) and let her watch. Tack her up and wander round then back to her field/stable.

From what you've said, it's learned behaviour, which you need to replace with new behaviours. It takes time and patience hun. If I have any 'behavioural' issues I call Micky Gavin, our local natural horsemanship type person. He helps fill in the gaps when my brain is going into overload and common sense etc. gets a bit lost, he helps
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. He's no new age softy and understands and appreciates how horses are wanted/needed to be in our world. If you have anyone similar it might be worth a conversation
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.

Hugs and a hot choccy.
 
Thanks very much to everyone who has replied, looks like I will have my work cut out to desensitise her but I'll make it my project for the winter
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lol Flame what you describe sounds so familiar, she gets so strong and fast but grab hold of her mouth and thats it, she'll be off and you won't get her back. Did your boy ever improve?

If anyone is still reading this thread, do you think it would be a good idea for me to see if I can compete some riding school horses over the winter to gain experience? or will it just make my horse seem so much more difficult in comparison?
 
I think that's a great idea. Don't think it will make your horse seem more difficult in comparision, just a keener more forward going ride.

One of my horses can't be taken anywhere. And unfortunately the reason for that was me and my then riding nerves. I thought he couldn't handle stuff so didn't expose him to it. How he was quite going to ever be able to handle stuff on that basis I don't know, what an idiot I was.

So this year he's been to two fun rides, been to the beach, some Clinics and lots of fast hacking and has been brilliant.

Not saying it is you who needs to change by the way, merely sharing my own experience and why my horse was one who couldn't be taken anywhere for a long time.
 
I would have to agree that it sounds as if your mare is frightened and has had a bad experience show jumping. You say she naps before going in, that is a pretty standard response from a horse who is worried and then galloping in blind panic at the fences to get the whole thing over with. I would say your best route would be to just go to shows but not ask her to actually go into the ring. Also you could get a bell at home and use it to help teach her that the noise doesn't automatically mean having to jump. Hope you get on ok.
 
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