At wits end with pony being nappy /naughty at shows!

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billylula

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Pony is lovely in lessons and at rallies, fab hacking, getting better to load and we'll behaved and happy in warm up arena. But try and enter the ring and he's getting to be a bit of a nightmare. He never wants to go in, with a few pony club kicks he'll finally go in. On Sat he spooked, bucked, refused twice and generally made it quite clear he didn't want to be there. To make matters more confusing, sometimes he's fine! Last week he was a dream. And later on Sat my other (younger, weaker rider) tried him and he jumped a lovely careful clear round as good as gold. He's now got a bit of a reputation for being troublesome which is quite sad as he's a sweetheart really. Back checked, saddle fits, just cannot understand it. Daughter does get nervous but so does other daughter! At wits end.
 
I feel your pain , we have 1 that I'm sure would love to take to shows but I won't take him as I'm sure he would be very argumentative
We are trying to 'man him up' & I am sure it will come in time - doing lots of long lining hacking out with sensible horses , putting lead occasionally trying to build confidence and he does seem to be getting better
He does fun rides & he's fab - but asking him to go into a ring on his own is way too scary @ the moment
If your daughters are getting worried could someone else get on him for a bit , I'm sorry probably not much use - but he's not the only 1 xx
 
Thanks. I have an older daughter who is a very competent rider. Might try her on him. He's done lots of shows with previous owner. He seems to go particularly badly for poor middle daughter who tries her hardest with him. She loves him and always makes excuses - oh I didn't look beyond e jump etc - but truth is he just doesn't seem to like her or certainly doesn't want to please her. It's a bit sad for her.
 
Am I correct? Your taking him into a ring for jumping so he's going on his own? Try a showing class where everyone goes in together it would give him the idea of going through the dreaded roped entrance. Alternatively take a run up and trot into the ring with determination, don't wait around the entrance for your turn so he doesn't know what to expect warn others first so he has a clear path.
Good luck, I have one that will go into the ring but I have to pony club kick all the way round to generate impulsion.
 
will watch this thread with interest! My boy is great on pleasure rides and just started hacking solo and he is brill but not going into a ring on his own - we have only just done it a few times and confidence for both of us has held us back for ages, am thinking from the above threads there may be hope for us :-)
 
I have a horse, now retired, who would not walk past people looking at him (which usually they do at the entrance to a ring) once I got him in and moving he was fine. If people persisted to look at him he would eventually panic and run backwards very dangerously. I used to have to ask people to not look at him walking past. Mortifying at a show but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Flat out on a hunter trial he would jump anything, until you put a few spectators standing at a jump. I eventually stopped competing him as I was getting a reputation of being a weirdo shouting "don't look at him!" to random people.

Perhaps its a bit of stage fright?
 
I had this exact problem with my old pony. This is what helped me, all you need is a different yard/place to ride away from your home (that you can possibly ride to). First get to the place where you are allowed to ride. Then set up a fake show (just ask some other horses to come with you and get some people to watch) then set up a sj course and jump it, each time your horse is good give him a treat and everytime he does something naughty give him a little tap with the whip (not too hard as to scare him). Make sure you make it VERY clear when scolding and praising!
 
That's a good idea, thank you. Thinking about it, he's always worse when our other pony hasn't come with us... Even though he can't see other pony he seems to go better when he's travelled there with him. Wonder if I'm clutching at straws...
 
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