behaviour problem at shows

C

CAZ123

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 September 2005
Messages
145
Location
Devon/Cornwall
Visit site
I have a 6 year old chestnut mare. She was imported from Holland as a 4 year old I lightly competed as a 4 year old than stopped after about show number 5 as issues in warm up with explosions!
I than gave her a year off to just hack and get head right. Had vet check her over back done teeth done even had horse whisper.
Than i started competing her again and in the warm up she will plant her self and buck and rear on the spot I took her away few weeks ago she bucked in warm up so I was able to push her through she went in and won both classes.
Last week I took her away and as soon as I got on her she planted herself. Swishing her tail badly back up and rearing and bucking on spot luckily I was able to lunge her. And than she won both tests.
Today she warmed up than was a bit funny with me in the walk to trot transitions. But I was over the moon as she only tried to rear twice lol! And I could ride through it and she did some lovely work. Than i stopped to put my jacket on that was it! Asked her to walk on she started the old tail swishing and planting. So I took her out of the warm up as time for my test. And had bucking in left canter. She schools fine at home. Just the odd argument but you expect that with a young horse. Good to hack.
When the trailer comes out she goes absolutely crazy bucking and rearing like it's excitement! She's on magnesium tried hormone stuff to.
Anyone else had this!
 
I would go out to different venues- hire instead of compete if need be
Where you can work her through the issue without the added worry of being at a show
There are other calmers you could try- cool,calm collected is one that I isn't just magnesium
Good luck! Love a chestnut mate!
 
Yes I thought about that but it seems to be with other horses involved ie horses coming in and out of the arena. Iv heard of cool calm collected supplement il take a look. She's fine when I take her away for clinics. As there are less people horses there.
 
I had a mare like this year's ago she was the first horse I ever owned, she was fine at home but if you went anywhere to compete she was mental, she used to nap really badly and the more horses that were in the ring or in the warm up the worse she got, she got much better as she got older but I used to lunge before I got on and I used to give her rescue remedy the night before in the morning and throughout the show, I believe it really did help to calm her down and the more places I went over the years the better she got, unfortunately just as she got really good at going to different places she went lame and was never sound enough to show she was only 14, I also found leaving her out all night in the field the night before helped, good luck I know how difficult and frustrating it is.
 
A timely thread. Went out today to do a Trec comp on my 8yr old TB. I don't compete at anything usually (done a few in hand shows and an indoor Trec comp and the odd comp at my yard), but a friend had suggested it and horsey does love Trec obstacles and is good to hack so I thought it would be something different for him. We had had a practice run out the week before to our local riding club field and had a play with some obstacles and jumps with a couple of other horses and he was very good so I was hopeful he'd cope with the competition. I was very, very wrong. It completely blew his mind. He travelled well, unloaded well, was a donkey to tack up in the lorry park with the lorries, horses, boxes all around. Got into the (quiet) warm up ring and EXPLODED. I'd expected a bit of excited bucking and thought a couple of the obstacles might be too exciting to tackle but his behaviour was far worse than my worst imaginings. I stayed on only because of my death grip on my balance strap, he was full on rodeo-ing. I tried to ride him through it but I was terrified, and he wasn't settling; I thought a hard fall was inevitable, everyone had scattered and were cowering in the corners of the arena looking on in horror, the minute he had all four feet on the ground I got offf and told hubby to let them know I was retiring from the comp. I walked him in hand for a while leaping about, then someone kindly brought a lunge line and I lunged him for 15mins. He calmed down after that and was back to donkey again, I cautiously got back on (I REALLY didn't want to) but we walked around the yard, back up to the lorry park and he just ate grass on the buckle end for the rest of the day, but I was so shaken and sore (every muscle in my upper body is sore; I can't lift my arms over my head!) We never even saw a Trec obstacle! Epic fail.
 
Last edited:
As above, hire/borrow schools t work in, invite friends to come along to spread the cost too.
Join a RC and try to get to schooling sessions through the winter.
This will take the edge off you for any pressure and turn trips out to be 'the norm'.
Or try to seek out clinics where you are part of a group of 3 or so, there are usually quite a lot around in the winter you just need to find them.
Also, work at home first before you go anywhere, taking a good edge off and perhaps be a bit flat once you go out, but it can help.
Hope you get through this :)
I think repetition will help.
 
The only way to get through this is travel and work .
I would work the horse as much as you can by loading it and travelling to work I would go to shows and not compete .
You have to check with organisers about this sometimes the best way is to enter a class and then not go in .
Go to clinics and lesson all of them you can get to load to hack out .
I would be travelling to ride a minimum of three times a week ideally do more .
I would not take her into the arena at a competition until you have cracked the warm up he need to avoid at all costs loony stuff in the arena at competitions once they learn to that it's a pain better to wait until you can work the horses properly in the warm up and then take the pressure off and do a test with the pressure off .
Has this horse ever been checked for ulcers ?
The one I dealt with who was a monster in warmups ,she could clear a SJ warmup in seconds ,turned out to have ulcers .
 
I too would be getting her out to as many shows or places with that type of atmosphere - even if you aren't competing as it seems as if she is picking up the 'buzz' from the show and it's hyping her up.

The theory is the more you go the more 'normal' it will become to her and the less she will react.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top