Calming excited horses at shows

[lizijj]

Hi, would appreciate your experiences on how to calm down horses at shows. Lunging? Galloping day before? I'm pretty sure that its me who needs help to calm down also...

Thanks

 

[Skippys Mum]

Lots and lots of little circles, turns, walking over poles, stuff like that. Keep changing direction so they start to listen to you. It can all be done at walk

A lot of places wont let you lunge in the warm up but you can do loads of wee walking exercises in the car park if needs be.

 

[Bettyboo1976]

Walk for 10 mins then proper work for 10 mins then walk for 10 then work for 10 that normally works for me

 

[Alyth]

Disengaging hq, sideways, backwards......these exercises make the horses brain kick in!!

 

[Natch]

Visit a few with no pressure to compete, to get some experience. Try to park away from the action. Get a headcollar/bride that you can actually control your horse in (says she remembering vividly being taken for a brisk walk and not being able to do a thing about it by a cob in a leather headcollar!). Try to encourage them to graze. And do whatever you can to get and keep yourself calm and in leadership mode, perhaps some NLP ot visualisations? X

 

[Miss L Toe]

Arrive early.

 

[palomino_pony]

Keep going to lots of shows outings so it gets boring. we have another yard approx 10 mins hack with a ménage but I've been boxing up the long way so trips out get boring. Death by dressage this winter too. It working. She is more relaxed each trip

 

[MrsMozart]

Any you can hack to?

We used to hack to shows, walk round, hack home. In time it became the norm and the horses were far more chilled

For you, try Rescue Remedy?

 

[lilyoftheincas]

Take him a little away from the other horses and graze him if his class is not for some time. This will distract him with something he loves. When it's time to tack up, keep him where he can see others but is not too close, and ride him in a quiet trot on a gentle but definite contact. Talk to him quietly and soothingly however not all of the time, as the horse can find this irritating.

Taken from 100 Ways to Improve Your Horse's Schooling I recommend it, very interesting book!

 

[HDPE]

Disengaging hq, sideways, backwards......these exercises make the horses brain kick in!!

Yes, if your horse does lateral work try them in the warm up, you can start at walk but they make the horse focus more on where their feet are than the fact something might be scary or exciting. They also make you engage properly as a rider, as to do them successfully you're relying on being forward, straight and in the correct position. Of course, obey the rules of the warm up whilst doing them

 

[Cortez]

Arrive MASSIVELY early, lead about first and let him/her see all the sights. I also like to warm up twice with the baby horses, work once then untack and let them pick at a haynet or whatever, then do the "proper" warm up before the class. Allow ages of time, better to be warmed up and ready early - you can always walk to keep them supple. Nothing worse than to be short of time and work and under pressure, it will transmit to your horse every time.

 

[Goldenstar]

Time on the day and time in the sense of going to every little show you can where neither the rider or the horse feel pressure to perform.
I am prepared to stay on a horse all day at a show if that is what it takes at first I see it as an investment in the future.

 

[BBP]

I loose school mine the morning before going out, so any excess freshness can be bucked and galloped off without me on top! Helps me a lot, although he still gets excited it isn't so scary.