Competing two horses that are pair bonded - help!

[Jnhuk]

I have been trying unsuccessfully to try and take both my horses to shows so me and my OH can compete on both on the same day. However, they are constantly calling to one another and one of the lads becomes a different horse to ride and to be honest both perfom below what they do when out individually. We tried a few years ago then gave up. They were at a friend's yard for awhile so were in a group of four. They would happily go with their other friends to a party and when they each go individually, they are great.

Yesterday, thought we would try it again but both horses were idiots in different ways.

Has anyone else managed to overcome this?

I only have enough acreage at home for two horses so getting another horse is not the solution!

Also posted in NL

 

[CalllyH]

It's an absolutle nightmare when they are like this. Are they stabled together and out in a field together at home too? Do they stress if ones taken out the field at home or out a stable to be ridden and the other left?

 

[Dunlin]

God that sounds a bit of a nightmare. An UN solution would be pairs classes. How do they perform if the other one waits by the arena the other ones competing in? I've no experience of this but how are they on hacks together? Do they act funny on a hack if one of you takes a detour? A good way might be to take them out hunting so they get used to being in the same vicinity but separated, stay at the back and see how it goes. All the best, will be interested to hear how you get on.

 

[Jnhuk]

It's an absolutle nightmare when they are like this. Are they stabled together and out in a field together at home too? Do they stress if ones taken out the field at home or out a stable to be ridden and the other left?

Yes they are stabled together as my stables are at the back of my house in their field. If you take one out for a hack and I always bring the other in, the more dominate one of the pair will call to the other whilst in the vicinity whether you are riding him or he is the one in the stable. He is the more vocal one of the two at home, whereas at the show they are both as bad.

If they know each other is at the show, they then are looking for each other and then calling at every single grey horse thinking it is their pal.

With one waiting just outside the arena. For dressage it works okayish but they don't go as well. For SJ, the WBx gets fast and flat. He enjoys his jumping. Yesterday, he was so bad that I decided not to jump in my second class.

Is it a question of doing it often enough? If I leave one in the lorry, the more quieter sensible one of the two, calls and kicks so much that I frightened he will hurt himself and/or seriously damage the lorry. The WBx is better behaved in the lorry but is very vocal.

God that sounds a bit of a nightmare. An UN solution would be pairs classes. How do they perform if the other one waits by the arena the other ones competing in? I've no experience of this but how are they on hacks together? Do they act funny on a hack if one of you takes a detour? A good way might be to take them out hunting so they get used to being in the same vicinity but separated, stay at the back and see how it goes. All the best, will be interested to hear how you get on.

Have done one pairs XC class but that was only a bit of fun. However, have done a hunter trials once before where we were one after the other and that was a nightmare! I ended up retiring as felt it was getting dangerous - paying too much attention on his pal rather than the jumps.

When we hack and the other goes off on a separate, the more dominant one gets his knickers in a twist (part WB coming out) and although remains obedient he gets very tense and bouncy and then is on speed dial to get back to the other one! The other will keep looking and trying to stop for the other. They won't usually call at this though. We have deliberately tried to separate and rejoin on hacks etc....

Have done some fun/hunt rides with both boys in a group and they were fine with that and not looking for one another.

The local yard where I hire the schools and have had countless lessons there and they have even stayed there when we away on holiday so they know the place very well and are very happy with the set-up. If we take both of them to a show there, they are still calling and getting each other in a tizz. However, they are slightly better there with on of them in view.

 

[ester]

we have a pair (horses at home only have 2!) I would say that they probably both perform better if only one is there but its tough we like to go places together sometimes .

TBH the mare is less bothered than my lad is about where she is.. he can turn into a welsh stresshead at the box, he wouldn't normally be one to make the effort to half rear etc.

We've had them both over 7 years now though and have just done what we wanted to. I don't always leave the stressy welsh at the box and may make sure I at least have him bridled if his girlfriend is off competing (though this depends on his attitude on the day) He finds hunter trials most traumatic and I usually just hop on him and walk him about (he also doesn't really like starting on his own if she is there )

I suspect its probably easier when only one is calling and stressing and tbh he has always been pretty good if I ask him to work. He is just worse when the mare is busy and he isn't.

 

[Supanova]

I have two mares which I show jump and they are a bit of a nightmare. However whilst not perfect they have got better the more times they go together, so I would just keep at it for a while and see if it improves.

 

[ArcticFox]

also posted in NL to bump your thread!

When I was young and my sister and I competed together, we never let two horses being in love get in the way. Sounds a bit harsh and I don't mean beat them up, but if you are schooling your boy and he is being a pain, then he gets made to listen and made to work until he starts to ignore what his pal is doing at the lorry (this might mean he has to work harder and longer than normal).

The horse at the lorry gets totally ignored - as long as they are fastened in properly and can't hurt themselves then they should start to realise that they are being ignored and will give up. It took a few shows (going regularly like every weekend for a month) before they realised this was their job, but it did work. each show they got better.

If it means that you take the first horse and worked them for two hours but didn't compete thats ok, as they will still realise they have a job to do, once one of them gives up replying the other should give up too.

Once you go back to the box with the first horse, then repeat the process with the second horse and take him away to work leaving the other one behind.

I don't know if it will work for M & R but we had lots of ponies that were best pals and never had any problems at shows, it was too costly for us to only take one to a show so we always took two.

 

[Jnhuk]

Thanks - will just keep trying at local stuff but for more important things will keep them separate

 

[Blythwind]

If you can, it may be worth hacking/traveling to the competition separately. Even if that means taking two trips to the venue. My boy is terrible at separating if he has travelled with her, but is fine if he goes on his own and then sees her there. Just a thought?

 

[Jnhuk]

If you can, it may be worth hacking/traveling to the competition separately. Even if that means taking two trips to the venue. My boy is terrible at separating if he has travelled with her, but is fine if he goes on his own and then sees her there. Just a thought?

Most competitions we are wanting to take both horses are BE so most a minimum of two hours plus away so this is not possible. Would rather just take the one horse. My nearest BS venue is an hour away by horsebox too.

The only competitions that we hack to would be local riding club and they still call despite being near home and very used to the venue - they have even liveried there when we go on holiday or weather (snow) extremely bad like three winters ago.