Disheartened regarding horse

[lucky7]

Feeling a bit down hearted regarding my horses (first world problems!l ) I need a little vent.
All my life all I have wanted to do is compete at dressage and do well. Not cjd by any means but you know join bd work up through the levels, go to petplan etc am.not asking to be a gp rider! However I am 35 and had horses all my life. My first proper horse when I was 16-19 was diagnosed with navicular, she never ever felt right and we knew there was something wrong. Next horse I had was a tb when I was 25 - 29 after a break for 5 years. She never seemed to go right and she had ks and had to be pts. So I bought myself a cob, in thought I wanted to give up the dressage and competitions but I really missed it! But Guess what the cob wasn't going right and turns out she had stifle problems ! She's sound now after surgery but she will never be the dressage diva I want, she's beautiful and so genuine but more suited to hacking especially since her surgery I don't want to push her. I currently have a sharer riding her , she's the best nanny horse! I also have a stunning section d, he's 14.3 but rides a whole lot bigger, he's got tonnes of movement and personality But I am having struggles with getting him to work correctly. I have regular lessons and he has physio regular, has had teeth done etc. Someone suggested hes just quirky and needs to engage his brain more and concentrate! Hes super sharp too. Sometimes he feels amazing at home but when we go to a comp he feels like a giraffe, stiff and spooking at everything! Or he won't bend and goes stiff and hollow. He's 6 years old. I normally come back feeling deflated as we work hard to practise and get him going nice at home only to ride a stiff giraffe when we get there! I never over school him, vary his work but he can be difficult. At the same time as being sharp and spooky he can be lazy and behind the leg, this is his fav trick at competitions! Also when hes out hacking again he can be lazy but othet times hes a poclet rocket. I just feel like competiting him is a waste of time and.money taking him out to come home with a low 60 score and the same old same old about being inconsistent etc and he feels awful to ride like this and its hard work!
Been riding a long time and I know I am.not a bad rider. I have waited what seems like forever to ride a decent prelim test!! I have never had a large sum of money to buy a ready made well schooled horse. I have always had my horses from very young and brought them on myself.
I am very lucky that i have my own land and stables. However they cost alot of money as everyone knows and i work dam hard to keep them! They never want for anything. However am not really getting what I want out of them currently (does that sound terrible?!!) Am so tempted to sell them.both and put money toward a schoolmaster or something a bit more established. I just want to be able to compete and do well and not find it a constant struggle. I see other people out at comps and there horses seem so much easier than mine!
I have spoke to a few people about the Welsh who say similar that he's just quirky and I have to think of ways to keep him occupied because as soon as he loses his concentration I have lost him! When I have him the penny drops and he really is a different horse. He Def needs more schooling. The plan is to send him away for a few weeks schooling with my instructor and try get him out to a few clinics and venues. I am.prepared to give him a chance and see how he gets on over the year. If I still feel like this end of summer I may just sell.
Does anyone have any advice or been in similar situation ?

 

[Equi]

To be blunt, sell the cob. You clearly have no need for him and he sounds like he would be perfect for someone with lower goals. You need to think about why you buy young to bring on yourself..6 is young, but i know many 6yo who are out competing calm and collected so to speak. I don't think sending away to school will solve the issue - if you live at home alone (with just the two horses) then obviously a show is going to be overwhelming. Its great having your own land/arena etc but for the horses it can make them a little isolated. If you only had one to focus on would you be able to afford either livery or going to a busy yard a few times a week, or maybe have you space for a few liveries? I think young horses need exposed to as much as they can be exposed to and sometimes being on your own yard they get too settled.

 

[lucky7]

Well this was the idea i was toying with. Selling the cob then moving him.onto livery. I do think he would benefit from a yard environment. He does act more like a 4yr old than a 6yr old (rising 7). With the cob money i wanted to put it toward a good trailer (have one on lease currently) Really lucky as the local yard is just up the road - I do use the school here regular. I have no room for anyone else. My field is a small 4 acres and 2 stables and a shelter. 2 horses is enough here. However I do like my own space and love it where they are now, however if I did sell the cob and stayed at the field I would need to have another horse to keep him company. Plus I have just paid out quite a large sum on stables and hardstanding, new fencing and lighting system for my set up. I have waited years to have it how I want there and now it's really pulling together . Ahh it's difficult to make a choice!!

 

[millikins]

I would advise you to take to as many competitions as you can, stay local to keep costs down. Enter HC or even withdraw after warm up a couple of times if he's going nicely, you need to take the pressure off both of you. Would taking the cob as a travelling companion make him more settled?

 

[FfionWinnie]

Go out to the clinics and lessons on the 6yr old and reassess. Look at what Milliepops has achieved with her Welsh cob - it didn't happen by her pracricing at home, blood sweat and probably tears I imagine. My welsh D is super talented too but they aren't for everyone. The trouble is the schoolmaster still needs to go out to clinics and lessons and still needs virtually the same input. If your horse is doing it at home I would spend more time training away from home to get the final piece into place. It's a waste of money competing the horse at the moment but furthering its training and experiences can only improve it.

 

[springtime1331]

You have my sympathies - I have a seven year old who has had professional schooling twice a week for over two years at vast expense and she still doesn't go that nicely. It's so frustrating isn't it.

 

[Cortez]

If competing at dressage is what you want to do, then sell them both and go get something with dressage potential. Welsh D's are lovely horses but not what I would buy if I wanted to be winning dressage competitions.

 

[Shay]

Echo Cortez. If dressage comps is really what you want to do more than anything else then you would probably be better of selling both and buying something more suitable. Plus - if you want to continue keeping the horse at home - you'll need at least one companion, ideally two so you don't put yourself at risk of a pair bond problem.

If the thought of selling both fills you with immediate dread then you also have your answer. Modify your expectations a bit and settle for what you have.

 

[cundlegreen]

Some of the welsh bloodlines take a long time to mature. My D stallion is now 19. I've had him since a foal, and he didn't really start to come together until 10. They tend to be a bit mentally slow in that they shut down in new situations. I always had to just walk mine on a loose rein around the show ground so he could take it all in. He went on to to jump at the Royal international, national driving champion and schooled to medium level. If you aren't prepared to give yours the time (and I DO see your point) then sell him. The only problem is with a schoolmaster, that it may too have physical issues. best of luck!

 

[Theocat]

I had a rotten few years of luck so I went out and bought a been-there type with the aim of going straight out at Novice and building from there. I promptly broke my back and lost my confidence, and now we are investigating possible arthritis on the mare - there is no guarantee that whatever you buy will go smoothly!

I'd sell the cob, move on to a busy yard and get the Welsh D out as much as possible, and to a variety of things, plus perhaps some pro schooling alongside regular lessons. If he gets distracted, do Novice to keep his brain busier than Prelim. Perhaps even get the pro /your instructor to ride him at a comp and see what happens? Put a time limit on it, but even if you decide to sell all that work will make selling easier - and you may find it pays off.

 

[Sukistokes2]

I do feel for you. Is it time to sit back and really think about what you want to do. My friend and I came to this cross road a while back. We both took different directions. She got herself a stonking dressage horse and has wooshed up the levels, it's kept on a dressage yard and while she does most of the work, it's also trained by a dressage rider. It's worked hard and frankly I question some of the methods but then my friend now has what she wants. She is winning and doing well. I went the other way, I bought a horse unlikely to excel at dressage but one that would challenge me as a rider. While I may not be riding at a high level I still make progress and still ride dressage. I am now happy with what I am doing because I am doing it well, to my ability and learning all the way. It's not all about ribbons and winning, although I'm doing a bit of that to.

 

[lucky7]

I understandunderstand a schoolmaster would need work and schooling etc. I absolutely love all the hard work at home, schooling, lessons and clinics etc. It's all part of the fun.. However I want to see results also for hard work at home. By results I don't mean by always winning etc but to go out and really feel like I have achieved something and have a real good chance and improving my scores! It just seems like I have been waiting too long with the wrong horses :/ I will consider taking him to a livery yard though - it may just help bring him out a bit. I do understand that welshies can take a while to mature too but I can't help but think he's always going to have these difficult quirks!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

The weshie sounds like Topaz with dropping behind the leg and being a plank unless you have them 'just' so. She will be 14 next year and schooling PSG'ish , so they can be trained, however she is still massively hard work! If she was my only ride the negative would eat me up I think, as her bad days are exhausting though we do now have just as many good days!

I have two others to ride, my semi retired show pony who is just a wonderful ride, never schooled to that level but responsive, fun and safe.

And then baby horse who is challenging but my god is she a different personality to Topaz, she's brave and not spooky, can take her anywhere without fear of death :lol:, but most importantly she is no different at competitions than she is at home :eek3:. She is a breath of fresh air despite only being four, I am so excited about the prospect of knowing she'll be able to deal with going out and about!!!

So from all that waffling I'd sell the cob and buy something with the right temperament! And do not settle on anything without the right temperament, Skylla and Topaz are not dressage bred and will never win nationals but we have our local bits of success and that's ok for me. This gave me a lot more choice when horse hunting with a limited budget!

 

[milliepops]

Go out to the clinics and lessons on the 6yr old and reassess. Look at what Milliepops has achieved with her Welsh cob - it didn't happen by her pracricing at home, blood sweat and probably tears I imagine. My welsh D is super talented too but they aren't for everyone. The trouble is the schoolmaster still needs to go out to clinics and lessons and still needs virtually the same input. If your horse is doing it at home I would spend more time training away from home to get the final piece into place. It's a waste of money competing the horse at the moment but furthering its training and experiences can only improve it.

Plenty of all 3 but it's starting to pay off at last

OP, my 2 pence would be that you possibly haven't set the Welsh up to succeed. Mine has needed a lot of hand holding in the last 12 months since we started competition. At times its felt like a real struggle, other days we've been in the prize money on 70%+ and she's done regionals & pet plans etc, now ready for her first go at medium.

I've put my heart and soul into showing her as much of the world as possible though. We try to go somewhere every week or so, whether that's a show arena hire or lesson so that she gets used to working away from home. It's finally falling into place.

Of course you can sell yours and buy something ready made... just remember that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, even a posh WB needs riding correctly and may have its own hang ups. Unless you have a massive budget I wouldn't expect to buy your way to success.

Personally I was the last chance saloon for my sec d so if I couldn't get her going, she was on a one way trip to the kennels. But I really enjoy the training process, it's very rewarding and the sense of achievement knowing you did it all yourself is unbeatable. I'd give him a chance with plenty of input from your instructor and see where you are in 6 months.

 

[rara007]

What sort of structure do you have to your warm up routine? Maybe a chat with your trainer and a sport psychologist could help? What is it about being at a competition that is making her (him?) go differently? My D that I've just sold was admittedly behind the leg warming up for 15min but at unaffiliated and BRC rarely got sub 70, he was 12 though. In the end it was the behind the leg that persuaded me to move him on and I got a younger model (C this time!). I get much better scores on the welshes than my WB did at prelim- elem. They're not always the easiest but from my experience the grass isn't greener on the WB side unless you're aiming high!

 

[silv]

If competing at dressage is what you want to do, then sell them both and go get something with dressage potential. Welsh D's are lovely horses but not what I would buy if I wanted to be winning dressage competitions.

This absolutely.

 

[throughtheforest]

I can empathise with you OP and would advise you to think seriously about whether you want to take the risk selling the two you know now. With the possibility of buying something who has its own set of new problems.
Personally I would persevere with your D a bit longer, they can take a few years yet to grow up. 8 has been the turning point in my experience, and just get him going out more, maybe change your instructor and take him out for weekly lessons, clinics. Sometimes it's better the devil you know, for now at least.
I have bought my horse who has the temperament of a saint and is talented, but we have been plagued by lameness.

 

[SpringArising]

The Welsh is only a baby still. You can't expect anything decent from him at that age really. Sec Ds are especially difficult so you really need to be patient.

Get him out as much as you can. I think Welsh Cobs are the most challenging but willing horses.

 

[DabDab]

I agree with both Cortez and Sukistokes2 in different ways. I have owned/ridden horses that were real genuine, straight forward, rosette winners, that I do get a pleasure from riding and competing. But I always pass them on pretty quickly and the couple I've kept and truly loved have been the ones that are in some ways tricky. I love them because they force me to ride to the best of my ability, they don't let me off the little mistakes, they make me grit my teeth and get resourceful when training....and that for me always turns out to be more satisfying than having a smooth trajectory in the competition arena.

Your welshie sounds quirky and interesting, and like he challenges you in a good way, but there is absolutely no crime in saying that you want something straight forward for a while.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I think you have 2 options, either sell and buy something that is competing and getting the results you want or get a plan in place to get the cob out every week either clinic or competing so it becomes the norm. If the issue isn't relaxing away from home, make it so regular that it isn't an issue.

 

[rachk89]

They're not always the easiest but from my experience the grass isn't greener on the WB side unless you're aiming high!

Definitely not greener on this side with warmbloods and mine is only half warmblood. The only positive really is the judges don't discriminate against you because you have the lovely big muscled horse that is prancing around the edge of the arena. If only they knew the prancing was because said warmblood saw a leaf that looked at them funny and is now scared. We aren't actually asking for that nice canter half pass in a prelim test either just to show off, said wb has seen a butterfly.

Take the welshie out places more to get him used to it. He has potential but he can't use it yet out of fear. Get rid of the fear and you are sorted. Hire an arena and just school. Not the one down the road other ones. If he gets nervous I find with my horse that doing continuous circles, spirals, loops etc in walk trot and canter helps. Never let him think or stay in the same direction too long just go all over the place in the arena. Put out jump wings or cones to circle and move around at first if that helps. That helps confuse my horse enough that he stops thinking and listens instead.

 

[ester]

I think I would not sell the welshie just yet, I would come up with a bloomin good plan to get him out and about and desensitised to being elsewhere, riding club clinics, arena hires etc, make it normal for him.
In the meantime you could also maybe do some 'dressage anywhere' type comps so that you can see whether you are at least progressing at home.
If after doing all that you still feel like it isn't going to work for you then maybe sell him.

 

[lilly1]

Welshies just don't suit everyone and riding is meant to be fun. It is true the grass is not always greener though and the next horse will have its own issues.

 

[claracanter]

I think my head would be saying sell and get something more suitable but my heart would be much harder to convince. Having said that, it's sounds like this is an ambition you have had for years and why put your ambitions on hold for a horse who you might end up resenting because of it. There is no such thing as the ideal horse but it just depends where you want the compromise to be.You will be able to sell and imagine how good you will feel when you go down the centre line on something made for the job.

 

[welshstar]

your post could've been written about my welsh! sounds identical in attitude and how he reacts to a scary situation. He's 12 now but still a bit of a spooky thing. I used to get frustrated about the eliminations, awful shows after a lovely go around and scoring lower than horses backed 4 weeks ago in the dressage!

There is only 1 way to keep taking him out, is it a particular venue? mine hated one indoor place so i hired it, had clinics there and tried to expose him to it as much as i could. I gave up on the dressage fairly early as im not too fussed about it. However, one venue near me has started doing arena freetime in the morning for 10 minutes. This helped him enormously with coping with it all. Im actually enjoying doing a test on him now!

But one thing i would warn is that if hes like mine, they never truely grow out of it. I think welshies are wired a bit different and you have accept that some are quirky inconsistant ponies who will try their heart out one day and be terrified to do something the next. I think you just need to decide if you want that.

 

[jjsblackhorse]

Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one that feels disheartened! I did my worst ever prelim test on Monday. 5.5yr old ID very big and lazy, just could not get him going forward and in front of my leg. It was like pushing a block of concrete around.
He came to me as a 4.5year old dead to leg and stick - he can go forward nicely when he chooses but he chooses not to most of the time.....

 

[Sealine]

If you are interested in the sports psychology option I can recommend Charlie Unwin. I've went to one of his 'Competing at your best' workshops last year and found it very interesting. He is currently doing some evening talks around the country. You can also pay to watch online.

 

[Irish gal]

Do yourself a favour - sell the two and get one proper horse that you can really enjoy. Do you want to spend your life coaxing round that highly strung Welshie, who won't change btw - or enjoying a talented, sane horse who can take you places?

And there's nothing to feel guilty about. There are people out there more suited to the ones you have and therefore will make better owners for them, as they'll be what they want, so they won't be wishing they had a different horse.

I have done my time with half mad Welshie's. The lad I'm thinking of, one day hacking decided he didn't like the look of a shed jutting onto the road, planted and then started reversing into an oncoming car. Must have missed us my about three inches!

I see lots of horses as an agent and there are some wonderful, calm, sane and very talented ones out there. Leave the sharp, neurotic ones to the professionals or hardy youngsters who don't mind them. These good horses are not cheap but this is your hobby and if you want to enjoy it with a willing sane partner then it's well worth investing in a decent horse. Then you'll be starting from the right place - with a horse who can actually do the job.

 

[lucky7]

Thank you all for your responses, its good to know i am not the only one who feels like this and good to hear from people with like minded weshies!!
An update
I had him checked over by a physio who is also very good at behavioural issues. I did explain to her about him and she totally understood (being a like minded welsh owner!) she also mentioned about welshies not really growing up till they are around 8 so she said i should give him a chance and see what i have in 12 months. She found a bit of tightness in his right side and a bit of soreness on his back but convinced its not saddle related. Throughout the session though he never really relaxed he was constantly looking for monsters.
He was then hacked out a few times that week and he did feel better. He had around 10 days off due to me being busy and christmas, i managed to school him properley last week and really got on his case, got him thinking about me and what he was doing and where his legs where going instead of him being spooky and sharp! he felt instantly better, much more consistent in the contact, he still felt like a pocket rocket and there where times i couldnt go too far out the saddle rising as he felt like a bomb! ended the session after 30 mins as acieved what i wanted too, some nice leg yielding, shoulder in and some excellent walk to canter transistions which i was really pleased with. I have another session planned this week in the school and some faster hacking work too.
I have decided to give him another year and see how we get on over the spring and summer, planning on some clinics and competing when i feel he is ready. I want to feel like he is really ready before taking him to another competition