Dissapointed with my nappy youngster

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BID

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Ok so after a bad fall at the weekend at the second fence xc I have decided to let my instructor take over eventing my 6 year old for the rest of the season. He is consistently scoring in the 20's / early 30's dressage, is great to show jump but has a serious napping problem at the start xc and I just can't overcome it. Once he is away he is bold and enthusiastic. My options are to stop this year and try again next year of which I feel he would only learnt to get away with it or to hand him over to my instructor to event of which he agrees with me is the way forward. My instuctor (proffesional eventer) has evented him twice and with great effort has managed to ride him through his tanturms and get him round clear so I feel this is the best decision but I am so disappointed I have had to take this route. I so hope this will straighten my boy out. Big HHo sympathy needed for very sore fed up person
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Sympathy and understanding, I did this with mine at the end of her 6yo year, I felt rubbish about it as if i had failed, which we obviously havent, just they are tricky bu@@ers!!!
I hope you sort it all out xxx
 
Thanks that is just how I feel but I have done so well with him in the other phases I suppose I can't be too hard on myself and he is a big B@@@er, did you manage to sort yours by doing this?
 
Yes we did, she turned to a xc machine (usually) had a slight blip as Knaptoft, but has only had 2 xc penalties in 2 years (both this year) where as in 2006 I never had 2 consecutive clear xc, she either napped or bolted NICE!!!
 
I had similar problems. I did a few xc clinics and my instructor spent the whole time making me do different to everyone else. All the other horse were sent one way and I made my horse go the other. My instructor also made me take my horse away from all the other horses when they were all standing. Problem solved!!!
 
God that is so encouraging that is exactly what my boy does, he either refuses to go forwads spinning and rearing but at the weekend he caught me out as he flew the first then bolted straight to the second then dropped his shoulder and spun left dumping me on the floor, ouch!!!!
 
I don't know one professional rider that would turn down the ride on a horse - even if it were possibly in the best interests of the horse to not be too heavily competed....

Do you ever take him to some low key non affiliated events, where he may feel more confident, and you less pressure?

6 is still awful young..
 
Yes we have done the unaffiiated route, schooling with other horses making him go away etc, he has just developed this in the last couple of months. He is very precious to me and there is no way he would be overcompeted, also my instructor is also a good friend and has many rides and is struggling to take him on but we both feel this is the best thing as he has just learnt to get away with it and it seems to be turning into a habit. All other issues have been checked like, teeth, back, saddle etc and all is ok.
 
I think you are doing exactly the right thing! It seems very sensible to me for you to ask help and your instructor can sort out what seems like a fairly common problem for a young horse, then you can get back on and enjoy him safely.

Good luck!
 
Sounds like you are doing the right thing. He needs to be ridden through it by the sounds of things but you need to not get hurt in the process!!!

I have loads of sympathy for you though as i am also struggling with my 6YO who has been brilliant up until recently......bit of a teenage rebellion i'm thinking?!

Hope it goes well for you
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Personally, I think you're doing the right thing for both you and your horse. (Or at least as much as I can do without ever having seen either of you.
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Professionals are - hopefully - professionals because they have more experience and training than someone who competes a small number of horses as a hobby. They - again, hopefully - spend hours and years learning and practising their craft, including dealing with problems. Yes, pros want horses to ride but the reality is, especially at the beginning of a career, no one pays you to ride the nice ones.
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So anyone who is building up a rep as a decent trainer/rider has likely sat on quite a number of difficult horses and done a decent job with them.

It's like fixing a car. Theoretically I *could* learn to fix my own car and I do think I should know enough to look after it when it's going reasonably well, but I am never going to be as good or as quick at fixing a problem as someone who has spent years learning and doing it.

There are only so many chances you get with any horse and the real trick is you don't know how many until you run out. So if you have a horse that's special and you want to keep it that way, I don't see what's wrong with getting a little help now and then when you need it. It's not "failing" anymore than not being able to fix your own car is failing, it's just good sense and an investment in the horse's future.

Obviously you have a good relationship with your coach and he/she knows that the horse is being "made up" for you not as a long term ride. Best of all, you will presumably be involved in the process and next time you encounter a similar problem you will know that much more about it and hopefully be in a better position to solve it on your own.

People are always keen to offer people advice about horses they don't actually have to sit on and make go.
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It sounds like you trust your coach, things need to be put back on track and you're simply making the decision that will be least stressful and confusing for your young horse. It's all very well letting your ego come first - which is often why people perceive needing a hand as "failing - but not when it's at the expense of your horse. I think you've made a good decision and will reap the benefit in the long term.
 

I think I know who your instructor is, as you recommended him when I was trying to get someone to ride my nappy mare round mattingley back in May..(KS?
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After the job he did with my horse, I would love to have the chance for him to be able to ride her more often. I was even considering seeing if he would be able to take her up to novice, but unfortunately he's based just a bit too far from me, and so I couldnt afford for her to be based there..

Good luck - im sure your horse will be encouraged out of its napping to the extent that you will be able to enjoy him again
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Incidently, my mare used to do the same coming out the start box. We used to clock up about 60 time penalties before even reaching the first fence. I never forgot our first PN at SOE, where we went backwards out of the start box and bolted in the wrong direction
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*touch wood* she doesnt do it at the start now, but nappiness just seems to come out in other ways - ie, she now doesnt like coming out the collecting ring...
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We'll get there eventually though!

x
 
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God that is so encouraging that is exactly what my boy does, he either refuses to go forwads spinning and rearing but at the weekend he caught me out as he flew the first then bolted straight to the second then dropped his shoulder and spun left dumping me on the floor, ouch!!!!

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Don't feel too bad, my boy had me off like this at a xpole in the school - all of 6" high
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i think you are making a very sensible decision...sometimes it just takes a professional to iron out a few problems..i'm sure if you persevered you would get there sooner or later but it would probs take longer and might be more painful
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hopefully this way you can come out flying next season
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my trainer competed my horse last year BD for selling and i had a great time doing all the plaiting but having none of the stress!
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i'd secretly love to be an owner!
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I agree with all the sensible advice you've been given, and would endorse TarrSteps' views in their entirety (I wish I could express myself half so well
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) I also have the greatest respect and liking for KS who will give your youngster a couple of nudges in the right direction without bullying or frightening him.

Don't know the breeding of your horse, but I've found that the warmbloods I've produced have often been a bit nappy and backward-thinking when they start, quite different from TBs and Irish. However, once they get the hang of it, most of them love it and early nappiness/spinning bears no relation to where they will end up. Really good luck - let us know how you get on
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Thanks for all your support and yes my instructor is KS and I know he will do a fab job, will let you all know how they get on x
 
Just wanted to say that I have had similar problems with my youngster, although not to such an extreme. She is 1/2 WB and it's interesting what Tabledancer said, as she has showed a bit of reluctance to get going which verges on nappiness as the problems are always when we are headed away from home but once she gets going she is fine.

I have taken her XC lots of times this year and she started out slow and unenthusiastic. This manifests itself as big green leaps over each fence, often with a silly extra stride at the last second, which really isn't fun for the rider. But after a few rounds she started to get the hang of what is expected and showed me glimpses of what she can do when she's 'up for it'.

So we had a fab round at Keysoe unaff, took her to her first BE and nappy again - sticky over the first few then when we had to turn directly away from home over a ditch she said NO and dumped me
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Then went out again the following week and 'XC machine' turned up instead of the backwards thinking horse that lurks. We had a fab time, flew everything out of her stride and I think (hope) she really enjoyed herself. I'm sure we will have the odd day when 'nappy horse' comes back to visit but I really think that now 'XC machine' is starting to win through!

It sounds like yours has slightly more serious issues so getting someone experienced to ride him through those will hopefully help him to realise his job and, most importantly, start to enjoy it. Once they understand what they need to do and start enjoying it you're most of the way there.

I think you're doing absolutely the right thing to enable you and your horse to enjoy your XC - good luck with it and I look forward to hearing about his progress
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