Dressage - Tension in Horse

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Hi There
I'm wondering if anyone can help me I have a owned my new horse for four weeks now and we have been competing/ training unaff dressage. He is a lovely moving horse and I think talented. He is a Danish Warmblood age 7. He is quite big 17h but not a lump.
I am having problem with mental tension. He can be a bit spooky, occasionally he will nap away from a situation he gets tense about. At home I'm managing it by introducing and moving items in the school so he has to learn to adapt to new things. I have taken him out and competed him and he works in really well. But when we go into the arena he becomes really tense. This tension shows in the shoulder and he gets a little above himself and then blocks his shoulders. As you dress riders know you have limited time before judge rings bell. So on entering the arena he is still tense for his first few movements I get marks of 5s and 6s. Then he settles and starts scoring 7 and 8. He is scoring Novices 67% - 69%. But know if I can reduce the tension on entering the arena he could do so much better.
Any suggestions appreciated.
 
I have a dutch warmblood (17'3 and 6 years old) who i compete at Novice/Elementary affliated. ive had him about 9months now. He'd never competed when i brought him. When i started competing him about 4months ago he'd get really really overbent when we went into do our test as it was his way of 'hiding' into himself as he was getting tense and almost scared as he wasnt used to the situation. He gets nervous at new venues aswell.

Now tho he is 100times better as he has got used to going out and competing - i compete him nearly every weekend and will carry on doing so until i feel hes properly relaxed and confident in the areana.

I think the best thing you can do is to keep taking your horse out and competing until he learns to relax.
 
Thanks
When he gets tense he grows about 2" in height and my instructor came to watch we last weekend and said that when he got tense I blocked him in the shoulder which is why he won't move his shoulders. But I didn't feel I was tense but suppose I have to listen. I feel that if I keep going he will settle. I have only had him 4 weeks so I suppose we are still getting to know each other. Another thought I've had is when we are working around the arena before the test starts is to do a few walk. trot, halt etc transitions and try to get him listening to me rather than worrying about other things like "whats that over there. It shows he does relax eventually because Im getting 8s for free walk and he must have lost his tension by then to walk so free and relaxed
 
i think your best bet when you go in the arena is to ride him as forwards as possible and do some trot/canter transitions to get him thinking forwards.
 
You might be doing what I do when I am worried about Molly spooking and forget to take the handbrake off. Its hard but you have to make sure they are really around and off your leg and have faith you can ease off the contact as that is what will block his shoulder especially if you are naughty like me and tend to hang on the inside one. It'll get easier - mind you its taken me 3 years!!
 
my horse used to have the same problem but ive found just keep going out and maybe hiring places to get them used to things - some horses are like that and just need time you have only had him 4 weeks and it sounds like he is doing very well - just keep calm and as someone said keep him forwards and do some transitions to get his attention !!

goodluck
 
There is an pld saying..'Its a thin line between tension and expression'
I think as you develope your relationship with you horse and he becomes more 'connected' he will be more attentive to you . Its all part of your dressage journey , which its sounds like you are doing ok. One tip i use is to do a few trot walk, and trot halt transitions when you go around the arena. This will re-establish his attension on you rather than the new environment and much better than just trotting around waiting for the bell to ring. Also remember you have 60 secs after the bell to go down the center line if he goes tight as you get ready then just halt , pat him get him to give to the contact and ask again. Dont you get hastled as he will feed off this .
Its also a lot about miles on the clock for the both of you so keep up the good work!!!
 
If my youngster gets sharp I tend to block his inside shoulder by blocking with the inside rein - when I don't think I am.. and I *think* i am relaxed. But I know when I do it as he gets tense hence a vicious cycle and I have to make myself put my inside hand forward .... it is hard though, partic if you don't know how they will react. And its very hard to stay relaxed when they are tense!! GL
 
I have only competed him twice since I got him but at home when he spooks at something in the school that has moved ( has been moved be me) he veers off away from it and I have been trying to ride him forwards past it. But his a big nut nut becuase will ride past it and it will be alright for about ten minutes then all of a sudden its really scary again.
 
My 4 year old is like this and I just don't make the shying an issue. Just work him where he is happy and as he relaxes you can move closer to the scarey object. You need to make sure you are not focussing on what he is shying at - as it will make you both worse. I ignore Winston's shying and eventually he's fine, never creating an issue with the object again - because I didn't make an issue out of it. JMO though.
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my DW is like that too - he'l happily trot and canter past something in the school for ages, then suddenly he'l do a huge spook when we've already been past it hundreds of times
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Have u tried a supplement like cool calm and collected or Nupafeed?
They are magnesium based and help with the horse being able to assess situations and react rather than jsust react.
Ive had my mare on it for 6 months and we have gone from 56% tests to 69%. I only feed it night before and morning of show, just helps her stay chilled and relaxed
 
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