Dressage Tension

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morgan4eva

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I have a seriously talented horse, fab looking, bold & fast XC, careful SJ and oozes presence. However, he is sooooo tense in the dressage test. When schooling at home he is bril, works long and low and then comes together well. When warming up at an event relaxes until we enter the arena! Then...terrible tension in his neck, despite riding him forward with the leg and keeping contact v soft, canter is worst, neck about 6 inches long and wants to gallop off. I do not suffer from any nerves in the test and ride him in a very relaxed way. Have worked very hard on his flatwork for a while now and suffered many tests but no real improvement. He is fed mag oxide and have tried any number of calmers - no change. He is 7 years old,a welsh sec D x thoroughbred - any ideas welcome please!!
 
Aha, another one - please read my post Stage fright (spelt wrong as I'm dim!). Know exactly where you're coming from! We've tried Nupafeed - no change, well not that you'd notice. Rescue Remedy works occassionally. No amount of schooling fixes this - it is all in the mind - comp nerves. There was an article in the BE eventing mag (April/May) talking about getting riders over anxiety. The article talks about core stability - middle body strength - can only be attained through gym training. My jockey locks her right arm - makes the horse tense and off they go on this spirral of tense, tense, tenser and eventually either the horse decides to rear or nap or something awful! The jockey is working to rectifying it but its a habit the horse has become used to so will tilt the head even if the arm isn't locked. Our trainer (I cant mention her but she writes books and is brill) says it is ultimately the rider who transmits feelings to the horse and who am I to argue with her as she has about 50 years experience. So, I'm going to adminster Rescue remedy to the jockey next time!! Seriously, keep an eye on the "Stage Fright" thread, hoping for some response this evening when everyone has done their horses and settleing them selves. Yours ay
 
I just dont know - I really am not tense and I am not "trying too hard" just trying to get him to "slop" along (would love to get the comment "on the forehand") but there must be something that the professionals do or maybe they just dont touch anything that is tense in the first place! Will take a look at your post - we must have almost been posting them at the same time!
 
I think it might also be a fit eventer problem=although the chestnut I am talking about is a light w.b so must have quite a lot of t.b there somewhere!!

So he wants to get going and can't concentrate in a small arena which is often very tight for anything over 14.2hh!!

I think the main thing is not to over feed, fill up on hay instead, go to dressage-only things and keep going waiting for him to mature. It does work but can take time!
 
You are not alone! I have the exact same problem.

Mine is very relaxed at home and totally chilled when he arives at the event and warms up, but as soon as we go between the white boards he gets very tense. It shows up most in the canter, like yours. Gets really short in the neck, won't relax over his back, and we always get the same comments!

The obvious answer is that it's rider tension, but like you, I don't feel nervous or tense at all. But maybe subconsciously I slightly stiffen up when I know I'm on show, and with him being a sensitive, talented horse, it transmits to him.

People above mention calmers, feeding less and a different approach to schooling and warming up, but to be honest if he's absolutely calm and brilliant in every way apart from inside the boards, then I can't see that that would make much difference. And also, he needs to be sharp for the show jumping and cross country.

It's an age-old eventing problem, I'm afraid!
 
Yup, I agree with you about the age old eventing problem, I mean, as we've all seen, brill at dressage doesn't mean you're going to finish on your dressage score, and so many don't. But it would be nice to get under 40 on a regular basis! I personally prefer a partnership horse who is an absolute cert for SJ and XC but is slightly iffy on the dressage side. Good idea about no hard feed and lots of hay. Would you do this night before - what about fuel in the tank? Mare won't eat breakfast on the morning of an event anyway - she knows you know!
 
Could it be a welshie thing, as my sec D is the same, v stressy and tense in the arena. My TB mare doesn't suffer from it at all, unless a stallion walks past (she is a tart).
Have never tried calmers thou (before his time as he is an old gentleman now)
Fiona
 
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