fidget horse in dressage

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skye123

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ok bascially my horse has a real problem with standing still.
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shes a real fidget bum and i`m doing all the right aids etc and being nice and relaxed but she`ll stand and swing round, or go backwards, or go forwards or move a foot back and swish her tail and its doing my head in!!

in our last dressage test she wouldnt stand at all and swung all the way round so we were facing the judges box and we are losing loads of marks for it!!
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shes only done 2 dressage tests in her life but shes like it on hacks and in the school too.

any tips anyone plz because i`ve got another dressage test on sunday and really want to sort it out!!
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Maybe some calming food? Perhaps swap the oats (if she has them) for something soothing on the day of the test?

I find that with Monty, moving the bit back and forwards very gently (while we're trying to stand still) helps, as it gives him something to concentrate on, except he does have a habit of turning his head right round and staring at you
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Perhaps your being too nice and too relaxed.

I would be inclined to educate her, put her in halt but keep the aids on by closing your thigh and knee and keep them closed, if she takes a tug on the reins don't give in, if she steps backwards put leg on send her forwards - sharply (not aggressively though) - halt again, if she swings left or right sharp leg to correct, maintain halt aids until she stands for a moment or two, not too long then move on repeat about 50 times in one schooling session, don't forget to praise the short moments of halt. Once she is standing still long enough to get your salute done, try relaxing the aids slightly until you halt her and relax with the aids off - although they never actually come right off in a test.

It's all about pratice I'm afraid
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My pony she used to pick up her right leg everytime we stopped and saluted then swung her quaters out to the right. So i know how u feel. I did the same as u be relaxed and all that didnt do a thing to stop her, so what a friend told me was on foot walk her down the centre line and stand at X and make her stand for 10 seconds walk down the rest of the line and continue till she starts to learn to stand then move to G and repeat again 5 times (give her a few rewards when she starts to get it), straight after ride her in a walk and do it again till she stands still and just keep practising. it worked for me so maybe it'll work for u. Hope i could help.

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all she is being fed is 2 scoops of hi-fi lite!! instructor got me to practice stopping at different markers and on circles around the school and by the end there was a improvement but she just cant stand still without fidgeting!
 
Not sure if this will help but my old pony Ella could be a fidget bum, so what we use to do was halt between two jump poles (the poles where parallel to each other). Eventually the poles were put further and further about and she got less and less fidgety.

As I say it may not help but worth a try?
 
I don't really go with 'what are you feeding her' thoughts as I'm afraid there is nothing to replace education and manners (that makes me sound harsh which I'm not). Just keep on practising, not just a couple of minutes on the halt transitions, the whole schooling session, work her in a deeper outline and been insistant that she stays soft and infront of your leg, a horse will only swing, fidget etc if they are not in front of your leg. The tail swishing suggests she is tight in her back so work her longer and deeper, the deeper the better and not in a test outline, she will let go some of the tension then which is what the tail swishing is all about.

Don't loose heart, it's such an easy thing to correct but it requires huge amounts of insistance, patience (sp) and determination from you
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give it a go and let me know how you get on, or better still do a video of yourself and put it up so we can have a look, you will also see the improvement the practising will make.
 
thanks for everyone views and will try the different methods you have suggested.
when i got her she wasnt well schooled at all she was jumped, jumped, jumped really and no proper schooling and just used to stick her head up in the air all the time so we are gradually getting there and with a lot of hard work from me and my instructor she now works in an outline in walk and trot so we are gradually getting there!!
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Hi, my horse used to do this anytime that I would have to stand, but with perseverance in the school has helped loads. She stands still for ages now without any arguments. I just used to walk, or trot around and then halt her and make her stand. Starting with a few seconds and making it longer. If she was to take a step sideways or forwards, I would ask her to step back to the original place. When she got the idea, I would just ease the reins and give her a big pat, and keep doing this. It worked for me, and my horse was a big fidget bum.
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