Has anyone had to say goodbye to much loved horse in order to progress?

She is like that anywhere i take her. Unless i have a fair bit of time to play with her and settle her and then she's better although still spooky but manageable. But any new arena and it starts all over again instantly. Doesn't matter if the arena is empty or full of showjumps. she's even spooky in my school at home and she has ridden it in nearly everyday for 5 yrs.
But if people are suggesting someone else give it a go with her then i'm more than happy because i'm obviously very attached to her and after 5 yrs of very hard work id like to see us get somewhere. I hate the thought of throwing the towel in after all this time! But if thats what needs to be done then thats what needs to be done.
 
In reply to Sussexbythe Sea, I think you misunderstood me. What I meant was that it can be either you being more able than the horse - or vice versa. I am only too aware of my shortcomings, and a horse that I had as a teenager to event was rubbish with me (I was useless at dressage). Horse was loaned to someone else to event and she did brilliantly. The loanee then wanted to keep the horse over winter and hunt it. We said yes, but she didn't get on at all with it. So we had the horse back, and it hunted beautifully with me.

You have got to face up to the situation and decide which of you is holding the other back. But my point was, instead of promptly disposing of horse, why not have a shot at something you might BOTH excel at. Also, as Alec Swan said, you can send so many nervous, or negative messages to a horse without really realising it. A friend's horse had the 'red buses' syndrome (only in her case it was tractors) until someone rode the horse who had no idea it minded them - and apparently with him on board the mare just ignored everything, including a combine harvester.
 
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