HELP FAB DVANCED HORSE WHO DOGS IT IN THE DRESSAGE BUT WILL JUMP DOUBLE CLEAR

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sophiesnoobs

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:mad: ANY ADVICE PLEASE. AMAZING JUMPING MACHINE WHO HATES DRESSAGE JUST SHUTS DOWN AND WONT GO FORWARD YET JUMPS OUT OF HIS SKIN. MADE TO MEASURE CHILDRIC SADDLE TEETH BACK STOMACH CHECKED, NOT OVER COMPETED ON CALMERS GOES WELL AT HOME . AT END OF OUR TEATHER WONT GO FORWARD HUMPS BACK SIDESTEPS COMPLETELY THROWS TEDDY OUT. HE IS PRESENTLY COMPETING AT OI WHICH HE FINDS SO EASY. HELP:eek:
 
Any idea why he does it? Nerves? Naughtiness? Cheekiness? When did he start - anything correlate? Does he do it at any level, eg a Novice level test or only doing the higher level movements? What is he like if you take him to a pure dressage competition? Have you tried doing your dressage in your jumping saddle - not just in case it's pain-related but in case it's something in his head?
 
^^^ all this, firstly.
then, you need a rider up who is prepared to totally throw a test, be completely uncompetitive, go in with a 'really don't care at all' attitude (perhaps warn judge first that it is going to be a schooling test!), go in and be happy to just go through the test doing vaguely the right things in the right places with a relaxed, thinking-forward horse, and give oodles of praise under their breath. so, NO pressure AT ALL on the horse other than "please canter here, back to trot here would be good", not even insisting on an outline, just "let's do this together, it's fun".
(my mare in my siggy was like this, if i put the pressure on in a test she'd stop and levade repeatedly until i relaxed completely... most embarrassing at times!) but was an absolute jumping machine so I did the above, really.
also, have you got a dressage arena marked out at home, to feed him in, turn out in, play in and out of... i've sat on an Adv horse who went RIGID the moment he went inside the boards, had unfortunately learnt that that was the pressure cooker area... so, desensitise this horse to the dressage boards, basically.
hope that helps a bit.
 
Agree with K^^ my friends recently put me on her post KS horse who she admittedly puts pressure on with movements and complexity in her dressage schooling. Massive change in behaviour with a different jockey. Just an easy route to explore. Still clamps and locks but doesn't react at all.
 
kerilli said:
you need a rider up who is prepared to totally throw a test, be completely uncompetitive, go in with a 'really don't care at all' attitude
Click to expand...

^^^ this would be my first port of call^^^ also I know it is probably going to be frowned upon but what about running him HC at some unaffiliated ODEs?

Oh and please don't write in capitals ;)
 
Many thanks for your reply. We have tried in his jumping saddle no difference. It does'nt matter what the level of test is he has done it at PN. Think maby he strted when he went onto more advanced moves but havent got that info . He is very sharp wont travel alone and is a proper ginger.
 
He sounds very anxious, sounds to me (possibly) like he was over-pushed at some stage or had a really bad experience. Could you try taking him to some little lcoal dressage competitions, where you go in feeling really relaxed and make sure you don't give a toss whether you get palced or not (treat it like schooling) to get him used to it?
 
thank you very much for everyones advice very helpful. have taken him to some local dressage competitions with relaxed attitude and he didnt completely throw his towel in. think at next competition we will try doing a lot of canter work on the lunge before the test to settle him, its the sitting trot that he really resents and wont let you in, had back done and all fine, saddle fits perfectly. Kerilli thank you very much for your detailed post.
 
A friend if mines horse used to get excited to go, warm up, then when opened the doors and he seen the white boards u Could literally hear him sigh as he just didn't like it? Maybe some horses don't like dressage? She sold the horse onto a jumper and he's very happy!!
 
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