equibabe20
Well-Known Member
Sorry if this is a long post but I'm in need of some unbiased advice and help. Basically my pony has a few issues when it come to jumping at competions. He loves jumping at home and has a lot of scope but as soon as we enter a competiton we end up being eliminated becasue he just refuses. Sometimes its at jump one, but if we're lucky it may be a 3 or 4. This only happens when we compete at the shows at home in the arena, he will happily go round the clear round which is on grass, or to other venues.
He does nap but I can ride him thru it, he does this at any competion anywhere, not just at home. I don't think its a schooling issue as I compete him at the home shows in novice and elementary dressage which he is fine in. its almost as though he gets stage fright when he comes in and see's all the fences, he gets himself very excited/nervous and he just ends up stopping. But I can feel he's looking about at other things and just not paying attention to me. Another problem is he has a dirty stop, he will be about to take off and at the last minute stop, drop his shoulder and spin, which when he is coming in fast and does it, its pretty scary. I guess this probably doesn't help as in the back off my mind I'm worrying about him stopping.
I've owned him for 10 years now, and its getting to the point where I'm going to end up competing him soon if I can't crack this, I've had lessons with various instructors, had all the checks done everything is fine. So any advice would be welcomed, well done if you got this far and actually understoood it I think I kinda rambled!
He does nap but I can ride him thru it, he does this at any competion anywhere, not just at home. I don't think its a schooling issue as I compete him at the home shows in novice and elementary dressage which he is fine in. its almost as though he gets stage fright when he comes in and see's all the fences, he gets himself very excited/nervous and he just ends up stopping. But I can feel he's looking about at other things and just not paying attention to me. Another problem is he has a dirty stop, he will be about to take off and at the last minute stop, drop his shoulder and spin, which when he is coming in fast and does it, its pretty scary. I guess this probably doesn't help as in the back off my mind I'm worrying about him stopping.
I've owned him for 10 years now, and its getting to the point where I'm going to end up competing him soon if I can't crack this, I've had lessons with various instructors, had all the checks done everything is fine. So any advice would be welcomed, well done if you got this far and actually understoood it I think I kinda rambled!