Horse going tense when entering the dressage arena- suggestions.......

charlie76

charlie76

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The horse we event is a very laid back horse and warms up very well for dressage, however as soon as he leaves the warm up and goes towards the dressage arena he backs off the contact and shortens his step giving the impression of being tense. When he warms up he would be gaining marks of no more than 30 but due to his behaviour when entering the arena they are much higher.
We have practiced a lot at home both on the grass and in the arena with the boards and we have taken him out to a number of dressage comps and he is the same so I am sure its not due to it being an event and the apprehension of goin xc.
I have dressage arenas at home so we have plenty of chance to practice and he is usually fine at home.

Any ideas as its getting very frustrating as he usually jumps clear sj and sc but his dressage score lets him down.
He has good paces and can go very well.

This his him at home so he can go half decently!

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My horse is the same, it's because he loves being with all the other horses in the warm up and then has to go off and do a test by himself, he gets all tense and spooky, he has gotten better with time and he does a better test if the dressage arena is close to the warm up or to other arenas and he can see other horses. Don't know if this is what could be happening to your horse? Also could you possibly be tensing up a bit when you go into the arena and he's picking up on it? It could be a very subtle thing that you don't even notice yourself doing but that the horse reads and is reacting to.
 
Can you warm up somewhere away from other horses at a comp so he gets used to not being around them and still working properly?

Could it be something different in your riding maybe making him anticipate the test and become tense?
 
TBH he warms up perfectly wherever he is which is what is so annoying. I don't think its the rider as he does it with me and my OH
 
Lexi does exactly that - works beautifully in the collecting ring, no problems trotting around the outside of the arena and as soon as we turn to go in she goes tense.

I'm sure it is me (although I don't feel as though I tense up). She is extremely sensitive and very tuned in to the smallest change in the way I ride.

In fairness MOST riders tense up when they go into a dressage test (even if it is only a tiny, tiny bit). I think she would respond in exactly the same way whoever got on her.

Difficult to overcome - I know it is my fault, but so difficult to correct. The harder I try, the worse it all gets.
 
do you warm up in boots and then take them off for the test ?

if so perhaps don't warm up in boots so that there is no perceived difference ?
 
[ QUOTE ]
do you warm up in boots and then take them off for the test ?

if so perhaps don't warm up in boots so that there is no perceived difference ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Was that question for me?

I don't warm up in boots (she is straight in her action and has always been fine).

We don't stand around before the test.

We get over there as early as we can so we can hack round the arena as many times as possible before the bell.

I always take my time when the bell goes and use my full 45 seconds.

As I say though, the harder I try, the more I obsess and the worse it gets!
 
Can't you Hummmm to him quietly to take his mind off it. sorry but its what I do when mine get tense say on the road or see another horse when out riding. Just a thought.!
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join the club,my mare is the same,works well at home and away in lessons,quiet 2 hack and at shows TILL u enter the arena then she stuffy,wont go 4ward and sticks her head in tha air looking at everything around SOOO annoying as wivout a better score,ill nver do well in my BE events.Tried valerian,tried other clamers,didnt change her in a test.Now going to try equikalmer syringe,heard its good 2 hrs b4 ur test.(by equine america)worth a go??
 
My boys the same too and although I feel calm I dont think I am. He either backs off or runs round with his head in the air gawping at everything, spooks at everything and just doesnt listen to me. I do think I then hold on to him too much without realising I do it in a desperate bid to get his head where it should be!! Its really soul destroying as at home he is great then we go out and it all goes to pot. To be fair to him we have never really got going due to injuries but we've just started riding again
 
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