Horse loses confidence at new XC venues

[LJF0664]

I went XC schooling at a new venue yesterday, and my mare, who is usually much bolder than me, would barely go over a jump. Luckily the venue have a full 50cm course alongside, so I was able to get her over, then second time around the course she jumped everything beautifully, including some of the 70cm course, but still felt a bit less than her usual self. When she is confident she will drag me around the course and take me to the fences. She has been known to jump 70cm from a standstill when I ride like a melon.

Thinking back we have had this problem before 2 years ago. Our prior outing had been schooling over 90cm at a regular venue, then she had a total lack of confidence at a couple of local Hunter trials, but at the time I just put it down to a temporary blip.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to try and tackle this? She’s not the sort of mare you can make do something, using a whip when she’s in this mood will send her vertical. I do feel it’s a genuine confidence issue, it is so rare for her to refuse anything other than in this situation

 

[Roxylola]

Basically exactly what you did, go new places, keep it really easy and build her confidence

 

[ihatework]

It’s dull but you have to keep going out to different venues very regularly. Like fortnightly.

 

[spacefaer]

How much do you ride more cautiously at a new venue?
She could be picking up on your tension

 

[LJF0664]

Thanks guys, I think I just need to stick at it - we just tend to use the same venues so it was a bit of a shock for her to be so different!

How much do you ride more cautiously at a new venue?
She could be picking up on your tension

Last time I was pretty confident, as we’d done so well the week before, and although she’s never been, I know the hunter trial course pretty well. I can have a tendency to be a bit more cautious until we get Into a rhythm, but had to ride like hell when she wasn’t going yesterday! The problem was she wasn’t even considering the jumps, and none of them were particularly scary. I’ll just have to keep at it with different venues and see if we can get through it.

 

[charterline]

Could it be to do with hard ground?

 

[Orangehorse]

Keep going to different places and make it easy and fun.

 

[paddi22]

was the ground different? I know one of mine if a different horse xc if it's ground he doesn't like