Lunging at shows

I would lunge for the next few shows. Don't give him the benefit of the doubt until you feel he is 100% at home - because at a show he'll be sharper.

Also massively helps your confidence getting on and getting on with it, if you feel you have done everything to mitigate the bad behaviour. You can be more businesslike about your warm up (no faffing and nicey nicey walking about!) if you don't have doubts in your head...
 
sportsmansB said:
I would lunge for the next few shows. Don't give him the benefit of the doubt until you feel he is 100% at home - because at a show he'll be sharper.

Also massively helps your confidence getting on and getting on with it, if you feel you have done everything to mitigate the bad behaviour. You can be more businesslike about your warm up (no faffing and nicey nicey walking about!) if you don't have doubts in your head...
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Yes I definitely ride like a lemon when I feel him start misbehaving and then I am too scared to try and correct any behaviour, ideally I would just boot him on and make him get on with it but not confident enough! I will test on Saturday - fingers crossed!
 
Agree that you should continue to lunge at home.
We had an eventer and no matter what time we had to leave, he always had some turnout first or he was impossible, just out of routine I guess.
 
I do think it is a routine thing as he only ever does it when he hasn't been out but I am pleased to report that he was as good as gold on the farm ride this morning, he went up and down some steps and through the water and we even had some canters. I did lunge for 10 minutes before we left and he looked chilled as anything when we arrived and was on his best behaviour all day and there was plenty of opportunity for him to be cheeky! Back to the scene of the crime in a couple of weeks so will be deploying new tactics and hopefully staying on as got the family coming to watch!
 
Lunging at shows is a big no-no, especially on horsebox/car park areas. Not only is it seen as rude for taking up a lot of space in the warm up it’s dangerous to lunge around horses who are tied up in the parking area. If the horse is that bad I’d be getting to the root of the problem before taking it out to shows etc.
 
OdinsMum said:
Lunging at shows is a big no-no, especially on horsebox/car park areas. Not only is it seen as rude for taking up a lot of space in the warm up it’s dangerous to lunge around horses who are tied up in the parking area. If the horse is that bad I’d be getting to the root of the problem before taking it out to shows etc.
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Lol, when it comes to showing shows this is patently untrue!
No one minds you lunging in a quiet spot of the lorry park at all. How on earth do you think the warm up leadrein ponies without lunging?
 
OdinsMum said:
Lunging at shows is a big no-no, especially on horsebox/car park areas. Not only is it seen as rude for taking up a lot of space in the warm up it’s dangerous to lunge around horses who are tied up in the parking area. If the horse is that bad I’d be getting to the root of the problem before taking it out to shows etc.
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If you had read the rest of the thread you would see that trying to work on it at home is exactly what I am doing... :rolleyes:
 
Glad to hear you had a positive outing. When I used to work on a dressage yard pretty much everything would be turned out for some sort of time before we left (even at the crack of dawn for 20 mins if that's all the time we had) and the ones that could be a bit lit up at the show would have a quick lunge before we left.
 
Well seeing as I am using this as some sort of confidence diary now, I am disappointed to report that I was decked out hacking on Saturday morning and so annoyed as I had been really starting to get there with my confidence after the farm ride and having a lesson with a new instructor. I am even more annoyed that it is my fault! My friend who I went on the farm ride with invited me for a faster hack (mainly trotting, no canter) to try and build a bit of stamina for both of our horses and some confidence for me. We chose a loop we have done a 100 times before. I thought about lunging and then ran out of time (idiot, i am really kicking myself) but thought I would wear him out with the trotting. Got half way round and had had two longish trots with my friend's horse in front (Bud usually has a preference for being in front but my friend was struggling to keep her long legged beast behind). So all going well, my friends horse got a bit excited and picked up canter and then I felt that horrible feeling that he was gearing up for something and then bam, bucked off straight over his head. So not the usual shoulder drop but still. I landed pretty hard on my back and took a couple of minutes to get back up but I got back on and managed a few more trots back behind my friend's horse back to the yard riding very very defensively, he didn't give any inclination of trying it again.

I am so annoyed and disappointed, I have now gone back not wanting to ride him or take him out to the arena hire or dressage at the weekend and frankly I am just wondering whether it is just best to sell him. My friend wants me not to dwell and accept that a) I didn't lunge (which is what I said I would do) and b) I also rode like a lemon (I totally froze and just sat there and let it happen) but I am just so confused about what to do. As I've mentioned before, 95% of the time he is a dream but just cannot get past this silly behaviour and I don't know why I just stop riding whenever anything happens when all I need to do is kick on. Any tips? :(
 
Had he been out in the field before you rode? I always get mine out for a bit before I do anything with them, even if it's just for the length of time it takes me to do morning stables. Then catch and ride. Yes it's more convenient to have a clean dry horse to tack up and yes turn out then catch takes a little extra time but in return for the extra hassle I get a horse that is much more relaxed AND has warmed itself up a little as well.

I haven't seen your previous threads so am assuming all physical issues and tack issues have already been checked?
 
I know you said in an earlier post that he is in at night and nothing is turned out overnight but if he were mine I would turn him out 24/7 one way or another, if it was not possible on this yard I would move rather than go through this, it may be avoiding the issue but to me it seems that he comes out fresh in the morning and would really benefit from living out, it would make your life easier in so many ways, having a horse is supposed to be fun and if something as simple as being out all night enables you to have fun then why not give it a try.

Cobs can be far more tricky than any other types, most of the ones I have known have had a rather interesting sense of humour and all could put in a buck that packed a punch, my show cob dropped a judge one day with a single buck, I am not sure who was the most embarrassed me or the judge but the horse looked well pleased with himself.
 
Its a very difficult one and I feel your pain as the mother of a child with a pony who can be sharp! Several options have worked for us over the years. Lunging at home before you leave - this really does work!, getting there very early and lunging before anyone gets in the ring or finding a quiet place out in a nearby field. I see a LOT of people lunging at affiliated shows but they are normally tiny ponies that adults cannot ride and they dont really DO anything but just need the edge taking off. A lot of showing peeps travel a LOOOOOG way to shows to lunging before you leave at 3am is not really doable.
 
Sorry - missed replies again!

I am trying not to dwell too much and accept I am an idiot and I should have lunged. I am pleased it is definitely a morning/too much energy thing as I have ridden twice this week in the evening and not had any problems. I have tomorrow and Friday off work so going to ride in the mornings (with a lunge before) and go from there. Arena hire on Saturday at the scene of the crime so two lots of lunging will be involved I think haha and then stressage on Saturday where I am lunging and warming up at home and trotting him over with the only aim of going and staying on! Get a cob they said! Nobody believes me until they see it!
 
I think you mentioned previously that he's either a bit one sided in his muscle development or something similar. Has this ever been investigated by a vet?
It sounds like he has just learnt it's something he can do and so does it but if there was a question mark over him physically I think I'd want to rule that out for definite before deciding it was a cheeky cob who'd learnt what he can get away with.

Eta , losing your confidence is rotten but it sounds like you've been able to identify what went wrong and put a plan in going forwards so well done. I do hope you can get to the bottom of it soon
 
chaps89 said:
I think you mentioned previously that he's either a bit one sided in his muscle development or something similar. Has this ever been investigated by a vet?
It sounds like he has just learnt it's something he can do and so does it but if there was a question mark over him physically I think I'd want to rule that out for definite before deciding it was a cheeky cob who'd learnt what he can get away with.

Eta , losing your confidence is rotten but it sounds like you've been able to identify what went wrong and put a plan in going forwards so well done. I do hope you can get to the bottom of it soon
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He seems to have evened out in that he looks even and no longer having saddle fitting problems but physio does think he may have changes to his right hind due to age and confo but he’s sound and fit at the moment so not worrying too much, she’s seeing him every 2-3 months as I’m paranoid and he hasn’t got worse but it did cross my mind, I do think he is being cheeky though as he is an angel in the evenings haha!
 
Thanks all again for advice, pleased to say we have had no incidents this week and managed to jump a couple of fences at our arena hire on Saturday and come 3rd with 70% in our dressage test yesterday so he's back in the good books for now...I don't think he can be bothered in this heat!
 
Well how I deal with this sort of horse is with lots of work and very little food .
I would work twice a day and I would lead from another horse before I rode .
I would get a good physio to check just in case .
If they really pee me off I keep them alone in a small paddock and work them until they get the message .
I would lots of long slow work walking and trotting and I would load away from home to work a minimum for three times a week .
We had a hunter for MrGS who was like this at first we did get him sorted but it took a while .
 
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