My horse doesn't like warm up arenas...help!

Tiarella

Tiarella

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Took my pony clear round jumping last night. I hate jumping myself at shows (fine at home) but thought it's only cr so I've got nothing to lose and I might enjoy it. I hated it.

I've only just bought my new lorry and been to 3 comps in 2 weeks. First comp was sj unaff and my brilliant friend who does bs jumped him round the 2'6-2'9 and he was perfect in the class and perfect in the warm up and not bothered by other horses and then I dressaged him on Thursday and he was foot perfect in the warm up but only 6/7 horses in there and infact he was rather lazy so that gave me loads of confidence to go jumping....

Got in arena, prat of a horse and rider came jogging up behind him - bronk bronk...managed to ride him through it, prat of a horse and rider came up behind again...bronk bronk. Almost gave up but carried on trotting getting his attention popped a cross bronked after jump, I got off and went home :( :(

How can my horse hate other horses?! He does like his own space but surely we can't only attend comps that no one will go too! It is partially me too as I tense when a horse comes up behind as I know my horse will do something stupid but with my confident friend he was a saint.

Shall I just accept I don't like jumping?

For others who read my '8yo on 14hh pony' thread...this is the same pony and the girl is trying him tonight. Do I state that my sensible pony now bronks?! :( :( :( or are kids a lot braver than me and will just laugh it off? He won't be much of a pony club pony at this rate but he is a bloody new forest pony not a dressage warmblood (I do try and tell him this!)

Had lots of tears last night, and no one else in my house being horsey I've got to tell someone - sorry hhoers
 
If he has just started it could there be an other explanation ie neck pain when he catches sight of them coming up behind him. What's he like at home if someone comes up behind him?
 
He used to do it a LOT when he was a baby and in the same situation but after taking him to comps before I thought he had just outgrown it and was a normal horse (haha) so not pain related. I really just think horses coming up behind him or galloping (yes everyone was galloping round everywhere - it was mayhem) past him frightens him. Anyone wanna take him hunting?! :D

I can't warm up else where, it was dark and only one arena to warm up in.
 
amymay said:
Warm him up elsewhere?
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Ditto.

Not possible on every horse/rider, but my mare hates being crowded, she doesn't kick or react, but will get tense and stronger when closed in around a large group of horses sometimes, so I only go in the warm up just before my class to pop one warm-up fence [or if there's a grass area, I pop a jump out there be it a log etc] and the rest of the time, I mooch round else where until my class and go straight in.
Same with dressage, I never run through my test right before....I'll do it the night before at home, then when I'm there, all I do is walk and trot and mooch her round stretching out. On her own, she's perfectly chilled at shows, she's more than often found falling asleep dozing. I'm sure you could leave her in the same spot and she wouldn't move until you get on her. :o


Or put a red ribbon in his tail. He may not kick, but it generally tends to make riders give a larger birth around you. [The latter...shouting' Stallion!' generally does the trick unaffiliated also! ;) ]

You shouldn't be galloping in a warm-up anyway. If they're hooeing about like idiot, then there really should be a steward around telling them otherwise or at least to complain to.
 
I couldn't warm up else where it was dark :(

I think when I take him to a busy place again I will just warm up for 5 min and go straight in.

Ahh good idea cs, I did used to put a red ribbon in to keep other people away but then he got better so maybe I should do it again. Haha love the stallion idea! Yeah it was a very unorganised cr everyone was just everywhere!

What shall I do about the girl trying to tonight. Do I mention it or shall I just see how she rides him tonight? I've seen much worse ponies in pony club buck their kiddy riders off every 5 minutes and just get back on. So should I be worried? I think I'm just too old to do anything 'fun'
 
I would see how she rides before worrying about it. Personally I'd be working to get him used to it tho, but then I never avoid anything a horse doesn't like, in fact it makes me do it more til it accepts it. (Ask my new mare :D)
 
A lot of horses would react to someone coming up quickly behind him, plus you said you tense up as well. Ribbons don't always help but better than nothing but think the suggestion of warming up quietly outside the arena could be the answer. I had to do this for a while after an idiot decided it was alright to warm up a stallion with no warning or notification to the other riders. He took a great interest in my mare, who was then thoroughly wound up and took me 4 more outings before she would stop tanking off in the arena if anything came close. Nothing against stallions competing but should be in the hands of someone who can a, manage them b, let other riders know!
 
Might it be that he was responding to your tension rather than to the other horses? Or that you being tense made it harder for him to calm down? It sounds like he was OK with your freind and at the dressage.

If you really honestly think your pony is now dangerous you will have to say something to the child trying him. You'd never forgive yourself if she was hurt. (Not to mention the insurance risk!) I know it is difficult giving advice on a forum like this because no-one can know the full picture. But from what you are describing I would be tempted not to. He is calm at home - I presume you are trying him at home first? If she likes him and you like her and she wants to try him at a show that would be the time to tell her he can get tense in a crowded warm up arena.
 
Definately put a red ribbon in the tail, at least that should warn other riders to give you a bit more room. I would definately persevere with taking him to shows & getting him in the warm up ring. The more you expose him to that situation the better he should get in handling the stress.

I have a horse that didn't like a crowded warm up area much. Although he doesn't kick he still wears a red ribbon in his tail & riders tend to give him a bit more room. This helps & he's got a lot better now.
 
I'd persevere with getting him used to it, & if he was fine with your friend then I suspect you need to get used to it too. I wouldn't mention it to the kid until you've seen them ride. And if the kid is going to do pc with him, he'll get used to sharing space at rallies but with supervision so its not out of control horses racing past. Whether its an issue depends on the kid, if they aren't tense he might not do it with them anyway. And if he did, lots of kids find it fun rather than scary.
 
rachaelstar said:
It is partially me too as I tense when a horse comes up behind as I know my horse will do something stupid but with my confident friend he was a saint.
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This, if anything, is our NF pony. Rider confidence is the key. Pony is NOT confident, and you are transmitting your apprehension to him by tensing thus he is worried. With a confident rider he is following their lead and feels safe.

I do think you have a duty of care to the buyer to say he needs a very confident rider (which some 8yo are) and that with a non confident rider he MAY play up. Our NF dislikes ponies, even ones he knows quite well, up his bum and has been known to kick out at PC when ridden into the back of, so for hunting he gets a red ribbon just in case.
 
I've only just bought my new lorry and been to 3 comps in 2 weeks. First comp was sj unaff and my brilliant friend who does bs jumped him round the 2'6-2'9 and he was perfect in the class and perfect in the warm up and not bothered by other horses and then I dressaged him on Thursday and he was foot perfect in the warm up but only 6/7 horses in there and infact he was rather lazy so that gave me loads of confidence to go jumping....


Are you sure the issue is not you and jumping??:):)
 
Yes, I will def use a red ribbon next time and hopefully people will be more inclined to not go near him!

Yes I do need to persevere with him and I think more myself to be honest, because he is fine with my friend on him the other day but horrible with me last night. Would it be a good idea to let my friend jump him for me for a while just so he doesnt lose confidence or is it something we should go alone and tackle it ourselves?

Im not sure whether its a forrester thing (dubsie isnt yours by royal oak ron too?) as a couple I know are the same aswell.

Well now im up and running with my own transport im trying to go to atleast 2 comps a week and if this rider later likes him she will take him to pc for me. I am going to be very picky though, if she isnt suited I will have to say no as wouldnt want her to get hurt.

Kirstykate - yes I think it is :( its not just my horse I wont jump either, I wouldnt jump anyones no matter how good it is :p

This is a personal issue isnt it, and not really to do with my pony at all :(
 
My sjer was like this. I had to be really careful in warm ups & had to ride him quietly sometimes even a cross pole blew his brains. Could rarely canter him near others as he would buck & kick.
Put a red ribbon on & try to warm up whilst it is quite, then take him away for a walk outside.
I would sometimes jump a small class as his warm up.
Stick red ribbon in his tail ( high up) as it will hopefully make people back off you.
 
Rachel, yes he is by Royal Oak Ron, which is why I suggested it. I can hearily recommend dosing yourself up with rescue remedy beforehand. He needs you (or your friend) to be the confident one and he will follow your lead as to whether to be bothered or not. They are pack animals after all, just needs a leader.

Daughter used to get het up about any competing - and so did he. We had progressively cracked the dressage, showing, showing when his field buddy is in sight/watching, and finally this summer showjumping, then on Sunday she cracked the XC with him(and won), so I can't see we'll have any more lack of confidence issues. If you don't feel confident jumping, then when you next take him why don't you warm him up and then get your friend to jump the competition round until you DO feel confident to take him round the jumps.

I'm sure he's a craacking jumper and if like ours will work best over 2ft6+ or nice solid tables like this one:
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/ag26662

ETA I'm sure you'd still have the same issue with our pony if we swapped if you were nervous, and if my daughter rode yours I'm sure your pony would be fine. I just remembered we took another very young NF which a friend had on loan with us to school XC, and the other rider (not as experienced as my daughter) had problems getting her NF to jump because she was worried, yet had been jumping 2ft 6 in the arena over showjumps. As she loves ours and is totally confident in him I simply swapped riders over: result both ponies had a blast jumped everything through the water, with the young one initially following then doing it all himself. Only found out afterwards that the other NF had never been over any XC jumps other than a log in the field at home before - yet due to the confidence of the rider was flying over everything.
 
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Toby_Zaphod said:
Definately put a red ribbon in the tail, at least that should warn other riders to give you a bit more room. I would definately persevere with taking him to shows & getting him in the warm up ring. The more you expose him to that situation the better he should get in handling the stress.
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This!!
 
kirstykate said:
I've only just bought my new lorry and been to 3 comps in 2 weeks. First comp was sj unaff and my brilliant friend who does bs jumped him round the 2'6-2'9 and he was perfect in the class and perfect in the warm up and not bothered by other horses and then I dressaged him on Thursday and he was foot perfect in the warm up but only 6/7 horses in there and infact he was rather lazy so that gave me loads of confidence to go jumping....


Are you sure the issue is not you and jumping??:):)
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^^^ This.
 
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