Napping at shows!!..HELP PLEASE!!!

[Frankie66]

I took my 5 yr old mare to her 5th show today, all the other shows i have been to she has behaved amazing and got placed in all the jumping classes etc but today she started napping in the warm-up, wanting to go to the horse at the side of the ring, if i smacked her she would rear and throw her head around, i went into the ring and she jumped the 1st then napped to the entrance and just would go.
How can i stop her napping?...where should i smack her when she rears etc?
Just want some pointers etc...and ideas

 

[gillyfilly]

Perhaps she has lost her confidence a bit!! I dont think hitting her will help, she's only young. Perhaps take her to another show but don't enter her for anything. Get her used to the atmosphere again. Something has happened if she hasnt done this before, so you may need to ease back a bit. She's trying to tell you something.

 

[diggerbez]

could you maybe get her out schooling to some clinics before your next show- that was you can 'simulate' the idea of going away from other horses etc without the added pressure of a show....its something that needs nipping in the bud before it becomes a habit really (i used to have a BAD napper..took ages to sort it)

 

[teddyt]

[ QUOTE ]
I took my 5 yr old mare to her 5th show today, all the other shows i have been to she has behaved amazing and got placed in all the jumping classes etc but today she started napping in the warm-up, wanting to go to the horse at the side of the ring, if i smacked her she would rear and throw her head around, i went into the ring and she jumped the 1st then napped to the entrance and just would go.
How can i stop her napping?...where should i smack her when she rears etc?
Just want some pointers etc...and ideas

[/ QUOTE ]

If she has behaved ok before then she was trying to tell you something. Hitting her wont help. You need to get to the bottom of why she was napping and train her accordingly, so she doesnt feel the need to express her feelings in napping and rearing. She is only young. Going to a show should be a positive experience, not one where she gets hit with a whip because you havnt understood her communication.

Maybe you could take her to a group lesson and other competitions and try to see them from her eyes, not yours. Then take things slowly and only ask her to do what she is capable of doing comfortably to build her confidence.