Nosey horse when ridden- ideas for keeping his concentration!

[charlie76]

I have a nice young horse who I am taking out to his first dressage in 2 weeks time. He has super paces and can go really well but he is very nosey!
I am looking for ideas to keep his attention. I have tried the following:
Transitions
Circles, loops etc.
Using more leg and sending him forward
Lots of different exercises
But he still does it and the problem being is that he then 'sets' against my hand at the same time which causes him to loose his rythym.
Any ideas?

 

[Law]

I've got one like this

It's annoying but I can't let it get to me!
I was taught a really useful trick which is to find a noise that refocuses him. I do a little kissing noise and it works a treat. He learnt what it meant straight away. It can be really subtle like a half cough or something so that it doesn't get picked up on in dressage.
Good luck

 

[charlie76]

Good plan- I will try that. I can see us doing our best giraffe impression next week!
He even looks in peoples gardens out hacking casuing him to fall up the kerb!

 

[Law]

You've described mine to a T!

That's exactly what he does. It's my fault out hacking though as I do it as much as he does. It's just blooming annoying when you want him to think about what he is doing and he looks all over the place. I had to make a really big effort to hack out with an even contact (and never let my guard drop) and ask him to work instead of slopping about

In the school he really does have to concentrate so he's pretty much stopped doing it unless something REALLY interesting is happening like horses going out or in and then the kissing noise gets him back to work.

 

[wizoz]

He Hee, mine is like this also. I like to hack him out sometimes he has to work but sometimes he is allowed his head, when he does have his head, he is a terror for looking around, even behind himself

It does worry me that he'll trip over but I think eventually he'll stop. If I ride him on the bit he's not so bad.

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine would go up a garden path to see what someone is doing in their garden!

 

[franki]

Keep him on the aids at all times. Have you ever watched the top level dressage riders, particularly when they ride in an indoor, they go to salute at the end of the test, and leave the arena on a long rein and their horses suddenly realise where they are and start looking wildly around. Shows that when they do their tests the horses are completely on the aids and concentrating.