Overcoming spooking in dressage

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MissJessica

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Does anyone have any tips to stay calm and collected on a horse that spooks (often at things I can't see) in an arena?
I am planning to try an intro test next month but he'll often spook, shoot out to the middle of the school then be snorty & on his toes after for a few minutes. Will it ever get better.....?
 
Yes it get's better!! :)

One of the first dressages I took mine to, I couldn't even get him inside the white boards and had to withdraw. :o Mortifying doesn't describe it, but that's not a problem any more! I think the trick is just to keep their attention. He's better in a more difficult test because he's thinking about what he's doing rather than what's going on around him.
 
Just take him out and about as much as you can :) I promise it's not really an issue with us anymore, whereas before it was a pretty big one. (I'll have jinxed it now lol)
 
Haha, well done, I am happy to hear hope.
An example is, my horse will trot then bolt off in canter to the middle of the ménage at the letter H he has seen many times before. Snorting and acting the fool.
Would you immediately pick up trot again and continue (at home schooling) or would you take him back over so he can have a look.
This is what he does at home which knocks my confidence, I have been trying to pick up trot again but the last time he did the same thing twice....so I went on the other reins good as gold. I don't get it...?

I totally agree with you on keeping their mind busy though, in walk he is worse & looks around, he doesn't need a lot of leg and I don't always want a hold of his head stopping him from looking around but it's really difficult to get him listening.

Do I make annnnyyyy sense? Haha (rambling).
 
I have the EXACT same problem with my boy, so will be watching this thread to see if people have any other tips!

I dont even have age as an excuse with him as he is 11 but is very green for his age! He has got better the more i have taken him out/compete but it's still a 'challenge' and the calmers dont really work!

I do showing with mine and at the county shows esp, there is sooooo much to look at!
 
I'm hoping it's just down to experience. My green horse spooks wildly at dressage boards, markers and flowers yet doesn't bat an eyelid at anything SJ - fillers, flowers under jumps, flowers by jumps, flappy tarpaulin stuff on arena fences, ditches, nothing. After his performance yesterday he might just have earned himself a summer of dressage to get him out of the spooking... :/
 
I think my boy is quite green even though he is 9, he is great xc & out hacking, but the ménage seems to be very exciting or very scary never chilled?
Why are these white boards so dreadful? Haha.

All hints, tips welcome.
 
I was having the same problem massive reaction to things i couldnt even see! Had the physio out at she is just turned 5 and now in regular work and she needed some tweeking in the pole which had given her hypersensitivity. She is sooooo much better now still can spook but now at things i can at least see and the reaction is minimal. Maybe worth looking into. Mine was so bad i was loosing all my confidence looked into hypnotherapy dreaded riding her....now i look forward to it. I also have a pro at the yard who is super also helps shes my mate ride her once a week to help with any confidence issues my horse may have. Good luck.
 
You could put up some boards (or even white guttering) and flowers, etc. at home so that he gets used to them. A horse that is fine with jumps and stuff will still spook at things it doesn't usually see.
 
MissJessica said:
Haha, well done, I am happy to hear hope.
An example is, my horse will trot then bolt off in canter to the middle of the ménage at the letter H he has seen many times before. Snorting and acting the fool.
Would you immediately pick up trot again and continue (at home schooling) or would you take him back over so he can have a look.
Click to expand...

Keep him in canter and do some small balanced canter circles, something to keep him going forwards but not excited. That way he'll think it was your idea in the first place, and also associate spooking with more hard work. :D Don't take him back to have a look or he'll think there's actually something to be worried about! If he spooks, make sure not to back off with your leg or he'll use it as an evasion technique.
 
Thank you :) I rode tonight & kept my inside leg on more than usual in the "scary" places & although he was silly to get into the school (napping) once we were in he worked fast but well.
 
Not sure I am qualified to help but I think with some green horses it is not always that they are scared it is also that they lack the mental and physical strength to do what we ask of them and so they look for reasons to come off our aids. That sounds as if it is premeditated but I don't mean that it's more like - "It's really hard work doing what I am supposed to do and so if i pretend there is a horse-eating monster over there then I can come off her aids for a minute and do what I want. Much easier ;)".
As I say I am no expert but I am going through a similar experience as I too am trying to convince a recently acquired 8 year old showjumper that working "properly" is good for her in the long run - she is..umm..naturally very "uphill" and buzzy and so she will constantly look for a distraction because that is easier for her both physically and mentally. She is not a spooky horse so with her I do think it is that she finds it mentally tiring to concentrate for longer than a 2minute showjumping round ;). I am hoping that as she gets stronger then the need to come out of the "stretch" will not be as compelling and so the evasions will lessen. An example - last night..horses coming up the road beside the school..long and low canter morphed into a stop dead giraffe of about 18hands with nothing between my hands at all in a nano second. Instructor immediately told me to walk her (however stiffly) in a small circle and keep that circle until she gave in and softened again. It took a while but I think that is the key (even if it means you throwing a test to start with) keep them going forward and into a place that you want. So in your example, I wouldn't go back and show him the imaginary thing he spooked at just keep going trhough the test/movement you wanted...and simple tip (which i am sure you know) but don't ever look for what they are seeing. Deliberately look away from it...
Finally, if it gives you hope instructor is riding three horses at Inter 1 at Hickstead this week...two of which spent the majority of their first few tests either leaving the white boards entirely or doing canter half passes when the required movement was a working trot :D. There is hope for us all...really hope that helps...
 
I will google him, thanks Ferdinase514 & GOW you've made a lot of sense, I know we'll get there & it's a relief to hear success stories :)
 
Some of it is just miles on the clock but there is also an element of how good your connection and throughness is. If you get that solid then it is much harder for them to spook and when they do spook you have more control over it. My young WB mare is spooky but if she is really through and forward to the contact it is manageable.
Had similar issues with my PSG horse, she was wicked as a youngster and on one less than auspicious occasion whipped round and bogged off out of the arena - fortunately before I started the test! She is 18yo now and still spooky - just no-one believes you because she is secure ineverything else it just shows as a bit of tension and she trusts the rider when they say it is OK. She has been very successful in paradressage with a friend of mine and at the RDA nationals a few years ago she played babysitter for a lot of horses as she was so good. (Para horses are allowed a companion at ring side in a lot of competitions)
 
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