Planting !! Help please !!!

[paddi22]

I always end up getting back protector, whip, draw reins and a neckstrap and just battering them through it and ride it out. The only exception would be if I know a horse is a flipper. Anything else, I think you have the battle once or twice and that ends it. i know a lot of horse work with the patient method, but for competition horses you get no good out of them if you allow them to go and stop when they like, they have to know go means forward as soon as you say it. I can see the logic in boring them to death and achieveing your end goal with patience. But that concept doesn't work when you have them in a show jumping ring, xc course or dressage arena. I'd rather have a horrible battle or two and ingrain the concept that when they are asked to go forward they do.

 

[milliepops]

I maintain that the best them through it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Mine would get more dangerous in her reactions the more you upped the ante.
She's gone from prelim to inter 1 in just over 3 years so I also don't agree that it automatically hinders their competition career if you take an alternative approach. Each horse is different, there are no absolutes 🤷‍♀️

 

[Red-1]

I always end up getting back protector, whip, draw reins and a neckstrap and just battering them through it and ride it out. The only exception would be if I know a horse is a flipper. Anything else, I think you have the battle once or twice and that ends it. i know a lot of horse work with the patient method, but for competition horses you get no good out of them if you allow them to go and stop when they like, they have to know go means forward as soon as you say it. I can see the logic in boring them to death and achieveing your end goal with patience. But that concept doesn't work when you have them in a show jumping ring, xc course or dressage arena. I'd rather have a horrible battle or two and ingrain the concept that when they are asked to go forward they do.

I think it is horses for courses. My last horse had stayed nappy (rearing and spinning) with 2 riders who achieved top 10 at Badminton, as well as 2 other well known riders/trainers whose results I have not looked up. People had tried to force the issue, the horse responded inappropriately to that. The horse was described as 'unsaleable' as he could not be told. His napping was even at home on his own arena.

I did the non confrontational approach, filled in an awful lot of holes in ground handling and long rein, trained responses from a slight touch, but would not pick a fight when napping did occur. I just kept his attention and focus in the correct direction and did not allow him to doze, but other than that remained unattached to the outcome.

Sadly, I was injured a year after buying him, so instead of aiming at CCI** I did not do much at all for a year, then went to the dizzy heights of BE100! But, this was not because of the horse, he would have walked through fire for me, never faulted XC (other than when I did not walk the course as my back was too bad - so I missed a fence) and finished with 10 double clears in a row. More importantly (to me anyway as my back was bad!) he would stroll into the start box, accelerate smoothly away when asked, and try his best to jump every fence without pulling.

I did qualify my previous answer that waiting is not suitable for a dozy cold blood (as dozing is what they want), but keeping attention and focus on what you want is surely a good attribute in a hot horse?