Repeated refusals at competitions

Traks

Traks

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Hello all I’m just hoping for some words of wisdom from you all, I know this isn’t a rare occurrence but am getting to the end of my tether with my daughters pony!

15yr old mare who we have had for almost 2 years, she is sensitive but a lovely little pony. Since the day we got her she has refused fences at competitions but been great jumping at home, clinics, pony club rallies and arena hires. My daughter is 11 and of course a lot of the issues earlier on were very much rider error but she has improved massively and now it seems it’s more pony than rider. She is riding her heart out and it really doesn’t seem to be anything she is doing now.

She spent the first year getting her confidence with the pony at home and rallies and lessons before we started competing properly and I’d say the last 10 months they have been out competing very regularly (once or twice a month). She is a tricky ride as she tends to rush to fences and that was indeed one of the issues that possibly caused some run outs. Anyway now she has much better control and isn’t being carted around the ring!

But other than 2 venues we have been jumping at a few times, she has refused and been eliminated from every single competition. Is absolutely heart breaking for my daughter who is now doing PC teams, area competitions etc. the fence types make little difference, it used to be more fillers but now even simple basic fences she stops. She jumps 60/70cm at competitions but at home 80 or more. She’s done a mix of SJ, arena eventing, cross country and we tried a hunter trial but the atmosphere seemed to get to her and it blew her brains!

We have had things checked very regularly including a lameness check last month, saddle, teeth has her back checked every 3 months with the physio. She has hock arthritis and has had Arthramid and cartrophen, the vet said a few weeks ago he was happy that her hocks were ok to be doing what we are doing so I don’t think it’s a physical issue.

It only seems to happen at competitions now, my daughter is riding very positively and her instructors all say the same, the general comments are that the pony is being naughty etc and we need to keep trying…she has been on a calmer this week to see if that helped but no difference. Looking at what we can find online of her competing records with a previous owner the letter E does seem to feature a lot 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’m just at a loss because I just can’t keep watching them get elimination after elimination, I don’t know what else to try. Should I ask a more experienced person to have a go at a competitive event? See if that makes any difference? She was eliminated at the first fence of SJ yesterday at a venue she’s been to 3 times, jumped brilliant in the warm up but then got in the ring and that was it. It was a very simple fence towards the collecting ring.

Surface makes little difference other than over the summer when the ground was hard she was probably a little worse as you would expect, we didn’t do too much on grass due to the hocks.

At what point do you think this isn’t working?? She jumps so well at home and at lessons clinics and arena hires it’s just baffling!
 
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I should also add that she hasn’t outgrown the pony yet but it is in the back of my mind that perhaps sooner rather than later we will need to move on to something else, probably in the next year or so
 
Try a different rider? Or alternatively, go to some local shows and start from the ground up, trotting over 30cm that she can walk over if necessary. Can always enter HC or just deliberately go really slowly so you don’t out compete the little ones on their tiny ponies.
 
Do you know her history and if she has previously jumped well at competitions?

Is she big enough for an adult to get on or is there an older kid that could try her at a competition? I would tread carefully with this though as it could knock your daughters confidence more and make her feel really crappy if another kid gets her pony round when she can’t.
 
I’d suggest that the horse knows it refuses, and then gets eliminated, knowing it doesn’t have to do any more work (I had one like this).

First option.., get someone else to ride him at a show, see what happens.

I’d then start back at basics.., take him back to clear round. Start with trot poles, harder to stop/run out at them. Ensure that if he stops, he still goes over. If you explain this to organizers, they are often happy for you to have as much time in the ring as you need.
 
Have you tried putting pony in competition conditions outside of a competition: I.e. warming up with other horses around and then going on their own into the ring to jump? I suspect this can be the hard part if competing for lots of horses, fine in a group, happy if started and stayed on their own, not happy to leave the group.
 
Thank you for all the replies! Some very good advice!

So yes we have been to competitions where we have done arena hires, she still seems to stop 😩 although we hav another in a few weeks so will see how that goes…

We’ve not had an instructor ride her yet mainly because she’s smaller and the instructor’s have been bigger 😂

She’s not had a older teenager on her yet to try that is definitely something we can do…my only concern is that it may demoralise my daughter more seeing someone else on her if she goes well. But I do understand why it’s probably important to try that approach.

And yes the travelling effect on the hocks did occur to me but she jumps so well at clinics and arena hires that we go out to, so I’m not sure.

I’m starting to lean towards the competitive atmosphere getting to her, she is a sensitive mare and absolutely cannot do things like fun rides, hunter trials and even go on a big group ride as she gets quite over excited by all the horses. The recent elimination was a big area PC competition with over 100 horses and ponies and it was clear she was not listening to my daughter whatsoever and totally focused on outside the arena, particularly for the dressage phase we did!

She had a little lesson last night with a friend who is very experienced with SJ ponies and also younger riders and his take was that the pony wasn’t listening to my daughter at all. My daughter did admit that when she’s in the ring she goes quiet and doesn’t talk to her as she sort of clams up and focuses on the jumps so his suggestion was she need’s to communicate more with her, talk to her, she is possibly anxious herself and looking to her rider to help her out. He also recommended going back to basics and stick to x poles etc for a bit to get her confidence and give more time to try and get her attention back on my daughter.

I honestly don’t know but for the next few weeks we will try some basic jumps and flatwork and practice communicating more and possibly take her to a smaller event with a SJ friend who can take her round a course of jumps.

It has crossed our minds that perhaps this combination has run its course and maybe she’s trying to tell us. It’s so heartbreaking though for all involved when you get so attached 😩
 
I do wonder if this pony just doesn’t like competitions. If your daughter will outgrow her in a year I think I might just admit competing isn’t for her and start looking for a new pony for your daughter.

She’s taken your daughter’s riding on a lot but it must be very hard for her to always be eliminated. It sounds like you could spend the rest of your time being disappointed with her when your daughter could be building a new relationship with a pony who can do the things she wants to do.
 
If you are anywhere near Surrey you could ask Georgia Darlington to assess or teach. She's recent HOYS WH champion and tiny, she enjoys schooling and teaching kids and ponies.

We had a wonderful Connie gelding, jumped anything in front of him, sometimes when you didn't want him to. Daughter won lots on him but he shut down at big events, County shows etc. not as much as your mare and he never refused, was just flat and unhappy and underperformed.
 
Peglo said:
I do wonder if this pony just doesn’t like competitions. If your daughter will outgrow her in a year I think I might just admit competing isn’t for her and start looking for a new pony for your daughter.

She’s taken your daughter’s riding on a lot but it must be very hard for her to always be eliminated. It sounds like you could spend the rest of your time being disappointed with her when your daughter could be building a new relationship with a pony who can do the things she wants to do.
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You have described my thoughts exactly to be honest, she was a bit better at the smaller events where she can pop a cross pole or 40/50cm but since we’ve gone up a gear she’s started refusing more consistently. It’s definitely been challenging for my daughter, life lessons and all! 🤪
 
Haven’t read all the answers so apologies if this has already been said. Maybe the pony is competition sour, has done so much competition jumping in her life that she doesn’t enjoy it & doesn’t want to do it any more. Have you done any working hunter classes ? Do natural fences & see if pony still stops.
 
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