Should I just give up on dressage?

[Sol]

As above really.... either that, or I need a miracle to convince Dan that flatwork isn't that bad really, and we don't need the major strops & tantrums that start up if I dare enter an arena that is jump free :/
Can I just say that this horse is 100% physically fine, jumps quite happily, hacks quite happily, and only ever gets his knickers in a twist if you dare to ask him to do something that is not i preparation to jump. If we warm up for a bit around fences, he's fine. That includes working him in an outline, and all the general simple stuff we'd ask for when we did flatwork, though obviously it's not too long as we then move onto jumping.
No matter what I do though when I school him on the flat, he wont pay attention, wont co-operate, throws all of his toys out of the pram and generally takes the p*ss, pretty much from the word go.

One day, I'd like to think I had a horse I could get to /at least/ elementary.... doesn't look like it'll happen any time soon! So should I just give in and hack him, have my one 30min flatwork lesson per week and jump him twice a week? I like jumping, and I think once we get back into the swing of things we'll progress faster, and I have no really aims to do well at it so I don't care. In a few years, he might decide flatwork is ok and we can go back to doing novice tests quite well?

I don't know... anyone got any ideas?! Very frustrated! Don't see how I can get round doing ANY flatwork either way! :/


*shares out choccie biscuits*

 

[diggerbez]

is it a new thing or a more existing problem? V has recently become a monster in the arena when doing flatwork...pegging off every two minutes in canter...but when jumping he's nice and polite...he has calmed down in the last week or so tho (thank god )
if its a more existing issue then i'd be inclined to send him off to bootcamp with a DR trainer that i knew and trusted...sounds like he might need to work on it more intensively to me... just an idea anyway and what i would do

 

[hoopala]

Your horse obviously wants to party and enjoy himself, lets face it dressage is so bloody boring I did it for year's even got to a resonable level, took it up after I lost my nerve after a bad fall, then one day I thought my god I'm 24 not 54, had a stiff drink and went jumping again, try hom again when he is an old boy!!!!!!!!!!!!! ha ha

 

[FionaMc]

What if you school him with jumps up in the school, then when he does something well, or you feel his attention wandering, you can just pop over a fence to keep him happy. I quite like schooling mine around jumps as she tends to switch off a bit on the flat, so popping over a cross pole whilst working on transitions (for instance) can be quite helpful to get her mind working a bit.

Was in the school at the same time as a lesson today and they were practising for a little low key competition my yard is running, which involves a dressage test that incorporates some jumps! For instance, they had trotting poles across the centre of the school to go over whilst circling and a jump on the 3/4 quarter line that you popped over as part of a shallow loop.

Of course, that doesn't really solve the problem if he dies when he gets to a test and doesn't see any fences...

 

[Sol]

Thanks everyone

It's sort of an on and off thing... he was never thrilled by flatwork but would do it and have teh odd disagreement when he didn't want to do something a little harder, then got worse because he did something to his back. We got him sorted out and he went back to normal, then gradually started trying it on again. Nothing wrong with him, he's just a complete git at times!

hoopala - I must admit, your way doesn't sound bad I am starting to remember how much I CAN enjoy jumping

Fiona - That's a good idea, and I will give it a go We can only try! He still gets quite tense in tests anyway, so I don't think the lack of fences will make any difference, he's usually 'better' in a way in tests as he appears to be thinking of other things... (like where everyone else went and that the kid in the gallery may jump out and get him!)


I'm also going to try riding him in a kineton noseband today - totally different thinking, but he's always been a bit funny about contact on his mouth (even though his teeth are fine) and thinking this might mean I can keep a more consistent contact but not so much pressure on his mouth, which he might settle with more... or is that silly thinking?! I did notice it even when jumping the other day as we began cantering into jumps more, and when I wanted to touch the reins at all for any reason, he'd just come back at me and it'd all go out the window!
I don't know... might give it a try anyway!

 

[ottodyl1]

How about including polework in your flatwork? If you have raised poles it may con him into thinking he is jumping, when actually you're using them to improve impulsion, balance, etc. Use your hacking as well - try a bit of leg yielding & shortening & lengthening. Make his flatwork fun- sounds like he's got a bit of a mental block about it so just keep it short & sweet & don't make an issue out of it. Maybe pop him over a fence or two at the start of your schooling session, then do some flatwork & pop him over a couple at the end so he doesn't think of flatwork as being a separate entity.

 

[Sol]

Tried poles and although he can do some nice work over poles, he just almost fell over them as he wouldn't go forward enough :/ Not quite the idea! But yes, when I do *attempt* flatwork, I will use poles as it's a good idea and it may perk him up a little hopefully
*nods* On hacks I do quite a bit of leg yield, shoulder/quarters in, stretching, halting etc but only in walk. We only hack in company usually as he's a bit of a twit, and if we trot he thinks it's a race

Thanks! We're going to try a few things later and see how we get on