Stressy ex racer! Help!

N

nickicamps1

Member
Joined
22 June 2009
Messages
27
Visit site
I have a beautiful 16.3 NZ TB - 8 years old. He raced in NZ but I'm have no details of how long he raced for or what he did etc. He has a fantastic dressage prospect - superb paces and is coming on very nicely at home. But...there is always a but!.....when I take him out to dressage competitions he becomes very stressy and spooky and will not relax and work softly like he does at home. He isn't naughty, just gets very exited and nosey! He's being fed simple system lucie nuts, lucerne chop and nupa feed. He is the most sensitive horse I have ever owned, and I'm sure he probably picks up a bit of tension from me, but I really do concentrate on staying chilled! Will he overcome this with lots of outings or is a race horse always a race horse?
confused.gif
 
I would just keep taking him out. Choose your venues wisely and maybe ask if you can go first so there are less people about. Also maybe hire some venues so that you don’t have the tension in competing that way you will find out if he is sensing it from you or it is the occasion.

If you have lessons why not have a lesson somewhere else that way he will get use to working at other places and this should help.

My lad was the same and i took him to the same venue a lot and now he is really good there. However i took him to a new venue at the weekend and he was really spooky so i need to go there a few more times to get him use to the place.

Stick with it.
 
Nupa feed is a magnesium based calmer - has helped a little I think - but I still get the same comments on my dressage sheets! 'Lovely horse, marks will improve when he softens, calmly ridden, keep trying!' Lol!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Nupa feed is a magnesium based calmer - has helped a little I think - but I still get the same comments on my dressage sheets! 'Lovely horse, marks will improve when he softens, calmly ridden, keep trying!' Lol!

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine always said marks will improve when you learn to ask for more." Which is easier said that done when you are sat on a coiled spring. Lol
 
Glad to hear I'm not the only one!! He eventually warms in nicely in the warm up areas, then as soon as I move him to the test arena he goes spooky again - if only the judge would give me 15 mins to warm in!

I like the idea of having lessons elsewhere - will def give that a go!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nupa feed is a magnesium based calmer - has helped a little I think - but I still get the same comments on my dressage sheets! 'Lovely horse, marks will improve when he softens, calmly ridden, keep trying!' Lol!

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine always said marks will improve when you learn to ask for more." Which is easier said that done when you are sat on a coiled spring. Lol

[/ QUOTE ]

Coiled spring is exactly the word! In my last test we cantered up the center line because i had asked for some bend as I made the turn with my inside leg and he took that to mean FASTER....YAY!!!!
 
This may or may not help, but sounds very like my TB. Magnesium based calmers didn't touch him, actually made him worse. I am now trying Pro Kalm, which is herb based, no magnesium but legal with FEI and BHA. Not cheap, but managed vaguely controlled eventer trial last week, out to try dressage again shortly. Our last test included a 4 'exploded into canter'! He is disticntly less tense when under pressure and appears to actually listen to what I'm asking so fairly optimistic for the dressage.
 
[ QUOTE ]
This may or may not help, but sounds very like my TB. Magnesium based calmers didn't touch him, actually made him worse. I am now trying Pro Kalm, which is herb based, no magnesium but legal with FEI and BHA. Not cheap, but managed vaguely controlled eventer trial last week, out to try dressage again shortly. Our last test included a 4 'exploded into canter'! He is disticntly less tense when under pressure and appears to actually listen to what I'm asking so fairly optimistic for the dressage.

[/ QUOTE ]

I will look that up! Thank you - I will try anything!
 
Like yours mine warms up really well so i found that as long as i don’t relax him off before i go into the other ring and keep him between my leg and hand and don’t stop (keep warming up till the gate is open to go in) this really helps with the change of environment.

Try and find venues where they warm up in part of the main ring so you are not moving arenas that will give you a bit more of a chance. Just until he has a bit more experience.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Like yours mine warms up really well so i found that as long as i don’t relax him off before i go into the other ring and keep him between my leg and hand and don’t stop (keep warming up till the gate is open to go in) this really helps with the change of environment.

Try and find venues where they warm up in part of the main ring so you are not moving arenas that will give you a bit more of a chance. Just until he has a bit more experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for the tip - I must admit I do give him a long rein and slop over to the test area! Def worth a try!
 
So really to be fair he's not been out alot yet, even with a youngster let alone a ex racer, you'd expect similar comments on your test sheets and for them to be tense and the mind not on the job etc.

Just stick it at it, he'll soon learn what its all about and eventually in time, he'll settle down. I'd do plenty over winter, lots of indoor events and by next summer he'll be a differnt horse and then you'll see a huge improvement as times goes on.

Do you have any history of what he was like when he was racing? is that a reason perhaps that he his racing career was finished due to how he coped on race days? could be worth exploring, but to honest it sounds totally reasonable.
 
Bear in mind that taking him out and about will remind him of his racing days so it's just a question of getting used to it. Your dressage remarks sound incredibly promising, and i'm sure his sensitivity will work to your advantage in no time!
 
[ QUOTE ]
So really to be fair he's not been out alot yet, even with a youngster let alone a ex racer, you'd expect similar comments on your test sheets and for them to be tense and the mind not on the job etc.

Just stick it at it, he'll soon learn what its all about and eventually in time, he'll settle down. I'd do plenty over winter, lots of indoor events and by next summer he'll be a differnt horse and then you'll see a huge improvement as times goes on.

Do you have any history of what he was like when he was racing? is that a reason perhaps that he his racing career was finished due to how he coped on race days? could be worth exploring, but to honest it sounds totally reasonable.

[/ QUOTE ]

No I nothing about his racing days - difficult to tract as he raced in New Zealand. Your right though, although he is 8 he hasn't done a great deal - and he deserves a chance! I won't give up on him yet - even though I am suffering with whiplash from a spook on sunday! Lol!
 
Hi we have a tb just like yours! He finished racing Nov 08 and started eventing this season, as soon as we arrived at a competition he was stressed, couldnt stand still and would not settle at all. After talking to a lady on one of the stands at Milton Keynes event, we explained how he was and she suggested trying Equiform Staycalm a liquid in his feed, the transformation has been amazing he is now so relaxed, definitely no stressing at all and is now much happier going out to competitions.
Good luck x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top