stupid spooky horse- give me strength!

[diggerbez]

I don't know whether this is any good but my mare is ridiculously sharp and spooky most of the time. The only time we can stop her doing this is if she is working hard and listening to me, otherwise I may as well give up and sit pretty.

So if she spooks in the arena at the jumps in the left corner, i take my right rein and right leg on and get her to bend round this, even if it is exaggerated, it takes her attention away from the spooky object.

haha i can't sit pretty as too busy trying to preserve my life
to an extent i can get him to stop spooking at things- its worse in the first 20 minutes- but i really struggle with getting him to relax. its so bad sometimes that he starts teeth grinding. i just don't understand why he is SO bad at home and then SO good away from home (i'm talking 1 hour at home and he can still be trying to career about like a loon- at a comp you can be ready to go in and do a nice test in 10 minutes- lovely and soft...)- i don't think that i ride any differently i guess i should have some lessons at home- but the thing is i really object to paying money to have a lesson on a spooking horse- i don't have much spare cash for lessons so it seems like a waste of time...