Super sharp at home but not at comps (dressage)

[Law]

Hello All
Just wondering if anyone has a horse that is super sharp at home but flakes when they go to a competition?!
Mine is electric at home, which is good, I work with it and like him like this, but when I get to a competition he is a different horse and turns into a slug!

I don't really know what I am asking but guess I would just like to hear how other people find it or how they ride according to it.

Thanks for any replies

 

[mat]

When you say he turns into a slug do you mean, stuffy, or lacking energy, or something else? x

 

[Law]

OMG your new sig

PMSL

Erm, I don't know really. You know him better than anyone- recently he's gone back to being really, really forward and taking 15 mins to chill out but working very well. ... Take him to a show and he's just 'normal' as in just about off the leg but just not sharp. Like he was at the Hand when you helped us warm up. I think that was normal

(maybe you won't remember, it was a long time ago) I suppose lacking energy would sound about right.

 

[mat]

Do you think it is just that he is looking around a bit and taking in his surroundings? Its tricky to guess without seeing I suppose..

An exercise I find useful to sharpen a horse up at a show (like spyder) is rein back to med trot, halt, rein back, med trot etc etc, it really gets them off of your leg without just racing them around so they just become flat and rush.

 

[Law]

Thank you for that
Will have to give that a try (minus rein back which we haven't learnt) at the next show (although that is Petplans so might have to see how he is anyway!) If i tried that at home it would be naught to flat out in a split second he's that forward at the mo!

 

[Law]

Anybody else?

 

[miller]

Mine is exactly the same (well not really sharp at home but alot sharper) - he's really not a party boy

Only thing I've found is loads and loads of transitions between and within paces and if the warm up is quiet enough I often warm him up with two whips - works in the warmup and by the time he's walked to the arean he's often nodded off again.

Edit to add : I try to stay in the warmup until the last possible second and keep really active then trot straight to the arena (venue/setup permitting) that really helps