Tips for relaxing a tense horse in the dressage arena?

[Cinders]

I don't post on here very much but i thought a lot of you would have some experience of this and might be able to give me a few tips!

Bit of background, this is a new mare i've had for 4 months now, she came to me with pretty much no schooling so despite her being 8, she's mentally and her way of going is more like a 4yo. She's done about 6 dressage competitions now (not quite ready yet to go SJ) and we've started to encounter a few problems.

She's always been a bit of a live wire and it doesn't take much to upset her, the first few comps were pretty quiet and she actually went better than she did at home. She was getting up to 68% in walk trot tests and around 60% in prelims (canter is still very weak). I'm not sure whether it's because she now knows what this competing malarky is all about or whether it's the fact that she's getting fitter all the time but she's started getting very tense in the arena and our marks have dropped massively.

Take yesterday for example, she got incredibly tense and unfocused in the walk trot test, went round like a giraffe gawping at everything and anything. In the prelim she lost it a bit and bounced throughout most of the trot work, it wasn't a complete disaster but judge slated us and we came out with 48%

I can get her going really nicely in the warm up but at the moment as soon as we enter the arena she gets tense and insecure which results in bouncing and a messy test.

I think she needs exposing to as much as possible and i guess with more experience she'll settle? Does anyone know of any flatwork clinics of group lessons in lincolnshire area where i can get her used to working with other people and distractions?

Just for laughs, her over the top canter transition

and the moments we need more of!

 

[MegaBeast]

Sounds very much like my mare, warms up sweetly and as soon as we head over to the arena she tenses up and is unable to bend and takes fast little steps.

So would be very interested to hear what people think. We were scoring quite highly doing pure dressage (65-70% typically) but since doing some eventing dressage on grass where you are right next to the warm up she "freezes" as soon as she leaves her friends.

don't mean to highjack your thread but was going to post the exact same topic myself!

 

[Rachellouise1]

Hi
Are you in a Riding Club because they do training usually in groups. Patience will pay off in the end, regular easy outings that get her less green and give you confidence as a partnership. When you get there it will be amazing, I promise!
Rach

 

[Grumbledor]

I also have a similar problem so again am interested to hear what people say! Mine is much better in indoor schools though, but like this in outdoors - just fixes and switches off to me completely!

 

[MardyMare]

Is that Caythorpe - Elms Farm? If it was do not worry - I did much worse than you lol

My mare warmed up brilliantly and then blew in the canter of the first test and I couldnt get her settle for the next one. I nearly retired but then tried to spend the rest of the test just trying to get her to settle again. Didnt even bother with second canter so only got a three. So my score was lower than yours. It didnt help it was a bit blustery yesterday. Was nearly in tears on phone today to my instructor who couldnt believe what I was telling her as have been working so well in lessons. She said just keep going they will get the message in the end

PS: I cant do dressage on grass - horse is constantly looking for jumps. Oh and mine is 10 and I have been trying for the past year to crack this dressage thing

so dont give up. Sometimes I go out and horsie just does as she is told and it makes up for all the bad times. But I could really do with a good mark for a change

 

[spookypony]

Same issue here! It's not so much the arena for us, as just being anywhere unusual (including warmups). Plus if he's had a naughty moment somewhere once, I'm more liable to get it again there. We seem to be cracking it---gradually---by my simply accepting the explosions (and the crap marks---take the pressure off yourself), dealing with them, and continuing. The biggest problem is having the courage to ride forward enough in the beginning, rather than tensing in anticipation of the explosions.

Any other ideas?

 

[onemoretime]

Try working her long and low so that she streches over the back, this will allow her to relax through her back. You will need to do lots of this at home and in your warm up at shows. Then pick her up slowly and gradually ask her to work in an outline for a short time, if she tenses then work her long and low again, this will take time but keep going and you will come through it. Make sure you can give one rein and then the other with her remaining soft in the hand. Also try her on Global Herbs thoroughbred calmer its brilliant.

 

[Cinders]

thanks for the replies!

Rach- yes i am a member of a RC but they don't seem to be running many clinics at the moment.

MardyMare- yes it was elms farm, sorry to hear you had a bad day! You've made me feel slightly better about my score, could have cried when i saw it! lol i'll keep giving it a go, hopefully we'll both crack it soon!

trot- thanks for the suggestions, i have been trying to work her long and low, managed to get her relaxed and working over her back in the warm up but when she gets tense the head comes up and she sets her jaw making it impossible to get any decent work let alone long and low work!

 

[diggerbez]

i always try to still ride forwards even when my horse is being a loon (love the piccie by the way

) as i figure they might one day realise that they still have to go forwards even if there are monsters in the judges car or whatever. i think its really important to ride each move as an individual so if you have a crap moment forget it and move onto the next....it could also possibly be a bit of boredom? maybe she's ready for more complicated tests and then she'd be less likely to mess about? (in the same way that you always ride loads of transitions and movements at home on a hot horse to keep their attention on you?)

good luck!

 

[ecrozier]

I have this problem a bit but in our case its me....not saying it is for all of you guys above but I definately tense up when we get into the ring and he then doesn't go as well - he still does OK but in a lesson and even in the warm up i can get much better work!
Agree with those above though who have suggested just getting out and about as much as possible, don't necessarily stick to low key events as they have to deal with busy shows etc eventually. Maybe try to treat every outing as a lesson rather than a competition? And calmer might be a good idea too - can't do any harm anyway!!
And also agree with diggerbez, my lad is much naughtier doing prelims than novices - he is too busy thinking whilst doing a novice to mess about!

 

[Evadiva1514]

[ QUOTE ]


Rach- yes i am a member of a RC but they don't seem to be running many clinics at the moment.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hi K, which RC are you a member of? I joined Hykeham RC last year purely to do the jumping and flatwork clinics. Only did one of the jumping ones as Twirl gets bored with grodwork but Lisa Christopher runs the fortnightly flatwork clinics with the club and she is brilliant. Im going to be going again with Twirly when they start up again in the next month or so, so let me know if you join and we might be able to share a clinic.

 

[palomino_pony]

My mare is similarly like this. She evented to novice in the past but always got 45+ dressage

and double clears! Pro rider could not get her to settle but could have easily jumped intermidiate tracks.

I have found that these things help:
1) going out and about, even to lesson on a noisy yard most weekends
2) Relaxing myself and not focusing on anything scary
3) Making sure her ears are listening to me all the time not "pricked" (fly like taps with leg)
4)I usually do a prelim as a "look around the arena"

- she is spooky, then do a novice as a proper test so we have lots to thinkabout - more transitions the better.
5) Try to have a caller - it seems to keep us both focused more
6) I'm also having biomechanics lessons to make my position as good a poss

Sure there are lots more things I do but this has helped enormously - In Feb we did our first walk and trot, entering at A in canter

!!!! - Last month we got 62% in Novice

(but 55% in Prelim to get spooks out!)

 

[Cinders]

thanks! Rather than thinking we're never going to get anywhere, i'm now looking forward to giving it another go and putting in to practice some of your tips!

With regard to her maybe messing around because it's too easy, that's not really the case. At the moment it's a major achievement to strike off on the correct canter lead first time so novice level tests are way beyond us at the moment!

benjis_girl- i'll pm you