Tips to help a pony settle in a warm up arena

[Kizzy2004]

Hello all

I’m hoping all you wonderful posters could help me with some tips on trying to get a young pony to settle in a warm up arena at competitions.

The pony in question is very sharp and bold, always has been, and can be incredibly strong.

Ive been taking him to lots of clinics and comps over the past couple of years and the vast majority of time he just losses his head, sets his neck and just stops listening.

As an example today I took him to a sj comp at a venue he’s been going to weekly for the last month (was aiming for the consistent venue to get him use to one place). Last time I brought him here he warmed up reasonably well for him and did a lovely round and I thought we may have cracked it. Today he was like a wild beast. Just totally lost it, running sideways, constantly jogging and just not listening to any aids and I was struggling to get a basic walk halt transition.

The venue had 2 warm ups , the first in a field and then a 2nd in a small arena with a couple of fences in (same as previously) The field wasn’t particularly busy but everyone was doing lots of canter work but there was plenty of space so I tried to keep him in his own space as much as possible. We went sideways up to the 2nd warm up. When we got into the warm up there was only 2 other riders in a smaller space and he just got more and more tense and stronger, possibly not helped but one of the riders falling off 5 times in the jump warm up! We were last to go in the class but he was so wound up and the lack of control I withdrew and the stewards kindly let me stay in the warm up arena on my own whilst they reset the course. Tried working him in but he just felt electric the whole time. Managed to get a couple of walk trot transitions and popped him over a cross pole but had to use the end of the arena to slow him down before doing some 20m circles and then called it a day. I don’t feel like I’m nervous of him and people always comment on how quiet and calmly I ride him and try to push him on but he just ignores me.

Today is pretty much the norm for him whether at a clinic or comp although at a clinic we generally have a bit more time to work though it and get something out of him before the session ends.

At home he’s not bothered by anyone else in the arena I’m starting to think he just doesn’t like other horses.

Ive hired xc courses on open days and taken him on his own and he’s completely ignored other horses galloping around it seems to be more when anyone gets in his space or it’s stop start in a group although with the horses at the yard he’s not bothered and I’ve done lots of work with him at home with other riding around him.

He’s had his saddle and physio done this week and nothing was found, teeth done a month ago. He travels like a dream and he never refuses fences he just can’t seem to cope in the warm up.

I’ve tried calmers and they don’t seem to make a difference, the adrenaline kicks in and he just can’t concentrate on what I’m asking him to do.

Im going to get my instructor to come to a comp to help us warm up but does anyone have any tips to try and get him more relaxed?

 

[Marigold4]

Lunge at home before you go to the competition and then just walk round the lorry park. You don't HAVE to endure the warm up if it doesn't work for you. Experiment. It may be better to have a more chilled, but less warmed up horse?

 

[Orangehorse]

A producer of young event horses would work her horses at home for a while before leaving for the competition if she had an excitable one - I don't know what time she got up in the morning!

As above, experiment. Try just getting off the lorry and going straight in, or pop a jump on the way in.

Usually the advice is the have the horse listening to you, so lots of tiny circles, figures of 8, canter 20 circles in each direction, and keeping them on the move but that might get him more excited.

Or just walk round and keep away from the warm up, or just go round where it is quiet.

Do you have a warm up routine at home? Developing a routine that you always do at home, and then do exactly the same at a show.

 

[paddi22]

if setting his neck is his default then work with a dressage trainer for a series of exercises that will stop him doing that. I got my dressage instructor to create a special warm up I could for one horse to keep them focused and stop them setting neck.

 

[Kizzy2004]

Thanks for the comments.

I will try lunging him at home before leaving to see if that makes a difference.

I try to warm him up the same as at home but if he winds himself up he just stops listening. If he loses it at home the most consistently he’ll come back is doing lots of pole exercises so he has to think about what he is doing rather than everything else that is going on which isn’t something that can be replicated in a warm up.