wampy! any advice?

[polyphonic]

i own a a welsh x tb, who at home is a great chap to have a round! although he can get over zelous he doe scome back down to earth quickly! quicker than he used to... standing on his hind legs was his preffered method of travel!! his flat work is coming on nicely (he's 12 now but he girl who had himbefore to say in a nice way... let him rot and get in a rut. but when ever i take him to shows all hell can brake loose! rearing, bucking, his head comes up and his like an alpaca running all over the place. he shuts off from me, seems to aim at other horses (he doesnt listen to my hands, seat or legs) to get him round a course is a nightmare in itself!! he will just stop half way round and 'hump' up and down on the spot. yet at home he has been jumping 1.15-1.20 with ease. I dont know wether becaus ei expect this of him now that i get too wound up and that upsets him, as i did give him a calmer for a ODE and both him and me were calm chilled and did extremely well. people advise me to school him more but i cant school a problem out that only ever happens at show grounds... or can i??ive tried taking him down and not competing yet still end up with the same outcome. i dont know if its nerves or him blatanly taking the piss. he's just never consistent and its starting to knock my confidence alittle (there said it!!!) any ideas??

 

[jemima]

I'd hack him to a local show, any sort of horse show because you're not going to compete, and have him collected from there. I'd be looking to travel 8 - 10 miles if I was being collected - sufficient to really have him chilled and tired before you arrive.

Then I'd start him off going to small shows, small classes unloading him from the lorry 4 or 5 miles away and hacking him over there. If he's still over excited and too hot to compete I'd hack him from further to the next one. Very few people seem to hack to shows nowadays and there seem to be a lot more almost unrideable horses. Don't expect him to hack over and jump big classes though - the aim of the game is that he learns that it's really nothing to get excited about.

If you think it's you getting wound up try Bach Flower Rescue Remedy before competing! Good luck