Why is it

[Britestar]

That I'm happy to ride my 'special' horse out on hacks, even though he can spook and spin, nap and generally be an ar*e, but put me in a school with him and I turn into a jellylegged woose.

Its getting a bit beyond a joke now. He needs to get on with life and be a horse, but I just become backwards and negative as soon as I'm in a contained area.

Anyone have similar problems?

 

[JillA]

No, but I have found the key to schooling is have one thing to work on - for us it is response to the leg/maintaining a pace without having to be reminded at the moment. That focuses your mind and gives you chance to reward him when he gets it right. If he is like that on a hack, what on earth does he do in the school?

 

[alainax]

Is it a focus thing? When you are on a hack you have a specific goal - ie to get from here to there.

Maybe when in the arena break it all down into specific chunks. like -

We will walk actively along the long side.
We will do a 20 meter circle
We will have correct bend in this 10 meter half circle.
Etc

So you are focused on a particular thing, and if he prats about whilst you are trying to achieve that thing then you push him on the way you do when out hacking

 

[scats]

I strangely know how you feel. I lost my bottle a little on one of mine a while ago- for no reason other than I found out some absolute horror stories from a previous owner. I suddenly became really tense when walking in the school on a nice surface, yet I was happy to ride him aeound the lanes and on a concrete surface, with absolutely no fear. I know which one would have hurt a lot more if I'd come off!
I then progressed to hacking him fine around the open fields, yet still had a bee in my bonnet about the school. The mind is a very peculiar thing.

 

[southerncomfort]

That I'm happy to ride my 'special' horse out on hacks, even though he can spook and spin, nap and generally be an ar*e, but put me in a school with him and I turn into a jellylegged woose.

Its getting a bit beyond a joke now. He needs to get on with life and be a horse, but I just become backwards and negative as soon as I'm in a contained area.

Anyone have similar problems?

I absolutely get this. I love hacking but the minute we are in the schooling area I start worrying about her doing a wall of death with me. She never has by the way so it is completely irrational!

ETA: To be fair it did happen many years ago on a different horse but my current mare is far too sensible to do anything like that!

 

[Britestar]

He doesn't behave badly on every hack, but when he does, I'm happy to get after him and scold him if necessary. In a school, he even thinks backward and I'm 'eep, he's going to do something' so just sit there clinging on.

Doesn't help that he's enormous (nearly 16.3hh) and I'm 5'2" - its a long way down! He's home bred so I'm stuck with him ( I wouldn't sell him), but its frustrating that its such slow progress. No school at home, and a trailer accident that means he needs a travelling companion at the moment doesn't help either.

I just wanted to know if there were others that also had 'the fear' in school, but happy hacking.

 

[kernal grain 6]

Hi yes I know what you mean, I will happily hack out along roads past houses which he hates! We have all sorts to spook at, but put me in the school and I am a nervous wreck! I have a hit air which I use for schooling but don't wear it for hacking!!

 

[stormox]

school in the corners of fields, grassy areas etc., lateral work across the bridleway, turn on forehand opening gates- transitions while hacking. Dont bother with the school if you dont like it.