Would love some advice!

[Cedars]

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I've really posted in here about the horse, as he's only competing BE90...! But we could really use any advice people have for us!

A bit of background. Horse is ridden by OH, I know nothing! But I try to be as supportive as possible. We bought pony in October last year. He's a big, ISH with a sweet personality but as we soon found out he can be quite quirky to ride. We took him out to three events at the beginning of the season, where it turned out he had some sort of lung inflammation type problem - so, a couple of months off whilst we get him back to full health. We think he's allergic to a plant on our yard so ATM he's on a livery yard with my OHs angel of an instructor.

Since he's been at the livery yard, he's like a different horse. He's muscled up, he's got stronger, fitter, healthier... His ridden work has improved dramatically and he's just a different horse all round. So, full of excitement, yesterday we took him out to Pontispool.

Results wise, he got 36.5 dressage, 1 down SJ and a few time XC. Very pleased.

Except - warm ups. Now quite frankly, I need to apologise to anyone who was at Pontispool yesterday, because our pony was being a right knob. He has a problem with warm up rings. This seems to be when horses 'approach' (read: are vaguely angled in his direction) in trot and canter. He will occasionally spook at quad bikes etc, but that's normally after he's got worked up by other horses.

When I say he's naughty, I mean, he was dangerous yesterday. Rearing, he spins so fricking quick, leaping to the side, a mixture of all three. He doesn't kick, but it's still seriously unpleasant for the other competitors (sorry sorry sorry again) but also the safety of my poor OH (who handled him like a star yesterday) - it was an absolutely miracle he didn't deck my OH. We got called into the SJ early cos he was being so naughty in the warm up and he was exactly the same in the XC, so we didn't warm up, they just stood still and then went off.

When he's stood still, he is absolutely, 100% fine. It's only when he's moving his feet.

So (sorry, this is turning out to be really long but I've been putting on a brave face for my OH!!!) we need help with how to get over this naughty behaviour in the warm up rings. Now he is feeling better, he's full of himself and it cannot be tolerated. Thoughts?

Thanks. Xx

(Ps he is eating some chaff, balancer and conditioning cubes - we will cut down the CC after yesterday's performance!!)

 

[Cedars]

Two things to add:

1. He wasn't this bad at the beginning of the season. This is a development since he's been feeling better.

2. OHs fab instructor was there yesterday (thank god, I was having a mini meltdown), and she will be helping him v closely, but wanted to canvas other opinions too.

 

[SpottedCat]

Lots and lots and lots of group lessons/clinics to do two things. One, desensitise him and two, have him in a controlled environment where you can add in the level of stress and/or remove him if needs be. RCs are ideal for this as you can book into the low level groups so the work itself isn't an issue.

I am sure this isn't the case with you, but I am always amazed by the number of people on here who take young horses to competitions having never ridden in the arena at home with other horses, let alone done group lessons etc - both of which I'd consider essential before I entered any competition of any level.

 

[philamena]

I feel for you and OH, being "trouble" in the warm up is a horrible horrible feeling

I think I may be the only person in history to have been told by a dressage steward on my way in "I hope you have a safe ride"!! Yikes.

Two suggestions: is there a riding school or busy yard you can go to where you can just school him in a busy-ish arena? A woman at my yard has had good success with this with a very similar ponio. And worth trying a calmer if you can find a suitable one for him to compete on. Hearing pretty excellent things about Zylkene for this kind of situation... Sometimes just using a calmer for however long it takes to establish the good habits is enough...

Good luck

 

[Countrychic]

I used to have one that didn't do warm ups. He was quite a stressy horse and I think sj warm ups are crazy and he wanted to get on with the job so we rugged up well, led him round for ages in the car park then cantatas a couple of circles popped 2 jumps and went in

 

[wench]

Calmer sounds a good idea to try. As other have said, exercises at home when other horses are in the school will help. Does he hack out with other horses?

As for events... as above, and thinking of racehorses, can you walk him around for a nice period of time, this will help to warm him up, find a quiet corner to lunge, hop on, in the warm up for quick w/t/c around, then go in for your turn?

 

[ellie_e]

Not nice for you OH or other competitors, however I think you need to take horse to group lessons/clinics where he is in a more controlled environment and gets used to the others working around him. Mine can be very naughty spinning and rearing are his tricks I’ve found the use of a good calmer a great help. After trying alot of other brands im now stuck to Equifeast Cool Calm Collected (magnesium free version worked best for us) since he’s been on this its been a turning point for us in our training, I can now go to the riding club lessons without killing anyone, its a miracle!

 

[ihatework]

Firstly, you are not alone! There are plenty of horses out there that are complete spanners in the warm up!!
It's likely to be a mix of a bit of excitement combined with a bit of anxiety, which comes out in the behaviour you see.

At an event you have the advantage of usually having a large lorry park - so I'd take advantage of that and do some of your warm up in the lorry park if you can find a quiet corner, keeping an eye on the warm up area and slipping in when/if there is a lull.

Aside from that try and always work with other horses in the arena at home, and try and get out to plenty of unaff over the winter (especially sj, for the warm ups!) just to try and get him used to it.

When in the warm up, try and think ahead and predict where you can go next to avoid a head on! Worth a red ribbon in the warm up too.

 

[ellie_e]

Also Ive found getting there with LOTS of time to spare, really let him have a good look round, warm up alittle, then let him chill, then pick him up again etc. Dont rush things.

 

[BeckyC]

I don't know at all if this would work for him but one of my horses gets seriously wound up and dangerous in the warm up but something ive found that works is if a horse he knows is at the same comp, stick him behind the horse for the first part until he chills out and then he's fine. i am aware however this depends on whether he knows any other horses there but if he does might be worth a try!! Good luck!

 

[philamena]

Oh and although it sounds really really tedious, going to events, JUST working in the warm up, and then coming home again or having a relaxing hack around the place before coming home.

 

[ScarlettLady]

My cob unfortunately never out grew this phase... then penultimate event we did, he decked me in the dressage warmup, and dressage comments included 'well sat' and 'disobedient' However the last one we did he was a superstar only freaking out once on the xc course...
but that was his problem, he was never consistent and more often that not he was a git!! I tried everything, going out every weekend, twice a weekend, calmers, but nothing seemed to work. it was so frustrating!!!
however, he has had 18months off, firstly with a respiratory tract infection and then a suspensory ligament injury, and has come back to work as a total dude, but is unlikely to be able to do more than hack.

So sorry I just wanted to say sometimes, you just can't control it... they're just too full of character, however i learnt to ride it, and my riding came on so much through it all. even with a few confidence knocks!
Good luck

 

[Cedars]

Thank you all so much for your replies so far. I felt so totally awful when he was dicking about in the warm ups yesterday, we definitely would have been the sort of people I pull faces at!

So now I have two strands of action:

1. How to manage this short term/get to the end of the season without breaking anyone..

2. How to manage this long term/learn how to stop him being a knobcake.

Having a look at calmers online... which ones are competition legal? :S Is Relax Me? What about Zyklene? Brewer's Yeast?

 

[kerilli]

Calmers - i hear truly great things about EquiFeast, WinningEdge etc from a LOT of experienced people. I would call them first.
Is he too dangerous for someone experienced to lead round at first, with jockey up, for the next run or two?
Is he worked at home with another horse or two at the same time? If not, I'd do this now, and gradually desensitize him. Loads of praise when he ignores other horse.
Group sessions at a RC or similar are a great idea. I always work my horses at home alone but went and did this to check my mare could cope, and it really helped.
Also, I would play down the warm-ups, as you did. He already knows how to jump, it's only about loosening/warming his muscles up, and if you can do 80% of that elsewhere then that's prob a good plan for the next few runs...
Good Luck!