Young horses - how long for them to get used to the show atmosphere?

Andiamo

Andiamo

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Question to people who've trained up young horses, and have taken them out to their first shows, and many more .... how long does it take normally for them to get used to it? : i.e.

- going out to shows
- seeing judges in boxes
- Seeing viewing decks & people moving about by the arena gate etc
- experiencing new environments & unknown horses
- riding a test in an arena they've never been into before

My horse is nervy, an anxious type, lots of natural energy...

My experiences have been:
1st show - Oct 2011 - complete nutter, bolted in the warm up, we were almost thrown out. He scared the life out of me

2nd show - July 2012 - good boy in the warm up, but he completely froze (stagefright?) when we went in to do the test, he completely lost his confidence when we entered the ring, and he then leapt about spooking at everything, including the judges, and other horses outside the ring. But I was pleased overall with him, and pleased that there were no involuntary dismounts.

3rd show - 28 July 2012 - (his first time at this particular venue) - he was completely WIRED - leapt sideways and upwards in the warm up - although there were several moments when he focused and dropped down onto the contact and went nicely (without trying to gawp around). We went in to do the test in an indoor arena with a viewing deck, and he spooked at everything and anything - the centre line was spent leaping to the left, right and upwards (he does a perfect centre line at home & at trainer's venue).

He is absolutely capable, and does a nice test at home, and at my trainer's place. But when out somewhere new, he gets really wound up, and finds it difficult to concentrate, he goes above the contact, throws his head up, loses rhythm, tightens up etc, and is spooky.

I'm just wondering how long (how many outings) will it take until he starts to take it in his stride and feel more confident in new surroundings / situations?
Is it months? years? 10 outings? 40 outings? Never? ;)

For the meantime, I will just keep taking him out to shows, and cross my fingers that one day he settles! Next show is next weekend, I've booked two tests, so hopefully the first will be a good warm up and settle him for the second one. I also book arenas to ride in, and take him out to trainer's places, and have also been to some training camps with him - all to get him used to new environments.

The show venues never allow lungeing, so I can't burn off his extra energy at the show, I have to chance it and get on! - not all that appealing, especially when he was rearing in panic before I even got on him yesterday!

Any experiences / sharing of ideas welcome!!
 
No idea I am afraid as never had a young horse but...

I think your idea of lessons in different places, hiring schools and trying to find clinics so he works with others is very sensible. How about as well just taking him to a competition venue and not actually competing. Lots of the show riders do that with new horses, just put them on the lorry and ride them around without competing. May be difficult if you only have the one horse but you could always enter somewhere so that you were legitimately on the premises with the horse and ride him round but withdraw.
 
Depends on the horse. ;)

No, really, just like people horses are individual and don't all feel and respond to stress in the same ways.

I will say, the ones that are going to be super cool about it are usually that way from the first day - I've been pleasantly surprised more than once over the years, even by horses I thought would have struggled more.

How much preparation are you doing? Have you had him out to school different places? Has he been to busy places to "ride around"? Do you manage his diet and exercise to have him at his most amenable on the day? Do you pay attention to your own mental state and reactions? Have you experimented with different ways to get him to relax in "safer" environments? (Some horses are better if the walk around quietly, others are better with a trot or canter right off the bat to burn off some energy.) You could try a calmer, some people seem to have good luck with them, but that will also need some experimentation. Is he stressy at other times? Can your coach take him out a time or two and ride him to give him a bit more confidence?

You have to find the way to manage him as successfully as possible then you have to keep taking him out. I've always preferred to take young horses to multi-day shows if possible, unless there is a very good reason they will be happier not stabled away. Unfortunately, like every aspect of training, getting horses used to the show atmosphere take time and effort (and money) if you want to end up with the best result.

He will get better, don't stress about it too much. Just put some thought into how to stay safe in the mean time and keep on keeping on.
 
@Tarrsteps - thank you for your thoughts :)
I manage his feed and workload properly - it is now in perfect balance (after lots of experimentation to get this right). Calmers don't work on him, I've tried most of them. I do take him out schooling at different places, but it's still not the show environment (no lorries, loads of horses etc). I do also focus on myself, ensuring I stay balanced in the saddle, and I constantly check myself to make sure all my muscles are relaxed, legs, arms, hands etc.

He is just naturally a very nervy and insecure horse. I think the only way to get him used to the show atmosphere (and judges, warm ups etc), is to just keep taking him out, and look at it as training, and keep my expectations low. I am honestly pleased with every improvement in him each time, but I do just wonder if it's going to take a year / a season for him to start to perform as nicely as he does at home. Judges have said to me that he has the potential and ability to do extremely well. It's just a bit demoralising when he comes last!! especially when he goes so beautifully at home.

My trainer said it's really frightening for them to leave the warm up - where they are in the company of lots of other horses... and then enter a new environment - the test arena - where they are completely on their own. I think I read something by Carl Hestor saying the same thing. It's difficult to replicate this, except by just going out over and over.
 
I used to put my youngster in the trailer when I took my other horse to events, so he stood there looking at all the sights and sounds. I would always hack him around for half an hour (with eyes on stalks) when I'd finished competing and my other horse was grazing with my husband. If I had a late time, I would walk him over to the dressage arenas when they'd finished and let him have a good look at the boards and flowers etc. He also got used to marquees etc as well.

I used to put dressage boards around the yard, and down the drive to the stables so he got used to them as well, then had them in the field, where I schooled. A local equestrian centre has judges boxes outside their school, so we went to have a play near them.

For our first show we didn't enter, just wandered around. Then at the next one we just did showing classes, where he wasn't confined to a small arena or on his own etc.
 
Just a thought if there is a low key place near you where the organisers are friendly, could you try to get to use the arena after the last test and perhaps have your instructor there so that your horse has had all the show stuff going on but can then perhaps works for 30 minutes or so in the arena. Does depend on somewhere letting you do it.
 
Andiamo said:
@Tarrsteps - thank you for your thoughts :)
I manage his feed and workload properly - it is now in perfect balance (after lots of experimentation to get this right). Calmers don't work on him, I've tried most of them. I do take him out schooling at different places, but it's still not the show environment (no lorries, loads of horses etc). I do also focus on myself, ensuring I stay balanced in the saddle, and I constantly check myself to make sure all my muscles are relaxed, legs, arms, hands etc.

He is just naturally a very nervy and insecure horse. I think the only way to get him used to the show atmosphere (and judges, warm ups etc), is to just keep taking him out, and look at it as training, and keep my expectations low. I am honestly pleased with every improvement in him each time, but I do just wonder if it's going to take a year / a season for him to start to perform as nicely as he does at home. Judges have said to me that he has the potential and ability to do extremely well. It's just a bit demoralising when he comes last!! especially when he goes so beautifully at home.

My trainer said it's really frightening for them to leave the warm up - where they are in the company of lots of other horses... and then enter a new environment - the test arena - where they are completely on their own. I think I read something by Carl Hestor saying the same thing. It's difficult to replicate this, except by just going out over and over.
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Sounds like you've covered all the bases. Sorry if you took offence but you'd be surprised how many people don't and it's always worth checking, with a sensitive horse, that you're doing EVERYTHING possible. Other horses have larger margins and you can afford to be a bit more laissez faire.

I'm not sure people are always aware of how carefully managed (and presented) professional horses are so they think they're doing something wrong when they can't get the same results under different conditions.

I would say, he'll likely keep improving at about the same rate then and possibly suddenly have a "ohh, it's not going to kill me" moment one day.

Going in alone is a HUGE issue for some horses. I much prefer the Continental system of having more than one young horse doing the test at a time or at least letting the next rider be around the ring - it is much more "horse friendly" even though people here and in North America freak out when they see vids of it.
 
My horse was a saint at his first handful of shows not turning a hair at anything and acting like he had done it all his life....
However
Once he knew what it was about he did start getting a bit big for his boots! Mine wasn't spooky just got excited in the warm up anticipating and enjoying the party too much. It was quite interesting when he would leap 6 feet over a X pole and then bronk and catleap across the arena squealing and scattering people left right and centre with me desperatly trying to hang on like a limpet :p.
He is normally good to handle at a show but he was just being a prat to handle as well, towing my mum around and trying to leap about.
The phase lasted about 6 months but I just kept taking him out. I would get him there super early and ride in the warm up when it was quiet and then take him out when it got busy and just stand him by the side to soak up the atmosphere.
He was always good once in the ring as that's just him but it wasn't particularly nice and I just had to use my head and not put him in a situation which I knew he would use as a chance to react.
Taking them to the same venues helps.
Lunging them in the schoo or riding them at home before you go helps a bit as it warms them up and gets the edge off. Syringe calmers can help. I did that a few times.
What about booking weekly lessons somewhere spooky that holds competitions and just taking him every week for a lesson untill he really doesnt find it scary anymore and then book a show? Try and ride with others in the school at home.
Your horse will get better. I would be very surprised if someone had a young horse that never did anything wrong, they all go through the odd phase.
You just may need to use your head and plan stuff for a while untill he gets more used to it. There was an interesting article in the last months BD about how pro dressage riders desensitise their super sensitive dressage horses to the show atmosphere x.
 
Hi Tarrsteps, I definitely didn't take offence, they were all valid questions that you asked ;)

I've just been watching the Olympics Eventing dressage live online (on BBC website), and watched a test by German eventer Sandra Auffarth on a spooky sharp horse, her horse wanted to look at everything, and did spook at flowers etc. She still did well though, the commentators made comments like:

- she really knows her horse
- the spooking is ok if it doesn't spoil the movement
- she's got her outside rein and not letting him misbehave
- she's putting him where she wants him (head and neck position - she was powerfully resisting his temptation to gawp around)

- and this is a horse that's been out to lots of BIG parties!! and he is still sharp and spooky - BUT also doing very well. I think I need to work on me as well (anticipation of spooks)- to ensure he doesn't have the opportunity to misbehave. I do welcome every opportunity to practice spook control at home, for example, it's quite good when a little herd of wild deer come up to the side of the school to watch, or someone is using the strimmer or quad bike etc, also riding in bad / blowy weather...

- it's just tricky to get the balance of controlling the behavior - whilst also giving the impression that the horse is relaxed and willing (when he's actually fighting me 75% of the time! (wanting to gawk around and leap sideways))

I am led to believe that these quirky ones are the most talented (i hope it's the case!) - it doesn't matter how flashy or talented he is, if he can't settle his head in a test! unfortunately there's no extra marks for "cuteness" in dressage ;))

I just hope that the more he goes out, the more confident he will become!!
 
Thanks Firewell :)
I actually asked for the earliest test time possible - for that very reason...I wanted to arrive when it was quiet. I was on first - at 8:30am - I arrived at 7am, planning to have plenty of time to walk him in hand, show him the warm up arena etc. Unfortunately there were no staff about, and all the arenas were locked up with thick chains. I had not been to the venue before either.

The only arena without a chain on it had jumps set up everywhere, and was full of manure....so I thought "that can't be it"...I waited and waited, no staff appeared at all. At 8am, a lady walked by, and I asked her where the warm up was, and she ran to find a staff member for me (I was on my own) - it turned out that the arena with jumps was meant to be the warm up, but since staff didn't arrive until after 8am, no one was aware it was not usable / not obvious it was the warm up.

By 8:17am, the jumps had been cleared, and I was finally able to enter the warm up. Within minutes, my name was called to go do the test, and I had only just picked up a trot, and he was still wired. It was very frustrating considering I arrived at 7am - with a plan to warm up for 45 minutes. So, to be fair, he didn't have a proper warm up.

I have actually written a letter of complaint to the venue regarding their lack of preparation / lack of staff on a show day. I wonder if I should inform BD as well?
 
As said all horses react very differently to show environment.

My 4 y.o is cheeky but sweet at home on ground, ridden she can be naughty but not nasty. At shows she's the absolute devil on the ground - she'll stand all day on the trailer so we leave her on there as long as possible, then bring her out with her bridle on, she tows me and my mum around and is generally very naughty. Then get on her and she transforms into an angel, producing the best work she ever does, not a moment of naughtiness. Can have a peek at a few things but goes past them and second time always fine.

I had a connie who went showing to HOYS so he'd obviously seen a lot - but he was a spooky devil, constantly breaking away from the trailer and trying to leg it away. We just took him everywhere and he calmed down and relaxed into it, but would be very clingy if travelled with someone else.

What about riding or lunging before you go out? Providing it's not a long travel. That could burn off the excess energy before the warm up?
 
This is timely as we took a young horse out to his first public outing this morning, it didn't go to plan as we had monsoon like conditions and had to do an impromptu cross country hike to get there but we were very happy with him.

I always stage manage the first few outings. With a sharp youngster (my last youngster.) we go with a older horse on the lorry and do an in hand class, we lunge & tire them out a bit and then aim to let them get a bit bored and chilled. If needed we do this a couple of times.

The current youngster went for an in hand class this morning, but we gave up due to extreme weather. His next outing is a RC clinic in a couple of weeks, he's the sort to get excited about working in an arena with strangers so a clinic will be perfect.

In OP's place, I would stop going to competitions, join a RC and get to some clinics, might also be inclined to go to some local shows & lunge there, you don't even have to do a class.
 
All moot now but in the situation you described I would have gone to the secretary and had a word about either being rescheduled or getting a refund and then stayed and schooled.

I know, that's tricky when you're on your own. I would also suggest begging someone to go with you next time. Even someone non-horsey but sensible is useful for fetching and carrying, walking ahead of you etc. Can you get your trainer to come? Or pay a groom and consider it an investment in your horse's education and your safety.
 
Although Reg is not a young horse, he found shows really stressful and difficult at first because he associated them with racing. He ended up going out at least every other week and doing something really low key- our local RC has an inhand class at the very start of the day before anything else gets going, and taking him in that meant he could take the show in more without actually having to do anything. (looked bonkers- inhand RC horse types and then Reggie, a careering 16.3hh TB!)

Al also did 2 warm ups for quite a while, with the first about 90 minutes before her second, so he could have a real time to take it all in without the pressure of a test coming up. Never bothered with lunging though!
 
I found the turning point for mine was his first camp. Up to then he wouldn't eat or drink at a show but the 5 days of being out really seemed to make him relax. Before then I would be doing a full hour warm up and still have issues in the ring, now I have the opposite and he is to relaxed out and can't always be bothered to produce good work. Although he has never been particularly sharp out he has always been a spooky muppet who thought nothing of disappearing to the other side of the warm up when some thing wasn't to his likeing. But he can still do that now but I do get some warning the days.
 
I took my young one to a in hand show first to see how he would behave, he was really good, so after his two classes I put a saddle on him and got lead around the show ground for 10 mins then took him home. But I have also been taking him to lessons away from home so he been out a fair bit and now is totally relaxed about it.
 
I should of added he is a pretty chilled out boy anyway and just seems to be taking it all in his stride, he is tense etc but does not misbehave really.
 
Your problem sounds very familiar to me. My little TB would go well at my trainers and at home and prat about at shows. I kept thinking that he was going to settle at the next show and he still was dynamite. We had an enforced break last year due to me falling off and breaking my arm. I was dreading getting back and yes at the first show he was dynamite but strangely after this he has been as good as gold.

He has been totally different this year. My trainer brought in one of her young horses in with me while I was riding to get him used being in among other horses (He rides at home on his own). I also took him to some unaffiliated shows which were smaller than the previous shows I would taken him to and spent time riding among other people in the warm up to get him used to it. Also at the start I would have lunged him before I left but I don't need to do that now.

I remember one of the pro riders taking pity on me and suggesting that I feed him some calmer before a show. I didn't do it this year (as I forgot about it) but I did buy a calmer as I was considering it.

JANA
 
I forgot to mention - I took my mine to do an In-Hand show about 3 weeks ago. It blew his mind actually - there were ponies shouting their heads off everywhere, it was chaotic and packed, at least 200 horses /ponies there.
He was rearing when he was tied up at the back of the trailer, and rearing in the class, and was spooking, and was generally a public nuisance (acting more like a 2 year old)!
The final class I was meant to do was ridden...but after several hours of being in the environment, he had still not calmed down (he was worse in fact), so I just took him home instead of risking it, he'd worn me out by this time anyway! The next two days he was wild / rearing in his stable, pawing and banging around in his stable in a panic, trashing his bed each day, was galloping around the field non-stop or tracking up and down the fence line, and he wouldn't eat either. Somehow he did gain some rosettes and a sash for the in-hand work (despite almost bowling me over every time I wanted him to trot!) But the experience blew his brain.

I have taken him to a training camp - did a 4 day one at a big show venue over Easter weekend...he was a nutter. He stabled overnight and I rode him twice a day, and he was still wired - trainers called him an unexploded bomb, and a "jack in the box" (due to sudden random upward spooking).

So far, I think I have tried all the suggestions, and he's still a loonie when we are out places.

Next weekend we are doing a show at a show centre he has been to before, I am hoping he's a bit more chilled about it...but whether he is or not, I'm going to keep taking him out every weekend! Surely he has to calm down at some point!!! If he doesn't, I think I'm going to swap him for one of those lovely chilled-out looking cobs that are scooping up all the rosettes at the shows ;) Life would be so much easier!!!
 
Andiamo said:
Next weekend we are doing a show at a show centre he has been to before, I am hoping he's a bit more chilled about it...but whether he is or not, I'm going to keep taking him out every weekend! Surely he has to calm down at some point!!! If he doesn't, I think I'm going to swap him for one of those lovely chilled-out looking cobs that are scooping up all the rosettes at the shows ;) Life would be so much easier!!!
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Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

He will calm down at some point. Think positive thoughts. I was nearly going to have a brandy to get on at one stage incase I had underlying nerves that I wasn't aware of ;) (as my aunt said - you must be nervous if he is getting on like that)

JANA
 
Andiamo said:
I forgot to mention - I took my mine to do an In-Hand show about 3 weeks ago. It blew his mind actually - there were ponies shouting their heads off everywhere, it was chaotic and packed, at least 200 horses /ponies there.
He was rearing when he was tied up at the back of the trailer, and rearing in the class, and was spooking, and was generally a public nuisance (acting more like a 2 year old)!
The final class I was meant to do was ridden...but after several hours of being in the environment, he had still not calmed down (he was worse in fact), so I just took him home instead of risking it, he'd worn me out by this time anyway! The next two days he was wild / rearing in his stable, pawing and banging around in his stable in a panic, trashing his bed each day, was galloping around the field non-stop or tracking up and down the fence line, and he wouldn't eat either. Somehow he did gain some rosettes and a sash for the in-hand work (despite almost bowling me over every time I wanted him to trot!) But the experience blew his brain.

I have taken him to a training camp - did a 4 day one at a big show venue over Easter weekend...he was a nutter. He stabled overnight and I rode him twice a day, and he was still wired - trainers called him an unexploded bomb, and a "jack in the box" (due to sudden random upward spooking).

So far, I think I have tried all the suggestions, and he's still a loonie when we are out places.

Next weekend we are doing a show at a show centre he has been to before, I am hoping he's a bit more chilled about it...but whether he is or not, I'm going to keep taking him out every weekend! Surely he has to calm down at some point!!! If he doesn't, I think I'm going to swap him for one of those lovely chilled-out looking cobs that are scooping up all the rosettes at the shows ;) Life would be so much easier!!!
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Wow he does sound tricky! Just keep at it. If it was me i'd pick one venue, a big equestrian centre that holds lots of shows and take him out to that place every time they have a comp. Hopefully he'll get so 'oh not here again' that he will start getting a bit bored and behave a bit better. Once you break the cycle of him getting wound up out and about he'll be better going to other venues (hopefully!). Its just breaking that cycle...
He will get over it though, it is very early days :).
 
Thanks Firewell.
This coming weekend's show and the one the weekend after are both places he's been to before.

I really hope he calms down at some point, in the meantime I will just look at the dressage tests as training, and have reduced my expectations accordingly! I had wanted to qualify him for this, that and the other...but obviously I can only do things at his speed and when he's ready. He'll do well once he settles himself in comp environments, hopefully it doesn't take too long...my goal is for him to do a dressage test - like he does it at home - then he'll pick up the marks.

My previous horse, a big Hanoverian, as a baby, went out to do a 4 year old class (a couple of years ago), and was really mature about the whole thing, he did a nice test, he just looked very baby-ish (gangley / all-wobbly legs), he came 2nd out of a big class, against 5 year olds as well. His second outing had a similar result. He was very well behaved. He was a nut-nut at home, but that's another story ;)

My current horse, is 6, he was backed and castrated at 5 years old, so he's a late-starter, and is an inexperienced baby in his head, really like a 2 year old.
I love him to pieces, and am eager for the day that he finally settles at a show and shows what he is capable of!!
 
Sorry if this has been tried and I have missed it.
Could you take him to shows and just work him round without actually doing any classes?
I would say he needs to learn to cope with the environment first before then being asked to go and perform. I would do this sooner rather than later because he sounds a sensitive soul and the more 'negative/stressful' experiences he has the harder it will be.
If he were mine and assuming no time/money constraints I would take him to anything that was on and work him in the collecting ring as often as possible (I have actually done this 3 or 4 times a week with horses before). It doesn't matter what's on he just needs to absorb the atmosphere without any more pressure. When he is chilled enough about that then try a very low key class (as much as I hate them a walk and trot test would be perfect).
Spend as much time as possible getting this right and it will reap dividends I promise you.
 
@Baggybreeches - thanks for this.
I have asked venues about doing this, and was told that if I'm not registered to do a class, that I am not allowed in the warm up, which makes perfect sense. Otherwise it would be good.
Someone else suggested registering for a class, just warming him up, then withdrawing from the class, but he will have been there and experienced the environment. The great thing about affiliated Prelims is that it doesn't show on your record, no matter how pear-shaped the test goes!! Thank goodness! :)
I'm taking him out once per week at the moment, unfortunately I wouldn't have the time or money to do 4 times per week, plus, there just aren't enough events in the area to do 3-4 times per week.
Nevertheless, I appreciate your ideas / experiences :)
 
I think the point is that sometimes it's better to take a horse like that out a few times with no intention of going in the ring, even if you have to enter and get a number to get that done. (One of the reasons for that rule is insurance - you are not covered by the show's policy if you're not entered.)

There are a number of reasons for this. One, to avoid the horse having to keep going after he's already been good or conversely, having to go in the ring before he's ready. Two, to avoid the issue of having to take him away from the other horses and into another area without the time to work through any tension again. Three, to avoid the faff of last minute ring prep etc and concentrate only on the riding. And last, but not least, it's a rare rider who doesn't get anxious about going into the ring. If you remove that pressure, even if it's just the pressure of having to make the horse do certain things at certain times, if can relieve a lot of the stress on the horse.

One of the basic precepts of training is to break questions down into the smallest bits the horse can cope with and gradually build up. If he's not coping with the whole environment then break it down further.
 
Are there any really little shows round you? Our local RC has enormous warm up areas (on grass, very open spaces) so when Reg was very mind-blown on arrival Al could get on and let him have the space away from people to canter round and sort himself out mentally. The showing classes have about 4/5 people in of you chose carefully so he could get into an arena and be a lunatic and no one would be mashed in the process.

It took a year of doing this (double arm ups, getting on as soon as he was off the box and letting him canter about and work the twinkle out of his toes, and too many local shows doing piss poor tests) before he really began to relax. Now, whilst he still explodes off the box, he can be walked about in hand round the show grounds at big events and can chill and be fine within ten minutes. But it's taken ages of repetition to convince him he's just wasting energy!
 
I always lunge my horse at home in the morning for 20mins before I put him on the box. I also did this with my previous horse and it does seem to take the edge off.
 
Just got my test sheet through from the weekend....it is just as I expected...

Judges comments are:

- Centre line - wobbly and spooking
- A little tense
- Unsettled
- varying rhythm due to tension
- tense and unsettled
- still tense
- wavering and spooking still
- still tense

Final judge's comments: "Rather tense and green"

Oooops :o

Oh well, someone has to come last :)

It's such a shame, he is a little star at home. Ah well, we'll give Sparsholt a go this coming weekend, with a view to it just being an "outing" or "training".
I might re-try some syringe calmers on the day, and also lunge the monkey out of him before we set off in the morning. Trouble is, he's a little Energizer Bunny, and just doesn't get tired...he could work for 4 hours straight, and then still spook at a 50 pence piece or a pigeon on the ground ;)
 
My boy didn't start to settle down at competitions till he was about 5.
He apparently went to a fair amount of competitions as a foal and then I took him out once in hand as a 3 year old.
June 2011- First competition as a 4 year old was a walk and trot test where he paid me little attention and went the pace of a slug around the arena and screamed constantly. He got 62.65%
july 2011- second competition another walk and trot at the same venue. Better but still distracted and very slow and neighed a lot. 61.75%
end of July 2011- New venue. starting to get more settled and paid much more attention to me. Another walk and trot test and imo was marked harshly as got 59%.
September 2011- walk and trot and prelim. Less neighing and more settled in the warmup but became more spooky and tense in the warmup. Got 61.75%
in the prelim his trot was much better but canter was extremely WILD so ended up with about 55%.

Gave him the winter off and concentrated on training and then came back this year.
April 2012- Did one prelim and new venue and came first with 64%. Much more settled, balanced and overall grownup. Pretty much no neighing.
later on in april did 2x prelims and got 67% and 64.5% and placed.
He then had may off and came back in june getting 70%+ and then did his first BD getting 65% and placed.

He just keeps getting better and better now :) The winter break definitely made him come back better and more mature. I'm glad I didn't push him to do more competing as a 4 year old as I think he just wasn't ready but the few I did do definitely helped him get used to the show atmosphere.
 
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Andiamo said:
Thanks Firewell.
This coming weekend's show and the one the weekend after are both places he's been to before.

I really hope he calms down at some point, in the meantime I will just look at the dressage tests as training, and have reduced my expectations accordingly! I had wanted to qualify him for this, that and the other...but obviously I can only do things at his speed and when he's ready. He'll do well once he settles himself in comp environments, hopefully it doesn't take too long...my goal is for him to do a dressage test - like he does it at home - then he'll pick up the marks.

My previous horse, a big Hanoverian, as a baby, went out to do a 4 year old class (a couple of years ago), and was really mature about the whole thing, he did a nice test, he just looked very baby-ish (gangley / all-wobbly legs), he came 2nd out of a big class, against 5 year olds as well. His second outing had a similar result. He was very well behaved. He was a nut-nut at home, but that's another story ;)

My current horse, is 6, he was backed and castrated at 5 years old, so he's a late-starter, and is an inexperienced baby in his head, really like a 2 year old.
I love him to pieces, and am eager for the day that he finally settles at a show and shows what he is capable of!!
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He sounds lovely, he's probably just immature. This time next year it will probably all be a distant memory :).
 
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