Nervous/bolchy horse at show.

[jamesstar]

I have a horse who is turning into quite a puzzle and would love some advice. He's just turned 5 I've had him for a year. He had had a very sheltered life and was extremely green. Spent last year doing lots of ground work and re breaking to the point where he now goes out hacking no problem, little bit spooky but nothing too bad. He even went to 3 hunt meets, and was surprisingly ok with the atmosphere. Last year he did 2 shows. One just to show him the atmosphere and the other did one in hand class, he was edgy but manageable. This year he's moved to a busier yard and has settled in really well after a few weeks of pushy spooky behaviour. Now I have no problems he had gone back to being super chilled. However at a small show this weekend he would not settle, rearing, whinnying, pushing - you name it, so decided to call it a day. He's in great condition and has unbelievable stamina but I was really surprised at quite how badly he reacted considering all that I've been through with him to date and I just wonder if anyone has had similar experiences with their young horses and what they did about it? I am 50% thinking to not take him out showing again and 50% thinking to take him, lunge for 20 mins then go home a few times see if that desensitises him slowly.
I'd love to hear that someone has had exactly the same problem!
Thanks in advance for any experience you can give.

[jamesstar]

Thanks so much, ok I'll brave it again! And report back...

[Karen, garrettponies]

Definitely take him again, its all new and he's only been out a couple of times and you can only desensitise them at home so much, nothing quite prepares them for the sights and sounds. He needs to learn he's there to do a job then he goes home again. Lunge him, walk him about, ride him around, get someone to walk with you if you do.

I had one that knew as soon as she was bathed she was going showing and spent the night winding herself up and was a nightmare when we got there. I used to bath her for no reason and turf her out in the field and confuse her! Then bath her and turn her out overnight before the show, she was much more chilled setting off and better when she got there. Sometimes its just knowing how they tick ;D

Took a little pony out at the weekend who has been out loads, she came out like a racehorse and bucked and broncked, squealed and carried on. A good lunge and she soon settled once she realised it was work time ;D They can all have giddy days.

[jamesstar]

Thanks it's good to know I'm not alone. I just wonder if any horse can be desensitised to showing or whether there might come a day when the stress it causes just isn't fair. The main reaction he had was excitement followed by temper tantrums, even stooped as low as to kick out more than once at his super chilled field companion who was also there. I'd never seen him react so badly to anything, was quite a shock!

[watchbank]

Deffo take him again, i have one whos the kindest horse at home, stands when asked etc goes back when asked but take her too a show and she starts to barge about, rear and whinny in the wagon... i ignore it... all she wants is to be out but she knows she will come out when she sorted and shes 22 years old - not been any different no matter how many we have been too. Its not stress its just anticipation to come out and see everything

[brindlerainbow]

The more he gets out to shows the less he will get excited about it . Get there early before the showground is really busy so that you can lunge/ride around with plenty of time before your class Good luck

[ilovenatives]

Sometimes taking them out with a companion can make them misbehave . When you took him out before and he behaved did you take him on his own or with his companion ?
Our shettie is a pain in the but if we take her field companion with her , she is bolshie and does a funny shetland rear [about 6 inches of the ground though im sure she thinks she is going higher lol ] . So we dont take her companion out with her now .

[eskvalleystud]

my mare was fine for the first few shows, got a fright at one and took me a year to settle her, took her out as much as I could, put her on steady up, what a difference, I think the first two shows she was that traumatised she behaved and by the third she lost the plot!!! She too had lead a very shelter life from a very very quiet yard

the first year we took her to her first proper biggie show at the Royal Highland I got as far as riding her to the warm up arena and then basically walked her about from lorry park and back as she again was traumatised!!! the 2nd year there she was foot perfect in the main arena and at the whole show with no use of calmative, she came off that once she started to settle

good luck!

[flo1]

One of ours used to get super excited at shows, at his first show his behaviour was embarassing at best, squealing, running backwards into other horses and on one occasion - the worst -dangerous as he started rearing.
I made up my mind not to take him to any more shows but my instructor (who didn't believe that my usually well behaved gelding would behave so badly) said that she would come to the next show with me to give me a lesson in a corner of the showground to see how he acted.
To say that she was surprised by how badly he behaved was an understatement, she said that if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes she wouldn't have believed it of him.
Anyway she gave me my lesson in a quiet spot with Homer neighing and squealing his way through circles, serpentines, leg yielding and the the like,and he settled down enough for us to enter our class - equitation and we got third!
At every show I took him to afterwards I would find a quiet spot and have a schooling session to settle him down and it generally worked. He still neighed a lot, usually when standing in the line up or halfway through our individual show but no more rearing thank heavens.
We ended up points champions in Equitation that season which is more than I could have thought of.
The following year my 12 year old daughter took over showing him and did everything with him, equitation, show hunter and working hunter.
All he needed was a bit of his usual routine at the unfamiliar showground, I think we forget sometimes that horses suffer with nerves too.
I'm sure once your horse is familiar with the sights and soundfs of the showground that he'll settle too.
Good Luck ;D

[adam321pink]

i would definately take him out more.. he needs milage. i would work him at home first both to help with discipline and to tire him out a bit. i think it is important to make the show a welcomed experience, let him graze, take him for walks keep him in line but dont rise to hysterical behaviour. if he starts to act up change the activity (walk, brush, graze, ride, whatever it takes). you will probably find once you become unreactive and enjoy yourself he will to.

oxyshots good in such situations and magnesium oxide is also a good supliment for every day use (cheapest on ebay). good luck with him and keep perservering xx

[jamesstar]

Thanks so much everyone, can't tell you how much it means to hear all your stories and tips! I'm going to aim to take him once a fortnight, and on his own (last time he did indeed have his Shettie mate with him, and despite him being utterly uncharacteristically horrible to him I think overall it was unhelpful him being there). My main concern is that he was dangerous, but I think getting there early and taking a patch to lunge on away from the main lorry park is the way to go, also away from all the staring eyes that didn't help the stress of it all, not one person gave so much as an empathetic glance so it really made me feel like I shouldn't have a naughty youngster in that situation. Optimistic after your replies so huge thanks! I'm in no rush with him so writing off actually going in this summer's classes, if I can just keep his front legs on the ground for half an hour and him to relax by even 10% the champagne will be coming out! Xx

[Karen, garrettponies]

Best of luck, I'm sure it will pay off in the end. Its a big learning curve for him but being on his own with help ease some of the stress. Nothing worse than having one squealing for another and winding each other up. I found our shettie was a wind up merchant with others at shows, he was fine on his own, the others fine on their own.........together not good. It will one less thing for you to get tense about at shows if you only have him to deal with and he won't pick up on the extra tension.

[crimson]

I agree with all everyone else has said, especially about nat taking him out with his best mate. My mare has been shown for years and is very experienced and loves her job, however even she was unsettled at her first show as her (4 year old!) daughter was also there.

[jamesstar]

Update - another outing yesterday, took him tacked up, whipped travel boots rug off as soon as I got there, jumped on a walked around and around the show ground then in the warm up ring. Within 20 mins he was cool as a cucumber. Untacked and went in an in hand class (complete with sweaty saddle mark lol) and he was impeccably well behaved. SO happy!! Day before I boxed him up and went to a flat work clinic then out for a hack in the woods. Think that helped massively. I feel a huge corner has been turned hooray!! And can't wait to get him out showing again!! Xx

[09rebel99]

Well done!!!! Bet you are so relieved and pleased :-)

[jamesstar]

Yes epically so! Today did first ever ridden class. Huge corner has been turned. Getting on as soon as arriving seems to be key with him, so many people have said better to be on the end of a rope with this type of horse and do groundwork that's practiced at home, absolute opposite applies in his case, getting on and wandering round, took 5 mins today for anxiety to pass, now I almost think spurs needed....funny horse! Even had his best mate there and it didn't make any difference to him, pheww, I feel a happy ending coming on!

[irishshowpony]

Definately take him out again, maybe not to compete but to get used to the environment. Got a great tip off a fellow livery a couple of wks back, she used to bring up a stereo & turn on a football match as loud of possible, bring flags, balloons, umbrellas etc so her horse got used to noise & the distractions before they even hit the show ground.
Also perhaps 20 mins of free schooling before you box him may help