First Show - RANT!! Advice?

[huntergirl007]

So, I have had my horse for about a year and a bit. We've had issues with lameness and haven't ridden TOO TOO much (not every day. I'd say 3-4 times a week) and just started to get back into the show scene. Horse previously did fairly high level dressage, did some schooling-level jumpers and now is planning on being my provincial level hunter. Sweet attitude, fairly quiet, TB, so-so mover....yeah.

So today I take him to his first off-farm show with me (so in over a year). :) YAY, right? I was very excited and nervous at the same time. Loads great, arrives there safe...being a complete angel. Due to bad show organizing I was on the horse from about 9am - 2:30pm. Sometimes we warmed up, sometimes we walked around, sometimes we stood. Horse was being super horse...got lead changes etc. I felt like we were out of place with our company because horse isn't HUGE and not a superbig mover (but reliable nonetheless).

Anyways - its time to go into the ring. Just doing the hack classes as horse has had a few issues o/f that we need to address and just wanted a simple day. So we go into the ring, 12 riders in the class, horse is an IDIOT. DOWNRIGHT idiot. :mad: Throwing his head up in the air (right after we decide he probably won't need the martingale), doing short strides in the trot and wanting to canter the whole time. Ring was small so I had nowhere really to circle or to find a better spot. After embarassing ourselves completely, I excused myself and went back to the schooling ring where we proceeded to canter and canter and canter until horse finally settled down a little.

Went back into the ring for our Eq. class...10 riders this time, horse was BETTER but still an idiot, and we ended up placing 7th (which was actually shocking to me).

Then perfectly quiet horse jumped right on the trailer and left.

So, there are a few issues here that I know are on my part. I had not ridden much the week before, as we had just decided to try this show a few days before it took place. So he could have been energetic. I have not had a coach in about 6 months. I am not very confident and get nervous easily. :(

The first thing I told my dad was that we needed a new horse. Now, this was out of anger...and I did not mean it. But I was so discouraged. There were all these super nice, huge, nice moving horses who just go around the ring like nothing is there. And then there's my little TB gelding who falls asleep the whole day, warms up like a champ and then goes into the ring and embarasses us. (Welll...we BOTH embarassed ourselves).

I am just so discouraged. In a way, it makes me want to get back to the barn and just ride and ride and ride so next show I can redeem myself. But at the same time it makes me want to take out another mortgage on our house and buy a fancy-shmancy six figure horse who can do it all. Ugh. :(

Sometimes I feel like all I do is fight with this horse.

[goeslikestink]

get over yourself your horse has been out of the ring and competeing for over a year and you expect him to behave - dream on

he was excited thats all more shows more ring work
its not about winning its about trying -- if you want him to improve then do more with him
hes got to get back into it thats all

[ImJumpin]

You don't need a fancy horse to have fun at the local levels, so hold off on that morgage just yet...

In the warm up ring-- was it as crowded as the show ring? If not, I'd say your horse was getting antsy with more horses around him. You need to just practice with more horses riding at the same time until he settles down with others around.

You couldn't use a martingale in a hack class anyway, so don't beat yourself up for deciding against it ;).

And yes, please consider the fact that it sounds like you hadn't properly prepared for the show, being his first time out in a while, and your nerves that translate to your horse. I wouldn't give up just yet. Work on a better schedule ahead of time for the show prep. And try some relaxation techniques for you to calm down a bit at the shows so in turn he will feel more relaxed.

[Renn/aissance]

Don't be discouraged--you're just starting to horse show with this horse. Take today as a lesson and a learning experience. Think of things you didn't like about your performance and his. What can you work on? What can you fix? Can you play horse show at home: walk out of the ring, then enter, pick up a canter, and do a course? How about shipping in to lessons with a coach or trainer? That would kill two birds with one stone: you get to take your horse into a new environment so he sees new places and has to perform in a new place, and you also get the benefit of eyes on the ground helping you work through your tension.

It sounds like your horse picked up on your tension, or that something bothered him. You say you were on him from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM. That's a long time for a horse. Next time, hop off of him, take his saddle off, graze him by the ring, take him back to the trailer, give him water, give him a good brushing, give him time alone to munch some hay and take a nap. Most horses will get uptight and act up when they need to pee, so make sure he has a chance to do that. It's good that you were so organized getting there, but in the future, make sure you're organized at the horse show and take into account both what's going on in the ring and what your horse needs to be mentally ready to horse show, instead of frazzled. You can tell the starter "I need to go a little later in the order, my horse needed to pee and I need to jump a couple of jumps and finish my plan in the schooling ring" or even (gasp) hold up the ring for a minute or two (no longer) while you make sure that you and your horse are prepared for success.

As a side note, the six-figure horses aren't always any easier to ride and they still sometimes walk into the ring, see something shiny, and go around all ADHD. Or they get impressed by the fences and nervous and suck back. Your horse doesn't know how much you paid for him. In all your actions with him, in every ride, never tell him. Do you understand what I mean by that? A good rider can put in a good trip on a $1000 horse, a $10,000 horse, a $100,000 horse. And a $10,000 horse with a good rider can score an 86 in the hunter classic just as well as the $100,000 horse, if he's ridden well so he jumps well. It doesn't matter your price point; it matters what attitude you bring to the barn with you, and what you're prepared to work for to accomplish with the horse you have.

Good luck to you!

[huntergirl007]

Sorry if that sounded a bit harsh! I have just had a bunch of issues with this horse and I guess I had gotten my hopes up about him behaving in the ring due to his behaviour the rest of the day.

ImJumpin - it was actually kind of funny. Before one of the huge classes, I rode my horse with about 30 novice kids, and one lady lunging her huge, crazy horse in one of the corners. Kids were calling out jumps, trainers were yelling, and this one horse being lunged was bucking and spooking. We just cantered around it all, he was not phased. That's when I told myself that if he was going to be okay with THAT, than he could handle the show ring! ;)

I know my nerves affected him. I guess I'm frustrated with myself rather than just with my horse. I just needed to rant.

I appreciate the advice! :D

[kellyb]

Unless you've got an old campaigner you can't count on anything for your first show. Or second show. Or heck, even your third show. Riding at a show is totally different than at home. Even if pony is calm and warms up great at the show, it's different when you are the only one in the ring. YOU get nervous, pony feels that, trip unravels.

Not to mention he was probably pissy that you were on him from 9am-2pm. I know scheduling sucks sometimes, but perhaps you can try harder to give him some hang time at the trailer? He'd probably reached his threshold by the time you got around to actually showing.

Haul out to some schooling shows, hunter paces, etc to get him off the property and used to different stuff.

[worth_the_wait08]

Your horse doesn't know how much you paid for him. In all your actions with him, in every ride, never tell him. Do you understand what I mean by that? A good rider can put in a good trip on a $1000 horse, a $10,000 horse, a $100,000 horse. And a $10,000 horse with a good rider can score an 86 in the hunter classic just as well as the $100,000 horse, if he's ridden well so he jumps well. It doesn't matter your price point; it matters what attitude you bring to the barn with you, and what you're prepared to work for to accomplish with the horse you have.

This is one of the most well-put descriptions of horsemanship I've seen in awhile. I've often been discouraged that I can't afford a six figure horse (heck, I can't even afford a four figure horse!) and I forget about all I've accomplished with my little *almost* freebie OTTB. Thanks for putting it all in perspective :yes:

[FindersKeepers]

He's a Tb. It's built into his genetics to pass horses in front of him, get to the front of the pack, win the race. Even if he's not off the track, it's still in his breeding.

With these guys, practice and patience is key. He was in the ring with a lot of other horses (even though 12 isn't a big class) its more than what he's seen the last year. He's in a strange place, and you were frustrated. The more tense you get, the more worked up he gets.

If you want to do well with him, you need to focus on your attitude and temperment. There was nothing wrong with the way you were feeling. Nothing at all. You just can't pass that on to him. Speak to him, a lot, in the ring. Calmly, sing song. Get him paying attention to you, not to his surroundings. If he flicks an ear back, you're golden.

The first one out, especially when everything is going perfect heading into the ring, is always frustrating. Don't lose hope in him. He's just out of practice, and so are you. If you get out there a few more times this summer, you'll be exactly where you want to be.

We've all been there, frustrated with them. Just try to remember what he's feeling. You'll make a good team, just have to feel for each other.

[snaffle635]

I am not very confident and get nervous easily.

I think this has a lot to do with it. TB's can be incredibly sensitive to their rider's state of mind. If you are nervous when you walk into the show ring, your horse will pick up on it. A more experienced show horse may choose to ignore that...but your horse sounds pretty keen and intelligent. Perhaps your state of mind contributed to his idiocy.

OTOH, this may not be the case. My old horse was a complete idiot sometimes in the show ring...but he was also an idiot at home. If your horse is always calm at home and only became an idiot at the show, take a good look at how YOU were feeling. Also, consider some additional prep...like you said, cantering in the warm up ring or perhaps a little lunge.

[Cindyg]

What ever is "wrong" with your horse, mine has the very same ailment. :) Just yesterday, I almost posted on this board that I think my horse is crazy -- for the same reason you posted: He just gets so worked up!!

In an attempt to deal with this, I am doing is trailering him to a nearby stable to work in their arena.

My dear horse is TOTALLY different there than he is at home. I'm trying to learn to deal with the "away" horse -- and, of course, I'm trying to convince the "away" horse that he can work quietly in the new environment.

It is frustrating, but I don't think there's any cure for it but to keep working at it.

[Coppers mom]

get over yourself your horse has been out of the ring and competeing for over a year and you expect him to behave - dream on

he was excited thats all more shows more ring work
its not about winning its about trying -- if you want him to improve then do more with him
hes got to get back into it thats all
Agreed. Temper tantrums are unbecoming and useless. Don't get mad because he responded when you were nervous, riding poorly, unprepared, and flipping out. Calm down, deal with the situation, and make it a good day, even if that means chalking it up to exposure and just wandering around the showgrounds.

[Release First]

...ImJumpin - it was actually kind of funny. Before one of the huge classes, I rode my horse with about 30 novice kids, and one lady lunging her huge, crazy horse in one of the corners. Kids were calling out jumps, trainers were yelling, and this one horse being lunged was bucking and spooking. We just cantered around it all, he was not phased. That's when I told myself that if he was going to be okay with THAT, than he could handle the show ring! ;)...

Do you ride in group lessons? It is entirely different, especially to an OTTB, if all the horses are going the same direction at the same gait. It is more like a race. In a warm up ring, usually, all the horses are doing different things and the feeling of a race is just not there. Try to practice with others all close to you doing the same gait.

[AppendixQHLover]

I completely understand...

My horse is a good boy 95% of the time. The other 5% he is acts like a major pain in the rump. Most of the time he acts like that is because I am a nervous wreck which makes him nervous, or he is just cranky.

I have been fighting bronchitis/allergies for the past month or so. That makes our shows not much fun.

[2 tbs]

I'll start off by saying I agree with everyting eveyone has posted. I just want to add that you came to the conclusion in your first paragraph but you didn't even realize it!

If he spent his life so far in dressageland then hunterland is total culture shock for him! Dressage is done alone. He'd never have to be in the ring with a bunch of other horses going in the same direction at the same time.

I don't know how much time you've spent in the ring under hack class circumstances with this horse but take a deep breath and be prepared to have to work at it. I have a TB that never saw a race track who always tried to find the front - doesn't work when going in a circle...silly pony. I also have an OTTB who could care less from day one but in hack classes feeds off me and will sometimes be silly because I'm being stupid.

I understand the need for a rant and sometimes feeling like you are never getting anywhere. I've had my OTTB for almost 7 years but have about 4 years riding on him. I hardly rode him at all in the first 3 years I owned him due to lameness, colic issues, etc. I even sat out most of last year due to revisiting an ongoing foot issue (flat feet, bruising etc :( ). You just have to decide why you own this horse - to win, or to own a horse. If you just want to win then yes, you should buy a made horse that spends it's days on auto pilot. If you are owning the horse for the pleasure of owning a horse (all ups and downs included) then the showing part is just another time and place to enjoy that horse - even if it's not going well. It is what you make of it.

One last thing - the only gurantee with horses is that they can and will humble you at the most convenient moments :rolleyes::winkgrin:

[Carolinadreamin']

You need to find that thread about embarassing things that have happened to people during horse shows. Stuff like horse deciding to leave the dressage arena during a test, catches the chain on the way out and runs around with it chasing him the whole time! Stuff is going to happen at shows, whether it is a first time, second time, etc.

After embarassing ourselves completely, I excused myself and went back to the schooling ring where we proceeded to canter and canter and canter until horse finally settled down a little.

I always find that to settle a horse that was rather worked up, it was better to put him into a good working trot, figure eights, get him listening to you.

[DancingQueen]

Ha ha! I feel your pain. It's hard sometimes and riding is a very humbling sport.
I totally understand your reaction but it's a work in progress.
As somebody mentioned, you can't expect too much different from your horse being that he has not been showing regularly.

You mention being nervous, he was probably nervous too!

Go to a few more shows. You will find yourself a lot more settled and composed and you will most likely find that your horse is going to be a lot more relaxed and settled knowing what to expect. He will simply need a little time to figure out the format and what his job is.
If he's a good guy and looking to do the right thing he will figure it out.

Take this showexperience and look at it as a learning experience. You have just gotten a lot of new things to work on for the next time.

I don't know what kind of setup you have at home, maybe you can simulate the flat phase at your own farm. Ask a couple of friends to help you out, go school in one ring and then do a mock flat class in a different ring. All together with somebody telling you what to do if needed.

Don't be discouraged. Take it as an opportunity to learn and improve. You know what your horse is capable of at home. With a little more experience he will perform the same way at shows and you will end up pinning the way you should. In time you might be able to get even a little more then expected out of him!

Good luck!

[findeight]

Note-you cannot use a martingale in any flat class anywhere to my knowledge. I am betting your nerves got the best of you and you got a little "handsy" and tense in your body and leg, he just reacted.

Think you need to take a deep breath here. Drop back 10 yards and punt as they say. If you admit you are nervous and he was good out of the actual competition ring? You don't need a new horse, you need to evaluate your own riding and what you are telegraphing to the horse-he is doing what he picks up from you.

Do you have somebody helping you? A trainer or other knowledgeable person who can go with you to shows and help you? It can help you not only with technical aspects but with organizing your day so you don't end up on the horse for an astonishing 5 hours straight and still have to go canter him into the ground to get him to settle.

Find a way to make him comfortable and actually like the show environment next time. A few shows like this marathon and he will get to hate them.

It's all about learning and you can learn from this. Oh, those pricier horses? They practiced more, were better prepared and the riders handled their nerves better-all of which is free.

[JustJump]

Due to bad show organizing I was on the horse from about 9am - 2:30pm.

Hmm. Around about 10:30 I guess you didn't clue in and organize yourself around the show?

If your horse is a nervous type, all that hanging around actually doesn't do any harm--just walking here and there, absorbing all the atmosphere with no pressure to perform is a good thing.

But if, after all of it you went into the ring with a horse that was tired, thirsty, sweaty, and cranky, you have not managed well.

Every horse is a little different as per what they need to arrive at the ring gate ready, willing, and able to work. Riders, too. Everyone has to do it according to what their horse needs. Sounds like you haven't figured it out yet. Good luck.

[Anyplace Farm]

I didn't read everyone else's stuff so this might have already been said. The most important thing you can do before a show is prepare. Both mentally and in terms of your training and preparation.

A very, very big part of confidence is knowing that you've done your homework. You want to walk into the ring and know that you have done absolutely everything you could to give your horse a good ride. I'd almost bet that when you went into the ring, you tensed up and your sensitive TB felt it. Maybe not, but I can also bet you that had you not decided to do the show on such short notice, you'd have had more time to mentally prepare.

Do not be discouraged. Learn from the experience and just do it better the next time. If you are like many of us posting here (I know this because I've seen the polls), you will probably never have the money to buy the $65K made packer. You need to make that horse yours. You need to become a team. You need to remember to never let your team member down and show up prepared and since he can't do it himself, you need to do right by him and prepare him properly.

Horse shows are made for you to spotlight all the hard work you've done so either see how you stack up against other horse/rider teams or to simply get an idea of how far you and your horse have come on a particular task. So, showing up sort of last minute and ad hoc is counter productive. Personally, I think it is also counter productive to compare yourself to other riders (even though I just said that is what shows are for). Look at the day as a test to see how well you pack for the event, how organized you are able to stay, how calm you are able to stay, how well you and your horse work together then, have a plan before you go into the ring and see how well you execute that.

I used to coach kids and quite honestly, I almost never watched the other kids go. All I had to do was watch my kid and I almost always knew where she'd place in the class by watching her performance alone. We were always confident about where we'd stand at the end of the day because we knew what we did prior to that show. When the kid went in and executed our plan to the nth, I knew we'd be in the top three and I certainly knew when we had a class nailed if the performance was flawless.

Winning is not an accident. You really, really have to prepare and plan for it. That's why when you do, it is so rewarding. Go easy on your little guy. He's just a little horse and has no clue why he's there. Get on board with him and do right by him.

[2hsmommy]

You learned a good lesson. You didn't prepare yourself or your horse very well. You didn't set up yourself or your horse to do well.
But, now you know.
Get yourself a coach and ride as much as you can before you decide to show.
I don't have a lot of confidence myself. My horse is pretty much a saint of a TB, but there are times he thinks he's "all that" (which was yesterday at a show).
Thanks to my coach, I knew I could deal with it all. And we did :)

Give yourself and your horse a chance, prepare, prepare and prepare some more.


So, there are a few issues here that I know are on my part. I had not ridden much the week before, as we had just decided to try this show a few days before it took place. So he could have been energetic. I have not had a coach in about 6 months. I am not very confident and get nervous easily.

[Come Shine]

One last thing - the only gurantee with horses is that they can and will humble you at the most convenient moments :rolleyes::winkgrin:

And I can guarantee that you won't die of embarrassment - no matter how much you may want to. :lol:

Good luck!!

[Addison]

Make sure you don't let your own nerves get the best of you. Sometimes you may not realize you are nervous but even a little tension is a change your horse will pick up on and react to. Don't worry about the quality of the other horses. You are there to do your best and that is what you need to concentrate on. Good luck.

[ThatScaryChick]

And I can guarantee that you won't die of embarrassment - no matter how much you may want to. :lol:

Good luck!!

I hear that. :lol:

[magicteetango]

Did he rear? No. Did he buck? No. Did he bolt? No.

You have a safe horse, even when he is fresh with a nervous rider in a crowded ring. Was it pretty? No but give him credit, he did not let you down.

This may take a few shows to get the hang of. You said he had done dressage and jumpers? Probably never showed in large groups on the flat ever, new to him.

Next show let him chill in the trailer, hand graze and walk around. Focus on calm. Go in the ring and ride like you are the only one there, on a new fun horse.

I have a ton of ribbons in a box at my house, tattered, dirty, and very few of them blue. None of them mean a thing to me, those memories of achieving goals with my horses matter more than any success. None of my horses were high dollar, never showed beyond c rated, never cared to.

Enjoy having a safe sane horse, and just go ride and show for the hell of it. Don't compare you or your horse to others, your doing yourself a disservice, and your horse as well.

[Anyplace Farm]

I have a ton of ribbons in a box at my house, tattered, dirty, and very few of them blue. None of them mean a thing to me, those memories of achieving goals with my horses matter more than any success. None of my horses were high dollar, never showed beyond c rated, never cared to.

Enjoy having a safe sane horse, and just go ride and show for the hell of it. Don't compare you or your horse to others, your doing yourself a disservice, and your horse as well.

Here-here!

[thatmoody]

I think you're darned lucky :D. At our first show my normal saint of a horse saw a cow, had a cow, and dumped me! He is green, so I understood, but it was still horrific, as he's so huge I fell a loooong way, and then just laid there looking up at him trying to decide if I was all in one piece...I got back on, and while we didn't do well, at least we carried on.

You did that, so be glad, and consider that I usually give a green horse an entire season to settle down.

[huntergirl007]

Thank you all for the advice! :D And some giggles!

JustJump (and anyone else) - I did jump off and let him drink and munch every now and then. But I decided that walking around was a good idea for us. We took in our environment and got relaxed (or so I thought!). The only thing he didn't like was when they put hotdogs on the barbeque! :lol: But we felt relaxed and that's why I stayed on for so long.

But I had a good nights sleep and feel much better about it today. If anything, it gave me more drive to work with him more and get him ready for the next one! And yes, he didn't let me down. As much as I was frustrated with him, I didn't feel like I was scared to fall off (they even asked us to drop our stirrups in the Eq. class and I didn't feel uncomfortable)! So thank you, pony. :)

And thank you all for your I was It made me feel much better knowing I was at least not alone and that this hopefully is not an ongoing trend. Also, I never even thought to think that dressage and the jumpers are completely different! That makes total sense, he hasn't done a class with a bunch of other horses in the ring at the same time!

[bt]

ya, mmmmmmmmmm you are making me think of a song by the eagles goes a lil something like "GET OVER IT. . before I find your inner child and kick it's lil ass" although I have to agree the horse would be better off with another owner

[flea]

I agree with snaffle...if he was so good in the crowded warm up I bet the major problem was rider nerves. I know that is a large part of my problem!

[Green Acres]

And thank you all for your I was It made me feel much better knowing I was at least not alone and that this hopefully is not an ongoing trend. Also, I never even thought to think that dressage and the jumpers are completely different! That makes total sense, he hasn't done a class with a bunch of other horses in the ring at the same time!

You are definately not alone!!! My TB once in a while in a flat class gets nervous and is excited about everyone in the ring at once. He's fine over fences - happy camper but the flat classes can be another thing. The last show (2 day show) I thought about on the 2nd day doing a bunch of flat classes to help him realize it was no big deal. But he was calmer the 2nd day and won one hack and was 2nd in the other.

So maybe work on his flatwork and try some no stress local shows doing allot of flat classes. Then he should realize it's ok to be in the ring with a bunch of others all trotting or cantering. Yes, it's much different than doing a dressage test for your boy. :yes: Good luck and hang in there.

[ReSomething]

You just need to practice. I personally hate waiting, and I'm not fond of warming up either. You'll cool your heels a lot at H/J shows, supposedly some of them are really bad for waiting on trainers and riders in the O/F classes.
Take group lessons, they are really helpful for the cavalry charge effect. My trainer now does only private but the week before the show she doubles us up and works on spacing, gait changes together and independently, passing and being passed. Showing off in front of the judge is in there too, and very important - you can mess up terribly but if you can shine while the judge is watching you may place.
And above all, have fun doing it!

[turningpointequine]

Figure it this way, at least you got out there and your horse got some mileage. Ribbons or not you did accomplish something with your boy. You're getting him out there and used to the show scene again.

One of my last shows of 08 (I had been taking my OTTB stallion to local shows just so we could get out there and see something other than the home farm) there were 40 people in my class. I was nervous, my horse was brain fried. He broke gait because I ws too nervous to keep my leg on, he refused a fence because I didn't give him a confident enough ride and then when I finally got my head on straight I got lost on course and had to circle to find my next fence. Was I embarassed, sure. But I accomplised my goal of the day. My horse got out and saw the real world. :)

At a show just a few weeks ago one of the girls at my barn got so nervous she actually vomited on her horse during her over fence round. Came out of the ring horse and all dripping.

So you see, it could have been worse. LOL There's always another show. Hope you do better and have fun next time!

[superD]

Don't get to upset. I have a 15 ottb. He is great when the ring only has 1 other horse in it otherwise he is an idiot. When we go to shows I free lunge him in the morning then my trainer schools him in the schooling rings. He is still bad and does this crazy hopping thing and all the things you described. We are trying to work on it but he still gets rattled. All I can say is work on it with a trainer and maybe take him to shows just to school. Tbs are very special, but they make you a better rider.:winkgrin:

[horsestablereview]

Expectations will kill you everytime. I learned this growing up on the greenest horses you could find in the barn. I once did the Maclay at Indio on my rank OTTB who was a stopper with one hand on the reins and one hand on the stick. It was so very much not pretty and very much embarrassing but after he stopped once for no reason there was no way I was going to let him get away with it again! I know so much more now that I wouldn't be in a position like that, but that's what going to horse shows and learning is all about. From all the rank horses I rode, I learned that you should never have any expectations and be thankful for what your horse did well. Go into the show arena with a goal: 'I want to accomplish ___'. And make it a specific and attainable goal. Be happy if it works out, but don't beat yourself up over a mistake or two. EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. Anyone who is a true rider has had a rough round in their day. Also, don't focus on things that went poorly, instead look at it as things you need to work on at home (homework).

I get a little frustrated with people sometimes and their view on horse showing. In my opinion, horse shows are like exams in school. You take your horse to find out how much information you've absorbed at home and then you take away things you need to work on. If you look at shows in this way, as a test, and set your expectations aside, you will probably feel less like you want to leave your horse by the side of the road on your way home.

Now you know that your horse needs to go to a few more shows. You probably need some more time in the show ring as well. Pick some cheap schooling shows and just go practice. Take that pressure off yourself and off of your horse and you will have a better time.

All this advice comes from a person who is a type A perfectionist who has ridden and failed at many many shows on many OTTB horses growing up. I used to beat myself up over the horse's failure or my failure and have spent a lot of time teary eyed. The best thing you can do is give yourself and your horse a break. Establish your goals and try to reach them. Identify the gaps in your training at the shows and go home and work on them. Set the next show far away enough so that you can make some progress between the two shows.

Good luck. Hope to hear good things in the future. :)

[gg4918]

I'm sorry but I get very frustrated with the mentality that a more expensive horse is necessarily an easier horse. Having ridden anywhere from green polo ponies to top of the line six figure horses, I have to say that the six figure horses have always been the hardest. These are not dumbed down, anybody can get on and ride, carousal horses; these are prima donnas: the best of the best and they come with an entire manual of how to ride them properly!
Do not assume that just because a horse has a huge price tag that they are get-on-and-just-go horses. Push button, sure, but you have to know how to push the right buttons. The type of show exprience that you just described has happened to be on my equitation horse (thats off winning ribbons at Devon right now with the girl thats leasing him), and it was because I rode badly. Do NOT blame the horse unless you have thoroughly reflected upon your own riding and any mistakes that you may have made. From what you described, you were nervous, the horse was unprepared and unraveled from being at the show for such a long time. You learned a valuable lesson, and I'm sorry if I'm being harsh but come from the school of never blaming the horse unless you rode perfectly/prepared adequately for the experience.

[jmvwiv]

I'm sorry but I get very frustrated with the mentality that a more expensive horse is necessarily an easier horse. Having ridden anywhere from green polo ponies to top of the line six figure horses, I have to say that the six figure horses have always been the hardest. These are not dumbed down, anybody can get on and ride, carousal horses; these are prima donnas: the best of the best and they come with an entire manual of how to ride them properly!
Do not assume that just because a horse has a huge price tag that they are get-on-and-just-go horses. Push button, sure, but you have to know how to push the right buttons. The type of show exprience that you just described has happened to be on my equitation horse (thats off winning ribbons at Devon right now with the girl thats leasing him), and it was because I rode badly. Do NOT blame the horse unless you have thoroughly reflected upon your own riding and any mistakes that you may have made. From what you described, you were nervous, the horse was unprepared and unraveled from being at the show for such a long time. You learned a valuable lesson, and I'm sorry if I'm being harsh but come from the school of never blaming the horse unless you rode perfectly/prepared adequately for the experience.

I have to agree with gg4918. And why I agree with her is because I've been there & NOT walked away down on or blaming my horse EVER. I bought a expensive (for a 2yr old) so price has nothing to do with the tea in China. The last 2 shows she never settled in and performed like I expected & knew she could. Sure it was frustrating but no matter what I didnt get down on the horse and in both instances I couldnt say if I did something better/different it would have been different. I rode the horse well and gave her a good experience. Sometimes it just is what it is. You have to show a lot to get them used to doing the same job away as they do at home and be really consistant at home to get consistant results.

Additionally maybe it was a figure of speech, but if not, what is gods name were you doing sitting on your horse for that legnth of time? Your horse is not a couch. Get off, loosen his girth and chill somewhere in the shade next time. I have to add it is also a big NONO to be sitting on your horse all slouched over with your stirrups dropped. Not saying you were doing that but your words painted that picture in my mind. sorry.

[Giddy-up]

Due to bad show organizing I was on the horse from about 9am - 2:30pm.

Well, I can tell you my TB & my WB would have probably both been quite peeved if I made them stand by the ring that long waiting & wouldn't have performed well either.

You say he was a high level dressage horse & then low schooling jumpers. So he's used to doing a lot of work (ever see the warm up routines the high end dressage horses go thru?) or being in the jumper ring where if he did act up or have high energy it wasn't a problem. You wanting him to do the hunters now means he's got to learn a "new" job & you need to find a routine to better prepare him for his job. And work on your own nerves so it doesn't affect him.

Give it some time. I hate to ruin it for you, but even the uber fancy expensive horses have their bad days too.

Now if this is a horse you have other issues with & don't enjoy riding--then I have to say maybe you should consider selling & finding a horse better suited for you & what your goals are. Life is too short to mess around with a horse you are never going to be happy with.

[JumpWithPanache]

I will ditto what other have said about him and you being out of the show ring and about his prior experiences. What I would add is that you have to learn what routine he works best with. I've known some horses that will NOT go back to work if they've been back to the trailer. Others will NOT go back to work if they've stood ringside all day. Mine is happiest going back to the trailer between schooling and classes. You have to be flexible enough to figure out what your guy needs to stay happy from getting there to going home and everything in between. If you can keep a good ear on the announcers I like to plan to tack up when the hack pins for two divisions in front of me, if the next division (the one immediately behind mine) is under 8 entries. If it's more than that I'll give it an extra ten to 15 minutes before tacking up. Try to keep the re-tack routine as relaxed as possible, no rushing to throw everything on, and horse will generally stay relaxed. Then get a nice quiet hack in with two or three warm-up jumps during the hack, then chill out til you go into the ring. This routine seems to be working for my girl who is on the nervous side of things and acutally looks for the scary things in life. I tried the "no trailer" thing and she absolutely flipped out on me, let me know that in no uncertain terms that was NOT her idea of fun.