We took 3 young horses out this weekend to a quiet comp hoping to give them a “good experience”. They were super clingy with each other. Very tense in their tests and called out to each other the whole time.
How do you start your young ones? Do you just keep taking them out or do you have a system to help them settle. Not sure if we are babying them too much hand walking them around the venue together, or it we just need to accept time and training.
Do noise cancelling ear bonnets actually help?
Of course on Facebook I posted the good moments, but there are plenty of bloopers!!
This approach won’t work for everyone and every horse, but basically we just get on with it.
Generally we’ve already been to one arena hire or clinic before going to a competition. So they know the concept of off property riding. Wherever I take them I just get ready as I would at home, get on, stay relaxed and just do as I would at home. I just show them it’s the same thing in a different place. It’s still what they know; just riding.
I don’t pet them after they look and spook at everything, I don’t make them look at every small thing, and I usually don’t handwalk them around. Sometimes I will after riding. I just keep it consistent.
They might spook, they might get nervous, but I use the same tools that I use at home to solve this and make sure to have these installed before venturing out. If the horse has good faith in the rider, that also helps. Mine really looks to his rider for confidence, and if I’m there, calmly, but firmly with an answer, that helps.
If I have a horse that really loses their marbles then I’d go back and do some homework at home, trailer to a few places perhaps, and slowly work up to competing. I might even bring that one along to competitions with others, even if he’s not competing just so he’s used to being out and about and possibly gets a bit bored with it.
I’ve usually competed my young horses solo. When I’ve gone with a group, I get the horse ready at the trailer and then venture off and do our own thing. He has to focus on the rider, not the others.
The first few competitions can involve screaming, for some horses, but if you keep having decent experiences and develop their confidence, they’ll break away from bring so clingy.
It’s also about finesse. Some riders will back off all pressure when they feel their horse spook, call out, or get stressed. Which, yes, you don’t want to fill their “worry basket” too much, but sometimes you need to guide them through it. Keep the pressure there, ride on, get busy, get to work. You don’t accept these behaviors at home, so the same goes for when you’re away. It’s about consistency.
I think a lot of pros have an easier time with this because they just get on with it and act casual about it (along with being more skilled and experienced in general) Some people go to a competition and their nerves are up, they start treating the horse differently, and even start training/riding the horse differently and then the horse is a bit confused and also notices, “Oh, this is different, this is concerning!” But pros are much more, well, professional about it, and know how to keep their cool, even if it’s only enough to fool the horse into thinking they’re relaxed 
My current horse, while a bit older now, is one of the least brave, and mostly oddly spooky horses I’ve ever had. Yet he’s been one of the easiest ones to travel with, because I’ve just acted normal since day 1. I’ve always had the answer for him whenever he’s asked a question, and remained relaxed and consistent. So he sees it as no big deal. Sure he’s looked at a judges booth, or a certain jump, or whatever else, but I ride it as I would at home. Same techniques (often involving some shoulder in or leg yield). I also make sure I firmly have my forward button installed before venturing out.
There is a time element to it as well, and you should notice steady (albeit sometimes very slow) progress with each outing. If you don’t then you need to look at what you’re doing. Occasionally there is the odd horse that just doesn’t have the nerves for competition, but most can learn.
I’m also not into noise canceling stuff for a variety of reasons.
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I haven’t tried the techniques on a youngster yet myself, but have heard great things about TRT Method. What piqued my interest was that the trainer, Tristan Tucker, didn’t require a round pen to get the horses attention. Have also heard good things about Warwick Schiller. Might be worth investigating.
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we have always taken young horses out individually so they were more focused and develop self reliance
They are started young in-hand so that they become accustom to all of the goings on around them
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I’ve had my 5YO since she was 3. We started out doing Hunter Breeding, getting familiar with going places and seeing things without needing to be ridden. But I have always and intentionally taken her alone, because I do not want her getting attached or clingy with a friend–I want her to learn to do things on her own.
I usually get somewhere, open up the trailer so she can see around, go check in, then I’ll unload and hand graze her for a while, which IMO helps settle them down better than anything. Then we’ll get ready for our classes. That also establishes a routine for wherever we’re going or whatever we’re doing, which horses also find reassuring.
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I think it depends on the individual, but I’ve done it both ways and eventually everyone gets through it with more miles no matter what direction you choose. I used to load the trailer until every slot was full when going to schooling shows. The youngstock would stand tied to the trailer along with those being shown. We would take turns hand walking everyone and those competing would get schooled before their tests. The youngstock got so used to horses being taken away, brought back, their turn to go see the sights, etc that no one really got married up to anyone else and those back at the trailer were more interested in eating than those leaving. Now I just have 2 horses I compete with one being very green/young. I hauled him with my older comp horse (welsh cob actually) to a schooling show and it was the older one who turned into the nit wit despite miles of being off on his own and always doing well. Even more ironic, is that the older one hates the younger one but a couple of trailer rides together and he ‘fell in love’ but only away from home. So, we’ve repeated things in order to get the older one ‘over it’. I also have taken the younger one to competitions by himself as well. The one thing I’ve consistently done with all of mine is take them away to work/ride off property by themselves as well as in groups to the point that nothing is really unusual or new other than the venue.
In building a relationship with each one, I’ve found what gives them confidence and make sure that’s how I handle them when introducing new, potentially scary or stressful things. For one it’s my voice with clear but strict reassurance, not making a fuss; but, also making sure that they know I’m there and am more important than whatever else my grab their attention. For the other it’s going at things full bore without ANY hesitation and they 99.9% of the time follow suit.
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This has always been my approach, too. Also works for early trail rides. In essence: No Friends. If I’ve done my work at home, and the horse has a solid foundation and trusts me, then they transition more easily to new environments because they’re relying on my decisions for the day’s agenda, not seeking out safety from their herd mates. Caveat: There will always be some horses that meltdown regardless, wherein patience and consistency are the keys.
The big show barn I’m at now, however, uses this method:
I will say, however, there’s always one Screaming Mimi that no one wants to tie next to, but over time, with the going back and forth to various classes, things settle down. Eventually they all learn: No Friends, and they learn to focus and depend on you, not their buddies back at the trailer.
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I would echo the “no friends” approach at first, as well. With young horses and green beans, it’s also vital that you keep yourself emotionally the same as you are at home, and ride/handle them the same way you do at home. Don’t change the expectations because they are at a new place. They still have to stay out of your space, go off the leg, obey the half halt, and let you move their body parts around. Consistency is very settling and comforting. This being said, you must have these things installed before you go to a new place. If you do not consistently have steering or forward at home, you will be in trouble away from home.
I do a lot of ground work at the shows - it sets clear expectations and instills confidence. We do ground work everywhere - the barn, the lunging arena, near the schooling arena and by the competition arenas. After that, we tack walk everywhere, too. Lots of exposure therapy 
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i’m the main prize around my two herds. Left alone, they would resource-guard me…(giver of carrots and taker to places that are fun) I think, to a one, they are each very happy to have me all to theirselves.
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This is what I’ve done. Stay out of other people’s way, of course, but keep the youngster busy and focused on me.
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I agree very much! Especially with mares they get used to the concept of going somewhere and coming back. But if you take 2 members of a herd (and that’s what horses consider themselves especially mares) to a new and different setting they want to make sure that nobody gets lost…. I even took 2 20 year old mares to a schooling show and put one mare into a stall and they kept whinnying every 5 min just to make sure the other one would answer ( which of course she did ). It was nerve wrecking and taught me to only show one horse per day… I am an AA and don’t need to earn money with it and I want to have fun going to shows…And I prepare my young ones with going to clinics or lessons all by herself. i never had a problem at shows after that.
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Rinse and repeat. They learn through exposure and boredom and repetitions. Take them to schooling shows, other arenas, just go places. Don’t walk them in goof ball squads…they all get to handle themselves with one attentive handler. They have to manage their own emotions. The more the handler is reasonable but firm and intentional, the better. No dragging, pulling, or flattening the handler is permitted.
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I had a very well known judge once comment on a rider who was taking her horse around under saddle and showing the horse every tiny little thing (not a rider that was being judged at the moment), and said in their experience that is almost always a bad idea. Basically telling your horse that everything is scary vs just getting on with it.
OP - were it me, if I had the time and money, I’d take them out individually a time or two so they learn that you’re the one who they should look for, not their herd mates, for their confidence.
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my daughter bought a horse who had been through multiple owners in short time (he was a very nice buckskin) He would not settle here, he just was not peaceful. So every day I loaded him into the trailer then just drove around for a while then came back putting him back into his paddock. This went on for about two weeks. Afterward he knew he was always coming back home.
(I think he Really liked the trips to doughnut shop where after a few days they were waiting for him with His apple-fritter)
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I just took my 4yo to his first dressage show today. He’d been on lots of outings to a friend’s house and a couple of clinics and I had a lesson in my instructor’s dressage arena before show day.
His work routine now is that he get lunged a bit until he settles. so today was only a little different. We did a hand walk around the arena before anyone got there (he actually thought the letters might hold some snacks in the flower pot holder) Saw the trailer at A. and had a marching walk around. Then he got tacked up. I needed to lunge him more than at home but we stuck to the routine. He got amped up a couple of times but I put him on a 10m figure 8 at the walk and got his attention back on me. there was some whinneying and a brief moment of tail in the air passaging.
I made sure we had enough time to not be rushed and my friend and I were ho hum, this is just normal stuff, and firm, you do as you’re told.
Also I was mentally prepared to pack up and go home if he began losing his marbles and couldn’t recover.
I had entered a show a month ago and scratched because he just wasn’t ready. But he was today. It helped that it was 87 degrees at 9am and that his general demeanor is hey, what’s up, can I participate?
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My opinion:
The Tristan Tucker method is just natural horsemanship. You can find a good natural horsemanship trainer here in the U.S. TIMING is everything. EVERYTHING. I watched Tristan do a demo and I talked with him afterwards at S’Hertogenbosch. I was not impressed with his reluctance to talk because, I think, he was pushing his brand and merch so much. Many NH trainers in the US are as good or better and will talk to you all day. Americans have cheaper and better in-person NH people if they do some homework.
I put my young WB with a NH trainer when he was an explosive 4 year old. I also learned the techniques. I used them frequently when showing him at off-shows to get his attention to be because he’s extremely hypervigilant.
At 13, I still use them in the washrack when he can’t see his buddy and gets upset. He knows I’m boss mare and he needs a boss “horse” with his insecurities. Otherwise, he now always looks to me for support.
I would take your horses out individually so that they look to you, not each other, for support on the ground as well as under saddle. There are many exercises you can use to reinforce that as nervous as they are, they have to follow these exercises they know, are easy, and that continuity can give them confidence when they are feeling overwhelmed. For example, my horse once learned to be “sent” to a cone and put his feet on it while a good 10 feet from the handler. That was his “Hellen Keller moment with her fingers under the water stream with her teacher hand-signing “water””. I traveled with his young self with a cone because as much as he wanted to look around the arena when I showed it to him, he’d step on the cone and felt like he did a great job. I praised him because he listened. I still use the cone occasionally and he is so enthusiastic to step on the base and participate in how good he’s performing. We do this on the ground and sometimes when we’re done riding around the cones and I immediately dismount. The cones are his comfort zone.
Quality groundwork can improve your relationship undersaddle because it is all about yielding to pressure. I’ve trained in jumpers, eventing and dressage in my life for decades. Never have I learned NH techniques until I got a hot, hypervigilant horse who hurt trainers and me by bucking people off and no dressage trainer wanted to take him.
At 13, he’s a cool horse and we have a great partnership. He has a huge personality. He is still spooky but is so much more capable of listening to my aids. Most of the time. We’ve done things like work cattle (initially he was terrified) to put the dressage moves to tangible use. At cutting, we were better than many QHs. I guess the point of this long email is that you can built confidence with clingy horses by working them individually and insisting their ears and attention are on you at all times while “working” even if “working” is walking away from the buddies. Dont’ be afraid to be boss mare. Some horses, like mine, really appreciate a boss mare when they’re upset because they are largely upset that they have to make a decision.
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This is very true. I work with a NH guy and he spends hours with us. Won’t leave until we get the release and a breakthrough. Always available for a chat and to ask questions. You can take NH anywhere and the same principles undergird correct riding.
I lead the baby with my long rope and rope halter and carrot stick at shows. When he starts to get a little worried, I can put him into safe spot and he takes a breath “oh gosh, thanks - that’s so much better.” Under saddle, safe spot becomes the halt, then the half halt, then staying between the aids. Confidence grows.
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The interesting thing, to me, is that I’ve only ever seen horses being lunged at a competition in the US. I’ve not seen it at competitions that I’ve been to in Europe. I don’t know the rules on lunging a horse in the warm-up in my own country, actually. Mostly because I’ve just never thought about it.
Not saying whether its right or wrong, just something I noticed and was brought to my mind while reading this thread.
It’s entirely possible that I don’t get out much 
usually only 3 to 6 competitions a year because competing isn’t my main focus.
What a good strategy!
I have a little towel i take with my new dogs to down-stay on to training and it also gets packed on first few deployments. Familiar task, familiar object, guaranteed reward transforms an unfamiliar setting into predictably pleasant.
Yesterday, while moving some heavy equipment in and around my mustangs i paid attention to our interactions (me>them<me) and noticed that what i do with my horses, from the very beginnings of our relationship is to tell them it’s OK. If i told them it was OK they would come back into the fly-free zone of the barn even with the big tractor in there, engine running. Same with everything…walk across the porch, go into the kitchen. Up into the trailer, cross over this or that. So, i think going to a show, my natural inclination would be to do what others here say they avoid, i reassure. And reward (in the event of being on an earthmover machine, it is verbal and facial/smile and head nod). I suppose i do it to let them know that I know they are uncomfortable, and that it’s my job to handle things when i’m around. I am in charge and when i tell them it’s OK, it is. most trainers do all of this…but
I think my most difficult obstacle in the discipline of dressage is to subdue to almost unnoticeable ‘cues’. I am MUCH more demonstrable than dictates of this discipline.
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Besides what you can do at the event, I find having the travel companion of the young horse be a seasoned older horse to be very helpful. The younger horse will look to the older horse to see how they react, and because older horse is calm younger horse tends to stay calmer too. I’ve always had bad results when I bring a gaggle of young horses somewhere, because they build off of each other’s uncertainty and fear.
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