Mare has XC phobia only at shows

[Ponypuff]

Dressage and Stadium she is a rockstar, and I know some horses have issues leaving the start box, but the first 6 or 7 jumps on the leaving stretch she is just so awful, can barely have her step over the logs (starter) then on the way home she is great, although a dog barking right at the base of the jump took enough of her attention that she refused the first time.

Now you take her XC at clinics or just out for fun, and she is a superstar, its only at the shows… we haven’t tried earplugs, so we are going to try that… but my friend who has been riding her for the last 6 years in eventing has tried everything else… clicker training, treats, etc…

I have another horse waiting in the wings to use but he won’t be ready for another year… so she’s my mount this year and I would like to get through the course. I don’t get anxious about XC cuz it is so small, so its not like she would be picking up my fear or bad energy.

Has anyone had a nappy or shut down horse like this and been able to fix it? We can’t school this one course as its 4 hours away, and only very limited access.

Thank you in advance.

[Against_All_Odds2]

If I understand this correctly she’s herd bound? You need to school her anywhere that she can leave the group. I’d go with a small group, maybe 4 horses, and practice course running.

Start slow to build their confidence. Just around the corner leaving the group. Then a bit longer leaving the group but there is an outrider somewhere to catch you etc etc.

[2DogsFarm]

Are you certain you don’t feel different if XC is in a competition?
Horses are so incredibly tuned in to us, the tiniest change in your anticipatory(word?) approach to XC obstacles, no matter how small, could be enough for mare to think Whaaa?

I illustrate with my long ago - late 90s - BNH (so fences @ 2’6"-2’9" IIRC) Event.
At my home barn.
Over fences horse & I schooled regularly just for fun on trailrides around the property.
#3 was a simple log vertical set after you crossed a pond. Maybe 5 strides to the jump.
Horse usually got sticky on the approach, so I carried a whip at the Event. Normally no whip when we did it for funsies. If he felt like a stop could happen, we’d circle & come back, increase leg, growl, whatever, & over & out we’d go.
At the Event, out of the Start, 1 & 2 went fine.
Then as we got to the pond, I mentally thought of having my whip ready for use…
And I swear, horse drew himself up & TOOK us to #3. Whip never touched him.
So, did I telegraph - by some miniscule movement - my intent?

At a creek crossing later in the course, I did use the whip on his shoulder when he sucked back.
Resulting in an indignant snort “How Dare you!” & a very forward ride over the remaining fences.

[Jealoushe]

Make sure earplugs are legal. Also are you sure this horse wants to event, some just don’t like Eventing.

[fivestrideline]

Plenty of horses that just can’t handle the XC pressure make fabulous show jumpers!

OP, she sounds herdbound - in schooling and clinic situations, are you galloping away from the group and doing a whole course alone? Or mostly staying within eyesight of the “herd”? Alternatively, you MAY be feeding it - maybe not nerves about the jumps but nerves about her not going around. She doesn’t 100% trust you (aka herdbound) + you don’t 100% trust her (understandable) = problems in competition that don’t show up elsewhere. It’s not an unusual problem, but a frustrating one since it’s rather hard to recreate at home sometimes!

[Ponypuff]

All our clinics we re-create away from the herd, and we can like go for a walk away from the herd with no issues. She is the alpha mare, although she is a quiet alpha.

As far as my own emotions and such, this is just my first attempt - her prior rider had the same issues… and the frusterating thing is we can recreate everything at a clinic or just going out on her own and there is no issue… only ever at the shows. Clinics - we can go to a strange place and she is a rockstar.

Thats why we are stumped, as she is the furthest thing from herd bound at home or away from home at clinics or just out playing and traveling. I would say she doesn’t like XC if she wasn’t so eager at the XC clinics we do.

We have a clinic coming up at this location and then a show the following weekend, so hoping to see if that solves the mystery… but this one is so frusterating.

[ThreeTerriers]

What’s she like in the XC warmup?

[Larbear]

How many jumps in a row are you doing for schooling? My sister rode a horse that was great for the x-country schooling but being the clever monkey he was, thought after 4 or 5 jumps in a row he’s done. At a x-country trial I think he did maybe 5 or 6 fences and then came back to a walk like he was done .

[Bogie]

Years and years ago I boarded at a barn with the horse in this article. He had won Rolex but he also started stopping on course. Not in front of the jumps, but in between them. He would slow down to a walk. The woman who owned him then moved him down the levels but eventually he made it clear he didn’t want to compete. However, he was incredible when schooling. He could definitely tell the difference between a competition and a fun outing.

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/von-perrier/

[skydy]

More distractions at an event? Jump judges, spectators, dogs etc?

[2bayboys]

My show and foxhunting mare came to me cheap because she did this. Incredibly brave and game schooling, even alone, and would get to competitions and refuse to go out on the XC course beyond the first few jumps.

In the show ring she has never stopped at a jump and she’s game and forward in the hunt field and on hunter paces.

Perhaps your horse needs a different plan.

[Against_All_Odds2]

Its a different type of herd bound than buddy sour. Its typically (imo) worse if you trailer with a buddy. They get bonded over the ‘trauma’ that shipping creates for them.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Have you ever taken a lesson alone cross-country schooling? (No other horses, just the instructor?) Has a more experienced trainer ever tried to ride her in an event (versus the owner)?

[Dr_Doolittle]

Good idea - and I have done this in the past with greenies who “goggle” at distractions next to x-country fences; it can take time for horses to learn to focus on the jumps in front of them and not gawk at bystanders!

Might work, might not - but worth a try.

[LCDR]

Are there by any chance stallions around at these competitions? Even just tucked away in a stall on the venue site?

[Leather]

Warwick Schiller did a series on a horse that sounds like has some similarities on XC to your mare that might give you some ideas. The full series is on his subscription but he’s got parts of it on Youtube.

Helping a rearing eventing mare Part 1

Helping a rearing eventing mare Part 2

[pony_grandma]

I did a lot of this, set up the JJ distraction, esp with Jr riders/ Jr horses!

[WavyRider]

This would be my recommendation too: get a trainer to ride her at the event.

[AllSport]

Another thought, if someone else had this same problem for several years, maybe that rider was telegraphing some anxiety to the horse and now it’s just a habit. I think you said this was your first time with this horse. Maybe it’s just a habit that has to be unlearned once they figure out you’re calm cool and collected. I used to ride a horse with some habits everyone assumed were always going to exist…and he did do them with me for the first few weeks until he realized things were different, and poof, all better.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Yes, I was curious how the mare reacts with a nerves-of-steel trainer in the irons!