Competition
Problems in the dressage arena vs schooling at home
My grade D pony is really lovely in his dressage at home. But when we compete, he's his usual self in the warm-up, yet in the arena he either stops listening to my leg while still going in a good shape, or he listens to my leg but tenses up.
Answers from HayHay's experts
When something goes wrong in a competition setting, it is often because we unconsciously affect our horses through the thoughts and feelings that change how we hold our bodies. The horses sense that we are not quite present and not riding the way we usually do, and they can then start to behave differently. With horses that are sensitive and tuned in to us, it can come down to fairly small shifts.
I would focus on practising competing, working out how I use my body and my signals in training, and then carrying that across to competitions. That can take a bit of time! 🌸
Elise Lindman
Sports Psychologist
