# Worst Horse Show Ever



## Dressage10135 (Feb 11, 2009)

I'm sorry to hear you had a not so good show experience. Don't beat yourself up over it, this has happened to everyone at some point! 

I did want to ask you about something you said though. You said that he "got it in his mind to scare you enough to cry". Do you honestly believe your horse did that? Instead of blaming it on your horse, maybe talk to your trainer about a better warmup plan you can do before the next show to make sure he gets to see all the sights and sounds before you go into the class. 

Good luck at the next one!


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## Ace80908 (Apr 21, 2011)

Being anxious at a show is completely normal... the trick is to prepare yourself for that feeling and when the butterflies start, to have a strategy to deal with it. My strategy is to prepare, prepare, prepare. 

You said you got more and more anxious... next time, lunge your boy yourself. One, you'll know it was done, but two, it will keep you busy and burn some of YOUR nervous energy. Then spend plenty of time in the warmup ring, even if its just walking around on a loose rein... make sure you get to the show and arrange for the horse to be in the main arena for several laps so mirrors, flags, banners, murals, etc. aren't a surprise for you or your horse.

Finally, once you go in the ring, think "GAME FACE ON" ... put the smile on your face, get your body position, and think positive. Ride like you are supremely confident in your ability to take those other riders down!  Stop aiming for first place, just aim for a clean ride, or smooth transitions, or steady posting, - whatever - if those all come into place then the ribbons will follow.

Good luck, and don't worry - we all have had those bad show days, there will be many good ones to follow.


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## Dovefeather888 (Feb 24, 2012)

Ace80908 said:


> Being anxious at a show is completely normal... the trick is to prepare yourself for that feeling and when the butterflies start, to have a strategy to deal with it. My strategy is to prepare, prepare, prepare.
> 
> You said you got more and more anxious... next time, lunge your boy yourself. One, you'll know it was done, but two, it will keep you busy and burn some of YOUR nervous energy. Then spend plenty of time in the warmup ring, even if its just walking around on a loose rein... make sure you get to the show and arrange for the horse to be in the main arena for several laps so mirrors, flags, banners, murals, etc. aren't a surprise for you or your horse.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the ideas! I guess I should have taken him out the day before to see the mirrors, sounds, etc. I usually never get super anxious before a show, but my horse hadn't been in the arena we were showing in for a while. And my boy is a spooky horse. Not overly, but he is spooky. Again thanks for the ideas. Next show I'm gonna make sure he's not scared of anything.


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## Dovefeather888 (Feb 24, 2012)

Dressage10135 said:


> I'm sorry to hear you had a not so good show experience. Don't beat yourself up over it, this has happened to everyone at some point!
> 
> I did want to ask you about something you said though. You said that he "got it in his mind to scare you enough to cry". Do you honestly believe your horse did that? Instead of blaming it on your horse, maybe talk to your trainer about a better warmup plan you can do before the next show to make sure he gets to see all the sights and sounds before you go into the class.
> 
> Good luck at the next one!


Yeah I guess when I was writing this I was still upset over the show. You're right, I shouldn't blame my horse over things that really are my fault. I should have taken him out to the show ring the day before and had him trot and walk around it until he was fine with everything.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

If it makes you feel any better I went into a western rail class and my horse completely forgot all of his training and raced around the ring like a clown riding a giraffe. When I past my trainer (who is no longer my trainer). I heard her say what a disgrace I was and LAUGH at me. MY TRAINER LAUGHED AT ME!

That was the first time I ever cried in a show. I sat there in the line-up and cried. Had I not over heard her talking and laughing at me, I'd have been fine because horses loose their minds and riders blow their classes but Wow! You know?

Your trainer was right to pull you because you were obviously a mess. (nerves and naughty ponies) I'm sorry that the experience was so bad but next time... You'll be prepared and you'll do better. You'll see.


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## newhorsemom (Jun 20, 2008)

Best not to beat yourself up over it. Dressage10135 is right, everyone who shows has those kinds of experiences - you are not alone!

Believe it or not these are the classes you remember and will probably laugh at later on. My daughter had one where she was running late and in a total rush (almost missed the class) and very anxious and nervous. The horse totally picked up on it. They were supposed to enter at a trot and our horse was a turbo trotter!! She was trotting around the arena so fast that she lapped all of the horses about 3-4 times before they announced "walk please". I don't remember, but I'm sure she didn't place. We now remember it as one of the funniest classes she's had and we still laugh about it!

Every horse show will be different and every class will be different. You'll have great shows and you'll have not-so-great shows. Do you best to remember why you are there and have fun regardless. The next one will be better!


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

:hugs
It happens! I also agree with newhorsemom that, believe it or not, you will look back someday and laugh about this experience.


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## 4HCountryGirl (Aug 31, 2011)

This happened to me at fair last year. I did the same thing as you did. Maybe just work with him more at home and get him used to spooky objects. Hope your next show goes smooth!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

farmpony84 said:


> If it makes you feel any better I went into a western rail class and my horse completely forgot all of his training and raced around the ring like a clown riding a giraffe. When I past my trainer (who is no longer my trainer). I heard her say what a disgrace I was and LAUGH at me. MY TRAINER LAUGHED AT ME!
> 
> That was the first time I ever cried in a show. I sat there in the line-up and cried. Had I not over heard her talking and laughing at me, I'd have been fine because horses loose their minds and riders blow their classes but Wow! You know?
> 
> Your trainer was right to pull you because you were obviously a mess. (nerves and naughty ponies) I'm sorry that the experience was so bad but next time... You'll be prepared and you'll do better. You'll see.


 Gee I wonder why she is no longer your trainer? That's horrible!


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## Dovefeather888 (Feb 24, 2012)

Thanks for all the feedback, I feel a lot better and I'm laughing about it already.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

i rode a stud pony when i was about 6 years old (yea... awesome idea to allow a teeny child to ride a stallion!), and my trainer had me "try out" the dressage arena. He'd never been in there before, got one good look at himself in the mirror, and proceeded to rear up and lunge at it like crazy. I got dumped and then stepped on a couple times. I learned quite a bit that day!
I'm sure you learned a lot about yourself at your show as well! those kinda' things make us better/stronger riders.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

Just remember it happens to all of us! Unless of course you pay someone lots and lots of money to do everything for you so you can just hop on and take the credit. But I'm guessing that's not you All you can do is laugh and remember for next time, mirrors = boogie man

Here's one of my funny show stories to make you feel better
(this was on my used-for-everything horse) I knew he didn't like to jump, and I only needed a few more points to get high-point, so even if I got 4th in the hunter hack, I'd have enough. So I figured "I've been on enough horses to feel them hesitating, I'll be ready. I just need to make it over, and we'll be good"

Well there was three small x-rails w/ blue barrels as the standards on one of them, that just happened to be set in a clover pattern (jumps placed where barrels would be for barrel racing). Here I was already for him to fefuse the jumps, not so much for him running the barrel pattern. It was just a small local show, so by the 2nd turn I figured "what the h**l, I wasn't going to win the hunter hack class, so I just ran the pattern. I guess I'd been spending a little to much time on barrels, he saw them and was like " I know what to do, I know what to do!" 
Yeah, haven't lived that one down yet


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

my horse has gotten me to cry 3 times in the past 2 weeks from shock exhaustion and just plain crazy-ness. things happen, but 2 out of 3 times it wasnt his fault and the 3rd it was not to make me cry, just to get me off his back and go play buck-er-roo with the horses in the field beside the arena. Someone decided 'lets stir up those two horses while 4 people are riding in the arena beside it'....was a very great moment of stupidity on their part and a little 8 year old was lucky her dad was holding her pony and whisked her off so quickly.


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