Further to agreeing with what others have said... If the continual stress mounts to unbearable levels for her, check out the show surrounds in advance, so you know you can take her away to an environment that she can relax and chill at, before returning. Stress builds up when chronic(long term, never ending), until even mild stresses can cause a horse to get to 'the final straw'. But if you can give her even short stress free breaks in between, you can 'reset' her stress levels & then she will handle some more. If you can't do it in a manner that you can do this, then I'd quit doing more than single day shows for some time, until she can become very comfortable with the single days, including being stalled for short spells, and until she's comfortable being stalled overnight at more 'comfortable' places. And taking a *settled* mate with her should help her feel less anxious about it all.
High Energy Only At Shows
Hello!
I have been having trouble showing my horse. This has always been the case, and I have had her two years, but at this point, I feel that it is not just stage fright, but something bigger. She rarely needs to be lunged at home – or, at least, usually every other week. She is pretty mellow at home, and doesn't worry much.
However, ever since I got her, she has been really high energy at shows. She needs to be lunged three, sometimes four times a day. She will buck and kick, which she has never, ever done at home. She sometimes refuses to walk or woah.
I'm wondering what this is from. She has been to about... thirty shows, maybe forty, and every place it is the same thing. She is the calmest horse at the barn, but take her to a show, and she is the first one to flip out. Her diet doesn't change. Her feed times don't change. Her tack doesn't change.
What is going on?
I have been having trouble showing my horse. This has always been the case, and I have had her two years, but at this point, I feel that it is not just stage fright, but something bigger. She rarely needs to be lunged at home – or, at least, usually every other week. She is pretty mellow at home, and doesn't worry much.
However, ever since I got her, she has been really high energy at shows. She needs to be lunged three, sometimes four times a day. She will buck and kick, which she has never, ever done at home. She sometimes refuses to walk or woah.
I'm wondering what this is from. She has been to about... thirty shows, maybe forty, and every place it is the same thing. She is the calmest horse at the barn, but take her to a show, and she is the first one to flip out. Her diet doesn't change. Her feed times don't change. Her tack doesn't change.
What is going on?
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