How to Encourage Your Horse to Relax and Lengthen the Canter When Nervous at a Horse Show

I have a horse that likes to bottle up and go from a 12-foot stride to more of a 9-foot stride when he’s “up” at the horse shows. He is completely different at shows than he is at home. I feel like I’m shooting him out of a cannon to get down the line when we are at shows, but at home he’s easy to get to stretch and lengthen. I believed more miles was what we needed but he just does it randomly now. Some days he’s lovely and soft and other days he is a Holsteiner turned pony. What would you suggest to get him to lengthen in the lines? We are doing hunters otherwise I would just add a stride and call it a day. What exercises can I do at home that can be in my back pocket at shows when he decides to be a pony that day? Thank you so much!

Often horses, when nervous or excited, actually have a shorter stride because they get behind a rider’s hand and leg, and “bottle up” as you described it.

At the show spend 15-20 minutes just walking to give your horse a chance to relax and unwind. Spend another 10-15 letting your horse trot on a long (not loose) rein so he gets in front on your leg, takes a feel of your hand, and stretches down. After this warm-up you can canter a small cross rail or vertical with a pole placed 48 feet beyond it. Canter the jump, close your leg on landing, and, without losing contact of the mouth, send him forward for three strides over the pole. Repeat this exercise off of both leads, increasing height. Once you build an oxer, move the pole out the same distance as the width of the oxer.

To encourage him to land and open his stride, use your stick behind your leg on the landing stride. This will get him thinking to go forward as soon as he lands. Next, you can replace the stick with a cluck on the landing as the similar noise of the cluck and the stick means the same thing to the horse once he is conditioned to the stick. But it’s very important to follow his head and neck without losing the feel of the mouth! I cannot stress this enough, as dropping the contact translates to abandonment to a horse. This same exercise can be used at home as well.

Click on the links below for more blog posts on similar topics:

Train Your Horse to Land Further Away and Go Forward After a Jump by Linda Allen

Encouraging Your Horse To Open Its Stride Through The Turn On Course by Geoff Teall and Julie Winkel.

How to Encourage a Hunter Horse with High Head Carriage to Stretch Down by Geoff Teall

Tips to Get Perfect Strides in a Line With Your Horse by Julie Winkel

Troubleshooting: Getting Your Horse In Front Of Your Leg by Geoff Teall

Coping With Warm-Up Ring Nerves by Tonya Johnston