In most riding arena's will be a stack of jumping poles somewhere. My worst scenario is that there are jumps all over the place as it restricts me sometimes in my teaching. A few poles nearby come in handy with younger horses or horses that are not that interested in flatwork.

The strange thing is, that whenever the jumps are stacked outside the arena, for whatever reason they seem to always be at the far end. 

Imagine you are a young horse and you are going to have your first ridden experience in an arena. As soon as you come in there is a ghost lurking in the distance. you know where you just came from and where it felt safe. So that is where you want to go back to. This is exactly how often in the very beginning a pattern with `a ghost in the corner' is set.

Horses are animals of flight and in an arena most of them are secretly dreaming of their stable or their field. In my experience the whole issue of `the ghost at the far end' changes a great deal when for starters the jumps are living near the entrance and the end of the arena is made as inviting as possible. As a trainer, when I realize there is an issue with shying, I position myself near the spot where it occurs -more often than not it happens at the same spot- and talk the horse through it. Also, that is where it will be given a brake, a pet and sometimes a treat and also where the rider and I discuss what we are doing and why we are doing what, during the session. This way the area where the shying kept occurring will hopefully turn into a good place to relax a bit.

Do not... get upset or angry when your horse irritates you no end with shying at the same place, again and again. It will make it worse. There are other ways and better ways. One with a person on the ground in  the right place, as discussed above. And for the more experienced horse and rider there is a more technical approach. But that is for another time.   

Judging at the unaffiliated event at glorious Lanhydrock reminded me of a thought I have regularly, especially when a potential new pupil warns me about the fact that: `my horse does not like dressage'. 

I wholeheartedly agree that if ones aim is to do a decent enough dressage test at prenovice or novice level, as that is the standard which most riders aim for when eventing, dressage is thoroughly boring. Not just for the horse but also for the rider. As the standard of an intermediate, let alone an advanced, cross-country is seldom within reach , most riders don't think beyond that boring novice test.

Let us take a different approach. Your horse is going to get older and probably one day needs to slow down. There are several options. One is to just do some hacking or some local shows, which is fine if you are happy with that. However, it is possible to have another competition career, if you have done your homework right. Dressage isn't actually that boring if you change your view from training for a novice test to training to maybe do a medium test with some shoulder-in, a half-pass. Maybe even an advanced test with some flying changes.

Not interested? Feel free, but you are missing out. You think it's out of your reach? Probably not. 

If you think a little more long term and work seriously on your basics. Then  gradually dare to extend the comfort zone of you and your horse, it takes away the dead-end feeling and your horse will become interested and learn to like it. I can guarantee you that. The bonus is even better: higher marks when you do your tests at your events.

As I am not a show-jump expert, I can not be certain how this is similar for the show-jumping. All I know is that my pupils have always improved each phase of their performance dramatically, when taking both their dressage and their show-jumping serious and spend equal amount of time training for them. 

As a horse lover and dressage trainer I have watched, sat on, lunged, in short, studied horses and riders for over thirty five years and loved every minute of it. It is what makes me tick. Through those years many issues keep on reoccurring. What interests me particularly is, no matter what anybody’s aim is with their horse it should always be fair and with the best interest of the horse in mind. So, if you love your horse and you are a rider, please keep reading