Scarlet Hill XC schooling show

A large group from Valinor attended the Scarlet Hill XC schooling show. I was looking forward to get Carino on an off farm xc course. When I walked the course nothing really seemed to jump out as an issue..but thought he might take a look at the half ditch since he might not understand wether it is a ditch or a bank. But I wasn't really worried about the course. Our warm up started a little tense with many horses and in a large indoor with all the big doors open, LOTS TO LOOK AT! However, he settled down quite nice and we got some nice jumps in. The times however were moving quite slow, a few of us hacked around a little but still there was a long wait. We waited about 20 min before I finally was able to go.
He refused fence one, once or twice but I believe it was he jsut thought he was done from standing there so long and just chilling out watching all the other horses. We had a stop at the half ditch but he did a little launch over it the second of aproach and was fine. We then had to go in the woods and we had to trot since when we walked the course early that morning we already saw that some horses took some bad slides. He trotted into the woods great, over a log great however when we were heading out of the woods the footing turned into a huge black muck hole and then you could see the super bright field. Carino stopped dead in his tracks and shut down just like he did at the Mystic Water crossing. I used all my strength and the same tactics I knew but he was just shut down. Eventually Dana and Boo came and just stood in front of the opening and Carino went OH? It really isn't a mud monster trying to eat me and jumped right out of the woods. We then had a spot on rest of the course which was another 8 fences.
I am happy and frustrated with the ride. The good parts were so great that they almost over come the bad and I was happy he just got off property and saw some new things. Also, I talked a lot about these little mental things Carino has with Erin in my lesson the following day and it really helped and was looked as more of a learning expierence and a lesson about how my horse thinks and how I need to think to respond.