A horse who rushes fences

[suzii]

Yeah er.... I'm guessing gridwork would sort it out, but I have no clue how to lay it out (striding ect!)

Help!!

p.s. He doesn't rush into them, just over them!

[brigadier]

Hi Suzzi Grid work is good for horses that are a bit slow as it encourages forward momentum- I think it actually may encourage your horse to go faster. ....oh run out of time to do solution but will be back - OH banging off cause we are supposed to be going to a BBQ Sorry....back soon
brig

[kateflashy]

some people say circle in front of the fence several times so its not anticipated that your gonna jump

[brigadier]

Hi suzii

Kate is right- the best way to get your horse calm is to get the in between stuff going well so that the horse is balanced and confident and relaxed. Horses rush for two reasons, they either get terribly excited so get carried away with themselves or they are worried so rush to get through it! the horses that enjoy it and are excited are harder to work with as you dont want to spoil their enthusiasm! Quiet riding is the best strategy.
The nervous horses can be rewarding to work with as its about giving them confidence and getting them to trust you. Lots of flatwork and circles before the fence, only jumping it when the horse is going very balanced and relaxed.
brig

[maximum]

Am slightly confused as you say he DOESNT rush into them just OVER them? once he leaves the ground he cant actually rush so could you maybe explain what happens as you approach jump and is it courses or stand alone jump?

[fleabitten]

I have this problem too i think - Princess quickens her pace as soon as you turn for a pole and is harder to stop than on the flat - on the flat you can get her to go from trot to halt with a slight pull and resist, halting almost immediately. Even walking over the poles. when i trotted over them i thought she was going to take off. When jumping from canter she pings over the jump and then scrambles to get away at a fast canter - this even happens when jumping from trot. Maybe she is nervous of jumping?? Its not doing much for my confidence jumping - a nervous pony and a nervous rider dont go well together - although i must say - when we practiced walking over the poles yesterday she was much calmer walking over them and in between them by the end.

[fleabitten]

btw - she doesnt take off when jumping, she will stay in trot if you ask her too although it takes some holding back.

also the jump doesnt slow her down!

also she doesnt cat leap the jumps

[duckles]

I think a horse can rush because he's excited but also because he's unschooled or unfit or even afraid and thinks the best way to handle the jump is to bomb ahead. So flat work schooling is really the best solution but can be long term. In the short term, I think trotting into the jump can help, you can put a placing pole at trot distance. As Brigadier says a grid can encourage a horse to go faster and it can be pretty hairy being on a horse as he goes faster and faster through a grid. My own horse always rushes a bit when he hasn't jumped for a while so I just try and keep it quiet and he settles down eventually. My instuctor hates me circling before a jump for some reason and when he was really rushing, she would make me trot into the jump, canter and go back to trot again. All quiet and no pulling or giving out. Again, if the horse is a bit unbalanced or unused to jumping, keep the jumps small so that he will find his balance and confidence. With a very experienced horse, they usually quieten more with bigger or more difficult jumps.

[aimee]

Horses can also rush fences because they associate pain with jumping...check you are not jabbing him in the mouth as he jumps and that your leg is secure.

Try some half halts before you turn to the jump to get him listening to you.

Also work on your landing. Don't just let him tank off on his own accord. Sit still and straight and pick him up as soon as he lands and make sure he goes in a straight line.

good luck!

[duckles]

"Horses can also rush fences because they associate pain with jumping...check you are not jabbing him in the mouth as he jumps and that your leg is secure. "
Good Point Aimee

[fleabitten]

maybe aimee - although i have a pretty secure seat and i have watched her being jumped with other people and she is exactly the same with them, even my instructor!

perhaps when she was taught to jump she was told off for knocking poles?? When im on her her ears prick stiffly and she locks her eyes onto the jump and trots fast into it - with her head in the normal place - she just looks keen!

Have been practicing with poles in the field at walk mainly and we are just beginning trot - im trying to teach her not to rush over the poles so maybe that would transfer into the jumping - so she will approach the poles calmly, cross them calmly and ride away calmly - i have found that if i dont tense the reins to stop her going fast and start trotting from a short distance away - giving small pulls which works well! if she speeds up - then letting her have her head to go over the poles - then steadying her again after them .

also when we walk round the corner to turn for them she begins to walk faster and tries to trot so i just halt her and then proceed on at a walk, then trot. Or sometimes i would steer her away and halt her in between the poles.

But she is getting better - maybe there is some hope yet!

[suzii]

May 18, 2008 8:19:41 GMT maximum said:

Am slightly confused as you say he DOESNT rush into them just OVER them? once he leaves the ground he cant actually rush so could you maybe explain what happens as you approach jump and is it courses or stand alone jump?

Sorry maxie didn't explain that very well!!

Basically you can come into the jump and it feels like you are about to stop he is going to slow!! Then, you kick and he takes off immediately and from miles away from the jump. So he's not rushing the approach at all, just the last couple of stides - hope that makes sense!!

[brigadier]

Sounds a bit like he is confused as to where he should take off.
Its interesting because someone has just posted about not seeing a stride and I think your fella might have been ridden by someone who tries to place him at a jump and someone who leaves him to it so he is totally confused. Hence he goes in slow as he is uncertain then takes off when you tell him because he is really genuine and wants to do as you say.

I would go back to basics by rescooling him with placing poles and trotting into the jumps, that way he can get his confidence again and you both can start again together. Read the other post too as it will help.

what do you think Maxie?

[maximum]

totally brig he sounds like he is waiting for you to tell him what to do and he has to learn to do it himself. your job is to present hi at the jump straight and with sufficient impulsion and rhythym and his is to jump it.

As brig says go back to pole work.

have poles laid out on a 20 meter circle at the 4 quarters and just trot the circle ignoring the poles, stay balanced and let him work out how to trot over the poles after the first few times he will trot over the poles as if they are not there.

then move onto to some grids of just poles to start with in various different placings so he has to work out where to put his feet. then you can start to put up the poles as jumps.

I can highly recommend this book

www.amazon.co.uk/101-Jumping-Exercises-Horse-Rider/dp/0715324055/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212052370&sr=8-1

you will never run out of ideas!

[Becca]

Brainwave (or not) would loose jumping help? if he is waiting to be told what to do loose jumping will make him think more for himself. you could also use the pole work and grids loose too

[brigadier]

Hi Becca,
loose jumping is worth a try and he may get his confidence back but from how it sounds- the horse has lost confidence in the rider (any rider) and is doing preservation jumping, so he may loose jump ok but revert back with a rider. It depends really what is going on in his head so anything may work- its finding what that solution is.
brig

[Becca]

oh good at least it wasn't a totally random thought haha. plus i love loose schooling as i love watching the way they move