Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The Outside Course!

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Jumping Question. Kinda long.
Topic Started: Apr 4 2007, 08:27 PM (255 Views)
elektra949
Member Avatar
We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
[ *  *  *  * ]
First and foremost, I'm not pushing him in any way to do something he doesn't want to do. I just wanted some input, to see if it is something that might be curable with a different approach or some suggestions.

Tex is 11. He's an OTTB, healthy, no leg or back problems.
He doesn't like to jump. AT least nothing in between wo standards. On the trail, he has no problem jumping fallen logs, ditches, or anything put in front of us (providing it's small, I don't ever take him over anything higher than foot or so, because he isn't trained for it and I don't want to injure him).

In the arena, he is ALWAYS a stopper. He would refuse once or twice, then go ahead and jump, providing another horse jumped the fence right in front of him before he did. Alone, he refuses to jump. Like refuses, stops dead in front of the fence, every time. I've tried everything. Punishing him, spurs, crop, even taking him over the fence from the ground (which he STILL refuses).

I don't have a trainer(but there is ALWAYS someone there when I try to jump him, and I'm always in a helmet), but I've been jumping since I've been six. If this was a 4 foot fence, I could understand that it may be me. But, I've videotaped me riding, and had friends that have been jumping for years come to help me out. None of them can find anything wrong with my position or my hands or anything that would cause him to lose him confidence. These are TINY fences here, its surprising to me that he seems to be afraid of them.

Unfortunately, I have moved him to a smaller facility that has no jumping people. We have a few fences set up, but the fellow boarders dont use them.
Any suggestions for this? I mean I'm not going to ever show him, he's really just me pet and my buddy. I just wish he enjoyed and shared my love of jumping :(

Thanks for reading guys, any input would be appreciated :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
OpticalIllusion
Member Avatar
You're BANNED!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
When I was younger I was given a pony that was a nasty stopper. He would gallop down to the fence and then suddenly slam on the breaks or drop his shoulder at the last minute and run sideways. After I learned how to stay on through all his tricks. we would have a not so nice discussion every time he stopped. carried a bat every ride and each time he stopped he got in some serious trouble. After he got over it, he really started to enjoy jumping and turned out to be a great hunter pony and would jump ANYTHING you put infront of him up to 4' (Thats all I was willing to do) including the one time he accidentally jumped out of the ring with me. Oops. It may just be a matter of your horse realizing he really doesnt have any other option.

This of course does not apply to EVERY horse. It just happened to be that pony.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
2hsmommy
Member Avatar
It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Different opinion than the above post, as it sounds like you've tried that. How about just riding him thru the standards w/o any poles? When he goes thru them confidently, put one pole on the ground. When he goes thru them confidently, make a low cross rail. When he does that with out hesitation, make the crossrail a bit bigger.
Don't overface him, take it really slow.
I'd also suggest a vet to check his vision maybe. And of course a trainer. :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Brydelle Farm
Member Avatar
Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Posting a video might be helpful. But going with the info you gave, since he jumps willingly out in the field, it would seem that he doesn't hurt anywhere and can see well, as out in the field, the terrain would be less even, no ground lines, etc, more difficult for a horse. Have you had him all his life, perhaps he had a very bad accident in the ring, so as 2hsmommy said, go slow, start with poles on the ground, move slowly, and see how he does. If he like to play follow the leader, do that more, if possible, until you build his confidence up.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · The Barn Aisle · Next Topic »
Add Reply