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Help me stop picking in front of fences...; why can't I stop this bad habit....Argh.
Topic Started: Jun 30 2007, 03:24 PM (1,023 Views)
barngirl
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I Visited Candy Mountain and All I Got Was This Lousy Incision
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Today I was having a good day... I rode the boarder's very green mare and had her going very well... bending, canter and not racing around.. we even juped and she was quite wonderful... unlike two days ago when she dumped two differetn iders. So I was understandably feeling good about myself.
So I go to ride my beastie. He was very quiet on the flat and was good over his first few fences. Then I asked him to do the four stride line. He got ther in three and I of course picked for the four. :brickwall: it so wasn't there and we had a crash. It was a roll top, which he managed not to put a foot through, but did get a nasty cut/scrape on his back hind leg just above the coronet band ( he seems sound on it and it looked bad, but hardly bled.). Because at the time the cut didn't look good, I had to end the schooling session. I doubt it will affect him, as he knows his way around a course. (Its him in my avatar) I feel really horrible for having done that to him. And really pissed off at myself. I was so good on the greenie, but I do that too my guy more often than I would like to admit ( not the crashing part.. but the picking to a very tight distance.) He has been really good and I have been really good, but I am now scared I am going backwards.
Any one have any exercises or insights as to ways to stop this. One trainer told me if I must pick then at least put my leg on. Which I try to do. I am also going to work on that seeing the distance exercise in June PH. I know this sounds weird, but I swear that I pick more when I try counting strides and I am better when I just ride and try to flow and stay out of his way.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am open to any and all suggestions.
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La Gringa
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Starving Artist
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I have a habit of doing this too. What fixes it for me is pace. If I come forward out of a turn and keep the rythmn down the line, look up and stop worrying about the jumps, I don't pick.

Picking is like worrying. Make yourself a "panic button" on your horse's mane, tie a piece of string in the mane and when you think about picking press the button. It works!!

Just stay forward and keep a good pace. Your horse can actually figure it out pretty well if you just get him there.

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Melliebay
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It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
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A wise trainer once told me "when jumping, come out of the corner, and park one stride, push the next, and then leave your horse alone". So I come through the corner, as soon as I am straight I half halt, then the next stride I add a little leg, and then I sit STILL AND TALL. If I remember to do these things, I don't miss. (if only I could remember them all the time!). The exercise gets your horse underneath himself so that no matter what the distance, it will be easy for them and feel natural, rather than when they jump off the forehand because you picked at their face.

I hope this helps!
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barngirl
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I Visited Candy Mountain and All I Got Was This Lousy Incision
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Thanks guys... those are really both good suggestions. I will try both tommorow... if he is rideable. He seemed fine about the cut, I think I am more worried about it getting infected or something due to its location. But He seems fine. Thanks again for he suggestions. i'll let ya know how it goes tomorrow. it is suppose to be a grogeous day for riding. Can't wait.
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lisa
Schooling
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Are you saying you attempted to jump a four stride line in three strides?
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Renn/aissance
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Hakuna matata!
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No, her horse attempted to jump a four stride line in a three that was evidently right there, but she picked for the four, to uninspiring results. Hoping your boy is doing all right.

My personal method to stop picking? Gallop. Forget about related distances. Jump in and do not jump out, instead moving off to the rail or rolling back to a different jump. Focus on a really good pace. Keep that pace consistent. If you have to, drop your reins. I'm horrible at backing off and then playing "where's my spot?" only to find that there is, in fact, no spot, but if I gallop up, it's always there.

Note: galloping is subjective. On my horse, I have to think "GALLOP! GO TIP GO!" because otherwise he falls asleep. On yours, you may just have to make a consistent effort to follow and keep him in front of your leg and moving with impulsion. As a very wise trainer said to me (after jumps where there were whole strides after our take-off point, and then jumps where we overcompensated for these leapers) "You cannot jump with no pace. You have to keep your pace to keep jumps in the realm of possibility." If I think "gallop up, keep it in the realm" I don't pick.
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SnackPack
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You're BANNED!
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Renn/aissance
Jul 7 2007, 06:59 PM
No, her horse attempted to jump a four stride line in a three that was evidently right there, but she picked for the four, to uninspiring results.

If she headed for the three, SHE made the mistake, not the horse.

IMO, the first jump is what makes or breaks you in a line. As you're jumping the first fence, you should be deciding where you are and what needs to be done. There's pretty much just three choices when going down the line based on what happened at the first jump:

1. Add more leg, move up and cover some ground (weak jump in or to leave a stride out in jumpers)
2. Keep a supportive leg, sit up, half halt (bold jump in or to add from a weak jump)
3. Do nothing and just flow forward (good jump in)

There are degrees of each of those options, but that's pretty much what you have unless you pull out of the line.

To get you to stop picking, I would suggest some gymnastics with your arms out to your sides or on top of your head. You won't be able to pick. :teehee: Also, the grabbing mane...for the whole line...as suggested above. Take away the ability to pick and well..you just can't.
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Danielle Fournier
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I used to pick to fences as well, also picking apart those distances! My trainer finally made me shorten my reins so I had a bit of contact, and then wrapping my hands in the mane so they could not move! Then I would count out loud to every stride "One, Two, One Two" and once I started doing that I actually let the stride happen on it's own without helping it. Sometimes we would go long, and sometimes short, but I learned to trust my horses instincts and ride with her, not against her.

Good Luck! Breaking habits takes 21 times at least, so don't beat on yourself too hard!
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Dancinglite
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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barngirl
Jun 30 2007, 06:24 PM
Then I asked him to do the four stride line. He got ther in three and I of course picked for the four. :brickwall: it so wasn't there and we had a crash.

Sounds like a trainer/coach is needed.
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In The Gate
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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To me, it sounds like your probelm was that you didn't decide how many strides you wanted in the line before you jumped in.

If it's a four stride line, and you jump in strong, you have to slow down. If you decided before you wanted to leave a stride out and do it in three, you needed to push going into the line.

Now, that's not to say if you decided to do the line in three strides you should get three if your horse has a lousy jump in. At that point, you need to decide (immediately!) to hold for four, or even do the add stride and get five.

Also, unless you specifically ask your horse for something other than the standard striding, you should be getting the regular strides. If it's a four stride line, he should get four, unless you specifically decide otherwise. However, it's your job as a rider to make sure he's getting down the lines appropriately. If he's getting down a four stride in three, that means you needed to regulate his stride earlier; it doesn't mean don't regulate his stride at all and allow him to do what he wants and get three! You weren't wrong to try and hold him for four strides -- it just sounds like you didn't ask for what you wanted early enough.

Are your lines set short? If you got down a straight four stride line in three strides without pushing your horse must have a enormous stride -- if the line was set at 12' per stride, that would put him at about a 16' stride.

I've gotten out of a line on a half stride -- once -- it was ugly. Thank goodness, my horse totally saved me from crashing, but she sure wasn't happy about it. I nearly gave my trainer a heart attack when I did that. She told me that I was NEVER allowed to do that again; that I had to make a decision about what I wanted earlier.


If you find you're leaving from the half stride more than once in a blue moon, I agree, a professional evaluation is probably in order.
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hedmbl
Weanling
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this is my problem to a T. I used to be the most confident jumper ever (ignorance tends to have that affect!) Then I bought my '4 foot' jumper. He was supposed to be my move up horse. Had him on trial for a month and he was perfect. As soon as the check cleared his dirty stop came to light. Nothing like a dirty stopper to shake your confidence a bit (and by dirty I mean he would actually stop with me in a one stride). Anyway my coping method (b/c he tended to stop at distances that were just a tad long) was to pick down to the base to ensure a short spot (a dead, ugly short spot but at least I knew he would leave the ground or at least be in the backseat if he decided to do the ol' duck the shoulder and spin move he was oh so fond of.)
Anyway, I used to do GM clinics a few times a year and his advice for my picky hands was simply to keep the pace through the turn and to NOT look for a distance. Pretty much the hardest thing in the world is to NOT look for a distance when most of us have been drilled on the 'perfect' spot. Anyway he would stand at the end of the ring and hold up fingers then have me jump the line or whatever while calling out how many fingers he had up. As soon as I was distracted from getting picky and focused on being 'perfect' everything just sort of panned out and my rounds were great. Leave it to the master to offer such a simple solution to a complex problem haha.

I have a friend that had this problem as well and she got over it by listening to her i-Pod when she jumped. The same concept as George employed just focusing on the music instead. My old trainer used to sing 'row row row yourboat' and my other friend counts to 4 in time with her horses stride over and over again.
Hope this helps! Iknow how frustrating picky hands can be!!Andof course trainer input is ALWAYS a wonderful thing, picky hands tend to make stoppers and stoppers tend to make picky hands, viscious cycle!!! Good luck!
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Mrs. Malcolm Darcy
We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I get "picky" because I've had two strong OTTBs. Both extremely honest, but I've always felt the need to hold, which of course is wrong.

My first horse had enough stride when I had him that holding didn't take away so much stride that we got in trouble. Either that or he didn't come back easily. Or maybe I was braver and trusted his judgement.

Now this horse I have is a little older now and can't make up for big mistakes the way he used to. He's still a little strong and hot, but you can put your leg on him. But you can't brace off stirrup and arms or he gets quicker on a shorter stride. I'm older too and am not so brave so I pick away at the right pace until I have too little stride to get us down the lines.

The main problem in both cases was/is the pace. When the horse got too strong is because he's unbalanced. As my first horse became steadier and stronger (not pulling strong, physically strong in the back and hind end, his pace didn't feel as fast because he had a relaxed, longer stride. So I picked less. His perfect pace put in the right spot down any line - esp. at 3'6" - and he was smart enough that I could just sit there and he'd figure out the adjustment. the best boy.

I haven't figured it out with Nigel yet. I'll let you know when I do!
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Lord Helpus
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I Visited Candy Mountain and All I Got Was This Lousy Incision
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If you were doing a 4 line in 3 you certainly weren't picking. Picking is doing a 4 line in 6.

What you did was jump in strong, do nothing until it was too late, panic and try to rip his face off to fit a stride in that wasn't there. That is not picky -- That is riding off the numbers instead of riding off your eye.

From your Avatar, it looks like you are advanced enough to know whow to ride inside a line; the first stride away from the jump in determines the jump out. You do NOT fix the jump out at the last minute.

Being picky was NOT your problem in this case -- Setting up the line was the problem. You jumped in and "vegged out/your brain went to Barstow/you had a senior moment" (<--- not confined to people over 50 :P ).

BTW, to me, "picky" means that you are nipping at his mouth with no leg to keep the motor running, so he is dying on you. This is different from "waiting it out" which is half halting with your leg on him, which changes his impulsion from forward to vertical, but you do not lose any of the power you need to clear the jump; the stride shortens, but the hind end comes under the horse and he gets bouncier.

Shortening his stride is not a bad thing, as long as you are riding the back end and keeping the impulsion going by keeping your leg on him.

BTW(2), If he got the cut on his hind leg, it means that he tried to jump, even from a horrible spot. Kudos to him. Nice horse.
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Sing Mia Song
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Never having seen you ride, I don't know if this will work for you.

My old trainer had me ride out of the corner and close my eyes. I couldn't do anything to the horse but set my knuckles in the mane. I actually have a picture of myself at WIHS with my eyes closed. Everyone who sees it says "oh, too bad you blinked!" and I just smile and agree.

Luckily I am currently riding a horse who needs the pick. Just today, he saw the brick wall and said "yeah, man!" and jumped right through my hand. :rolleyes: My trainer walked over and found his footprints and said :jaw: ! I said "I saw the right distance! I closed my hand and he just left the grounds!" and she said "I know, but :jaw: !"
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