Jumping Xrails @ Hunter Show

So me and Beau went to a hunter show over the weekend, and we were marked down because he didn't like, legit jump the ~6in xrails. The judge said we had everything else about perfect, but because he didn't actually jump, we got marked down.
I mean, he's schooling 2'3 so I didn't really expect him to jump the little xrails, but it's never mattered to any other judge whether he actually jumped or not.
Yes it was just a beginning of the year schooling show, and it's not all that important but it just was a little irritating.
EDIT: We were trotting the xrails. So he just trotted over them.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Good for you for getting out there!

How were you sitting on approach to the x rails? What were you doing in the saddle when you were coming up to a fence?

Often when the fences are small, riders tend to stop riding - which probobly is the case here, resulting in you leaving the work up to him, so he just "blobbed" over the small fences.

I can understand if he actually just "stepped" over them instead of actually jumping them. He was probably very unimpressed with them. I agree with MIEventer. Soetimes when the jumps are so small riders feel like they don't have to use their leg as much or do any work. But it really takes just as much leg to help him over it so he isn't expected to do all of the work by himself. I hope you had a great time even though you got marked down! Good luck!

My horse just refuses to jump cross rails at shows. Jumps them just fine at home. It's like he's embarrassed to jump those puny little cross rails while people are watching.

haha, sophie.
well, sorry 'bout your show.. don't have any training tips except for make a hugeee fuss over him when he jumps them! =]

at our local shows trotting into fences in the 18 division (or trotting lead changes) is not penalized, but if the horse doesn't canter inbetween the lines I imagine they would get counted off. Try picking up the canter as soon as the horse lands. Most horses will eventually start 'jumping' and cantering upon landing.

haha my horse does this too, in warmup. If i take him to the cross rail first, he refuses everytime. but i take him to the vertical, no problem. jumps xrails fine at home though.

What was your trot like going into the fence? When I was trotting in cross rails I found that if you had a good, solid working trot going into the fence, then the horse would jump it, as opposed to stepping over it and then canter in between fences.