Can a horse that rushes the fences be "fixed"

Be slowed down to ride like in a hunter show? I am asking because I have the opportunity to purchase a sweet girl that I have been riding for 2 months (but can't continue unless I buy her), but I am having a hard time with her as she rushes after she has been warmed up a little. It is almost like she just want to get it over with. It may be something I am doing, but she did this to her current owner too. I am in lessons 2 times a week, and have a fairly confident seat, but am new to jumping. I LOVE her and want to buy her, but this is most likely THE ONLY horse I will ever have, so I want to be able to do fun stuff with her... I have spent countless nights up thinking about it...My trainer doesn't want to sway me either direction. When asked she just says that she thinks we are doing well together. I get frustrated that she runs away with me if I try to do 2-3 jumps in a row...but if it is fixable I am in!!! What do you think?

As long as you are getting frustrated, no she will never get better. Ask your instructor what she thinks will help the situation. Using ground poles, gymnastics, and halting exercises will help for sure. I knew an OTTB who used to zoom around the arena on the flat and o/f but settled down quite a bit after doing exercises and being ridden consistently.

I think it can be fixed. Its going to take a very quiet rider. Quiet hands, Quiet seat. And lots of suppling and steady work. Hey try her out on those low cross rails...mix it up. It sounds pretty easy to fix.

Yes, it can be fixed. For example, the horse I ride (Daytona) used to rush to the fences. I fixed it (well, 90%; I'm still working with her) by just using soft hands, sitting deep into the saddle, & breathing. I also spoke with her softly as I went to the jumps, to calm her down. Doing circles & slowing your posting can also help.
Little squeezes with the reins (not applying too much pressure; just some little squeezes) also make it so they are paying attention to you.

Sometimes they are eager but sometimes they learn to rush because they got pushed a little too fast and are throwing themselves over to make sure they clear the jump - just take it down a notch to some small crossrails and see if it's the same story...

Clover was one who use to rush fences horribly. He was jumped way too high way too soon by the person who had him before me. The previous rider use to basically get him straight to the fence and then just use the crop on his butt all the way to get him over the fence. No wonder the poor boy wanted to rush. Then when I got him, he was my first horse and I was so use to pokey lesson horses, it took me a while to learn to use my seat and not my hands (which never worked!) to slow him down. Anyway, he did learn to slow down to fences, and does well when he is in consistant work, however, I have had to give him time off and when comming back, we always have to kind of start over with the fences. Although he learned to slow down to the fences, he will always have that tendency to rush if he has not been worked regularly (nervious habbit maybe or too much energy or a combination of both). So, you really have to decide if it is something that you are willing to consistantly work on. You said this is going to be your only horse, so if you want something more laid back, than maybe this is not the horse for you. But if you want a good challange, it sounds like you instructor feels you are ready for it and can handle it and this could turn out to be a great horse. I know that when I first started leasing Clover, it took a lot of convincing by my instructor that I was ready for a challange like him, but he turned out to be a great horse I ended up buying him a few months later and now, it's five years later and I love him to death!

When My Horse Gets Eager Going 2 A Fence I Turn Him Away (Providing Its Not 3-4 Strides Before The Jump) And I Get Him To Trot Circles Around The Jump Untill He Relaxes. I Keep The Circles Gradually Getting Closer To The Jump. If He Gets To Eager Again I Make The Circles Away From The Jump And Gradually Bring Him Back In Again. Keep Doing It Until He Calmly Jumps The Jump On The Circle! Works Everytime For Me You Need Patience Though!

I ditto what LaurenOscar said. It sounds like your horse has confidence issues with jumping...actually the majority of the time a horse rushes is because it's not confident. They'll jump, simply because it's in front of them and their emotions are running away and they can't stop their feet.

Agreed with the last two posters, you need to get it through her head that she cannot rush. The minute she rushes you can pull her up and make her halt, or you can do circles, etc. The key is to not let her jump until she's calm. If she starts to run away with you towards the jump it's better to sit her on her butt a few strides before the fence and make her stop than to let her rocket launch over it. Also, go back to ground poles where it is really easy to correct rushing. If you have to hold her in over a pole there's no danger of her knocking fences over and hurting herself or you. Start making up courses of just poles on the ground and trotting and cantering them like they are real jumps. If she gets rushy you can circle or stop if it's bad or use your seat and close your hip angles and sit up to slow her down before the "fence". If you can fix it on the flat and over the poles, progress to small x-rails, nothing higher than a foot and a half to two feet. If you can get her to not rush a 2 foot fence, then she shouldn't rush anything (except for needing a bit more impulsion for the bigger fences which is NOT the same as rushing). If you need specific exercises I can probably come up with a few for you just pm me. Good luck!

I Personally Wouldnt Stop The Horse At The Jump Because That Would Encourage Stopping. Also If I Stop Oscar If he's Being Eager Chances Are He'll Bull Off On Me Anyway Or He'l Just Start Prancing On The Spot Or Shooting Backwards Whereas If I Keep Him Moving On A Circle He Relaxes Quicker And Bettr
But I Guess Its All Down To Opinion And Horse!