Hi,
My tb mare has recently started rushing at jumps because it may be an anxiety issue or excitement prob. I was just wondering if this has happened to any one else and their horse and if it has how yougot it under control, maybe using cavaletti poles before the jump. if there are any other ways please let me know.
if i approach at a trot she will go to canter if i approach at canter shell take 3 very short strides at the gallop and basically everytime she knocks them no matter how small they are.
Don't let her take the jump unless she stays at a consistent pace. If she rushes at all, turn her off into a circle and approach again. Repeat until her approach is steady. Do this whenever schooling and it should become habit for her and you..."you don't get to take the jump until you approach nicely"
I have seen it work with a few horses nicely, maybe it would be a helpful method for you.
Also, I think you are correct...it sounds anxiety related. I would school on very low cross poles for a while to build up her confidence. She is throwing off her striding when she rushes, so she knocks the pole, so she is more nervous next time, so she throws off her striding again by rushing in, and so on...vicious cycle.
I agree with AKPaintLover, and I have also seen turning before the jump work. Another thing you can try is walking up to the jump, and asking for trot just a few strides before. Keep the jump small of course, so that she doesnt have any issues getting over it.
I agree as well. I've posted that idea before......I guess great minds think alike! It does sound like a confidence issue. Just take it slow and be patient. It's all about approach and retreat. At the FIRST sign of tension, peel off and put her on a circle and wait until she relaxes, then re-approach.
Here is a quick article on horses that refuse jumps.
Refuses Jumps
If you’ve ruled out painful feet or joints as the reason for your horse not wanting to jump, then more than likely he is afraid of jumping or sick of it. There are usually two major reasons horses will react to your request to jump. Fearful horses have panic reactions; confident horses have defiant reactions. Either way, smacking them is not going to help. While you might scare them over it a few times, it won’t take long before you have even greater problems. Your horse will start to associate jumps with you smacking him and that does not bode well for making positive progress.
If your horse has a tendency to brace and rush at the jumps, or run off afterwards, he is most likely afraid of jumping. If you have a horse that doesn’t want to go forward, tends to buck going into the canter, he’s probably more lazy, stubborn or unmotivated about jumping.
The fearful horse needs lots of time, repetition and baby steps... like starting with a pole on the ground and crossing it at a walk, turning back and crossing it again and again (don’t go around in circles until he’s confident). The defiant, unmotivated horse needs a reason to jump. He’s highly motivated by rest, scratches and treats / grass. You’ll be amazed at how quickly he starts to like jumps.
At my riding school they have one horse who absolutely LOVES to jump. She rears of you don't let her jump it at the speed you want ie, you hold her back. They circle her up to the jump if she to excited, and we have found that she has become a lot calmer with jumping as she knows that if she goes the speed she is asked to go, she will get to jump it quicker.
With my mare that I taught to jump, she used to get to excited (i do this with my appy now as well). I always have the jump low, and just walk them up to the jump, just walk over it a few times. Then walk in and at different times, ask them to trot and let them trot over it. That way, because I am always changing when I am asking them to trot, they never know when they are allowed to speed up.
Yes. Turning in circles definitely will help.
Keep turning her until she listens.
I don't have a TB, but my QH mare will do that sometimes going to jumps; & turning her in circles always gets her back under control!
Circles will definately help. Keeping a contact on her will definately help (i.e. don't let her run through your hands, circle her bring her to your level).. Setting up a gymnastic will probably help or cavalleti poles before the jump so she must trot it. If you think it's anxiety related, talk her down.. stay calm and coo "easy" "easy" "easy" soothing her will probably help.
I have a TB who has had this problem. It has been greatly reduced by using trot poles. We worked on this for a few weeks before attempting to canter. It did wonders for reseting his brain. Another option is canter poles.
Well circles will help alot just make sure she doesn't get into the habbit of running out...We have had that happen to some lesson ponies because the kids will circle right before a jump so when the more experienced people ride the ponie it thinks it can just run out.
What I use is trot poles before the fence, gymnastics, and stride poles
Trot Poles before the fence.
-set up 4-5 poles a decent amount of length apart and then make a jump
-do this over and over agian making your horse trot through the poles.
-if you keep raising the jump it will also teach your horse to slow down and rock back
Gymnastics (we do them once a month)
-set up 4 bounces to a 1 stride oxer.
-make your horse trot the first fence and then make her/him slow down rock back and bounce every jump then push for the stride and jump the last fence
-this teaches your horse to watch where he/she is putting their feet and when to listen to your legs
Stirde poles
-put one pole 1 stride before a fence and 1 pole a stide after the fence
-jump the pole-jump-pole
-this will make your horse slow down and either shorten-lengthen his/her stride.I have a very energetic mare and this will calm her down very quickly. This will also make them think and listen to you and your aids!!!
Hope this works and let us know if you come up with anything new!!!
First of all, I agree that you should not let your horse jump when it's running through your hands. I disagree with turning it at the jump. You need to completely stop the horse, back it up a few steps, stop. Then try it again. By turning the horse, you will teach it to "run out." This is dangerous. I would start with ground poles and then work up to an X. Don't do anything higher until your horse learns to listen to you and gains some confidence. You can even do a gymnastics line with X's before moving up. This will bring your horse back on it's haunches and enable it to pick up its knees better. Good luck!
Use a leading pole before the first jump, and put your jumps and caveletties into one long line/row to make a gymnastic, so she has to think between jumps and doesn't have time to rush. Vary the heights and distances, but don't make any of them longer than 2 strides apart. Utilize bounces and one strides to keep her guess. Even throw in some trot poles! You want her thinking about the jumps and obstacles, instead of just wanting rush through them.
Also be aware of your position. Keep your legs under you, don't let them swing back. Keep your back, shoulders, and arms soft, so you don't transmit tension to her. LOOK UP, not down at the jump. BREATHE!! :wink: Singing sometimes helps, to distract horse and rider a bit, and it helps to keep your breathing. Don't get ahead of her motion at the canter. Really sit between the jumps (on a normal course) and "ride" her through the canter, so she collects and focuses back on you. Once she's doing better, you can go back to half seat if that's what you prefer.
If your trainer isn't helping you with these things, then I would seriously consider looking for a new trainer. Rushing is a common issue, one any trainer worth their fee should be able to help you fix within a few lessons.
Also, I will warn you AGAINST stopping or turning out in front of the jumps (unless you turn a circle VERY early, as to not confuse her). This can teach an already confused and excited horse to refuse or duck out. You're better off to go back and work on Dressage for a few months, getting her to listen to your aids and come round. Then when you do start jumping, use a variety of jumps, poles, and cavaletties in a gymnastic set up to keep her focused and FORCE her to be slow by using the obstacles at hand, so you can avoid hauling on her face or teaching her bad habits. You need to stay soft, relaxed, and focused, so she will be more likely to do the same.
If a horse gets rushy I'm totally for turning them out or stopping them before the jump. It shows them that they will not be able to jump unless they are under control. I have used it in training many speedy horses and it always does the trick. Id on't believe that pulling a horse out of a jump or stopping teaches them to refuse, unless you do it a lot. Everyonce in a while, it won't hurt at all.
I will just work in a figure 8 before the jump if they start getting speedy and we will only take it once they have calmed down.
I also like to halt after the jump if they like to get out of control because it teaches them that they cannot just run off and that they need to listen tp you.
Poles before and after the jumps helps a lot also because it forces them to be more careful and pay attention to their feet which means they cannot speed around like crazy.
If a horse will so readily refuse a jump just because it has been turned out or stopped due to rushing it is possible that the action was not administered correctly or jumping is just not that horse's thing. If the horse is given plenty of time and confidence to jump the jumps that are being presented to it, it should want to take the jump (refusing is often due to lack of confidence or some training issue).
Anyway, I think if a horse is refusing or rushing it is for a reason.
I think turning out and regaining control or even stopping and backing can be effective ways to show the horse that they need to approach correctly before the GET to (not HAVE to) take the jump.
Trot and canter poles can help your mare fit in a even stride before the jump. I suggest make sure you have a consistent pace on a 20 meter circle before you go to the jump. If you already have an uneven, unbalanced, or rushy pace, it will make it even harder to attempt to slow her down. Half-Halts also = love.
I disagree with turning a horse away from a jump, especially an inexperienced horse. If it is a confidence issue then start out small and slow. If you do things too quickly it will make it worse. You should be able to tell that she is wanting to rush so before you get to the jump circle and get it back and then go over. Another idea is when she starts to rush bring her gait down to a trot or walk depending on what gait are doing. She needs to know that the more she rushes the slower you will make her go.
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