How do YOU fix refusals

There are some horses who just don't want to jump - and if it is the slim case that your horse is refusing because of nothing you are doing, then I would say - stop jumping her.

There is a possibillity that she doesn't want to do what you want to do, and you need to stop and listen to her.

Is this judgemental comment directed at me, MIEventer??

I think she's directing it to the OP, since the OP was asking what to do about a horse that just refuses to jump, even though the OP is not doing anything that would make the horse react in that manner.

Why the hell would it of been directed at you? Feeling guilty about something? I don't play games, and if it were, I would of said so in the first place.

My comment may of been judgemental in your books, but I speak the truth. Facts are facts. Like it or lump it.

MIEventer, I do not care for your wording. I asked because you posted directly after my post, that is all. My horse is not the issue on this thread, and I only wanted to make sure you were sticking to the OP.

Facts are facts? Unless you have personally met the OP and/or her horse, your contributions to her problem can only be pure opinion, not fact. I believe the OP is just looking to find other ways to solve refusal problems, not for people to tell her what to do with her horse.

If it were directed at you, I would of coppied and pasted your post, or started with your name.

I posted great advice, and my last post was stating that if the OP is doing everything correctly on approach to the fence and her horse refuses - period - then the horse is telling her something. That is a fact.

suprisingly enough, im with MIEventer, Blue told me at her first event back that she DOES NOT want to event anymore at all. I havn't tried since because I want her to be happy. Some horses just don't want to do it

whoa! Okay o.o!

MIeventer you gave really good advice in that other post... but wow okay!

Chance loves to jump, but she gets to points where she goes OKAY i've jumped enough im done! and most likely it could be something I was doing and I didn't catch it, im sure thats it! My bad habit is that I dont drive her forward enough. The last refusals were because she lost her confidence over it because she knocked it and the pole came with her and she really didnt want to try that again, it took 3 times the first 2 at teh canter and finally it clicked in my head and I took her over it at the trot..then again a canter and we ended...

And I wasnt only refering to my horse I ment in general how do you go about fixing them...

Thank you everyone for posting :)!

edit because I want to add, that if Chance gave me a sign that she just DIDNT want to jump I wouldnt do it, but seeing that she perks up when jumping [unless we do it to much that day] says that she likes to :) I just gotta balence the amount she wants to do.

Its good to hear that people listen to their horses!! Thats great!

My MIL used to have a beautiful steel dapple grey Irish Sport Horse named Trueman.

He was exceptional in the Dressage Ring, wonderful out on the trails, but a hellian in the stadium ring.

No matter how much work she put into him going over a fence, it was a fight every single time. He was a nasty dirty refuser, and even if he went over a fence once, didn't mean he was going to do it again.

He was even that way with trot poles.

It was like he was absolutely terrified.

My MIL used to have to beat his buttox everytime to get him over a fence, and when he did, it was totally like a Carasaul Horse, and terror was in his eyes.

Now, he was a completely different horse over a CC fence. He loved it.

She admitted the fact that he wasn't going to be the Eventer she wanted. She sold him to a Fox Hunter, and he is very happy at the barn down the road, Fox Hunting.

Not saying that this is the OP's case - but there are horses out there who are like that. If they don't want to do the job they are being asked to do, they will tell you *not all, because most just comply with their human rider and do as they are asked*

~~~~

You firstly, want to rule out pain. Medical Veterinarian examination, xrays, eyes, teeth, saddle fit *this is through a professional maker/fitter*

Then when all has been ruled out, I would turn to the rider secondly.

Then if the rider is ruled out, I would turn to the horse and the will that they may not have to do the job, or the fear - for example:

Some horses just learn to not jump due to error occuring over time and time again *aka catching in mouth* or *hitting the fence and the fence hurting them* *fence falls on them* etc, etc - whatever the reason may be - try to figure it out.


And sometimes, the horse just doesn't want to do the job that it's human rider wants to do. That is when the rider has to accept the facts, and either do the job the horse most enjoys, or find a new home for the horse and get a horse that is more compatable for them *the sport they want to do*

^agreed! Even though I dislike hunter jumpers(not ver exciting to me) Blue absolutly loves it, and I'm planning on taking her to some H/J shows next spring to make her happy. oh the things we do for our horses!