[LoveStory10]

Hey all... Ok, Im taking Love Story to our first interschool show next weekend *excited face*... We're jumping 70cm, which means the jump off is 80cm.

Now Love can jump that easily, with no problems, but it's always that first jump. We were jumping 80 today, and over the first jump that first time, she refused about 3 times. My instructer tried her but she refused again, and then he got her over. She jumped it fine after that, and the rest of the course, but that first jump she wont do...

Any advice as to how to get her to jump that first jump, because I dont wanna look stupid at the show and have her being silly. Please advise

 

[Lottie95]

You shouldn't be self-conscious or you will probably end up doing worse! Think what you're doing differently when approaching that first jump than the rest of them, imagine that the practise jump was the first jump and when you enter the ring imagine you have already started the course. Try not to tense up and let the jump come to you as my instructor always said!

 

[Mercedes]

You're not going to like this answer, but here it is anyway.

Neither you nor the horse is ready for the upcoming schooling show. It's just that simple. A training problem like this needs to be resolved long before the added tension of a show atmosphere.

You're not even at the show and already you're concerned about looking stupid and the horse being silly. Wouldn't you rather go to the show 'confident' that things will go as well as they do in training?

Cancel the show, and solve the issue once and for all.

 

[upnover]

Sounds like either you or she has some confidence issues that MUST be addressed. If she is stopping at 80cm at home, you can be sure she will at the show as well. You need to be completely confident and successful at home before you go and compete. It's not a matter of looking stupid or having her be silly. Stopping is a big issue and can turn into a HUGE and dangerous one if not take care of. The show is not the place for that.

If you're insistent on showing, is there a smaller class you can enter? It doesn't matter if she CAN do the 80cm, the point is she ISN'T (yes, even if it's just at first). If you must, I would suggest entering a smaller class as a confidence booster for the both of you.