Advice please - SJ in hackamore

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moneypit1

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Fly has had 5 weeks off competing as the last time out he was awful, something was wrong (turned out he had bashed his poll). He is fit and well now and jumping confidently but I am going to try him in the hackamore for the first time at a show. It is a low level indoor sj on sunday and I will enter the small class (prob 2ft 6) and see how I get on. I am anticipating a strong horse who will probably rush on to his jumps and wonder if there is anything I can do to steady him and make the turns. Have jumped at home and he is so much happier in it but struggle the more jumps I string together. Any advice appreciated or shared experiences would be appreciated.
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Hackamores are all about riding with your seat and legs, weight and a well schooled horse - there are no short cuts. TBH if your horse has a sore poll (I understand it was 5 weeks ago but still), there is no way I would be riding in a hackamore as the poll pressure can be immense if you are likely to take a pull.

I SJed to a very decent level with a hackamore, but my horse was incredibly well schooled, did everything from my seat and leg and I never had to exert pressure on the hackamore as I took a lot of time on getting him to work from seat and leg alone. He was a strong horse, but containable between hand and leg so long as I worked hard and kept him balanced and in a rhythm.

May I ask why you have gone for a hackamore and what he was like with a bit
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Was going to say the same with weezy bout the fact that he had a sore poll. I normally SJ my pony in a hackamore (an english so does not have very long shanks) and he goes fantastically in it but he goes by my seat and legs mostly (eg he one a jump off with no reins as they had broken over the first fence
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) so it suits him. Only schooling can help with riding in a hackamore so that a horse goes mainly of your seat and your legs.
 
right just been for a look at the pic gallery as I thought you had posted some pics, and you have!

Advice would be to REALLY watch your contact up and over a fence - look at the shanks of the hackamore in the pics (3rd pic is great), there is way too much exertion on your horse, so he could well be running away from this contact and that is why you are finding it hard to string your fences together
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Hackamores are all about riding with your seat and legs, weight and a well schooled horse - there are no short cuts. TBH if your horse has a sore poll (I understand it was 5 weeks ago but still), there is no way I would be riding in a hackamore as the poll pressure can be immense if you are likely to take a pull.

I SJed to a very decent level with a hackamore, but my horse was incredibly well schooled, did everything from my seat and leg and I never had to exert pressure on the hackamore as I took a lot of time on getting him to work from seat and leg alone. He was a strong horse, but containable between hand and leg so long as I worked hard and kept him balanced and in a rhythm.

May I ask why you have gone for a hackamore and what he was like with a bit
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He has been fussy in his mouth for the whole time I have had him (a year). I have tried several bits and no real difference. There was no specific problem but he would "snatch" whilst schooling and was generally "tight". His teeth are fine and his poll and back are now sound. He is a different horse with the hackamore (and is very well schooled incidentally) and is light to the hand. The only real problem i have had is getting my turns. I wondered whether this is something that will improve with time and realise that my seat is very important in aiding this. I wondered if there was any particular exercises I could do to help this along. How did you find sj with the hackamore?
 
Thank you for your advice, I have no real experience with the hackamore so really appreciate it. I do worry about "not giving " enough over fences, and perhaps I should let him go a bit and not try to hold him back?
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Yes, let him go, lots of schooling and practise transitions within a pace without using reins (tighten fingers only with your seat/weight aids), bending exercises with seat only, use cones, barrels, anything...if you can teach him to move away from a rein on his neck (neck reining) then all the better. For turning think about opening the hand/arm rather than steering and just remember that practise makes perfect.
 
Basically with a hackamore the shanks should be almost vertical and nowhere near horizontal over fences I googled and found a picture that I think explains how it should look when jumping (NOTE: this is not my picture I googled for it!)
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Thankies, have a lesson tomorrow night (if it doesn't bloody rain!) for first time in hackamore so that will be interesting. Thanks for the advice about opening the hand, will definately try! xx
 
by way of exercises to help steering I just spent time in the school on the flat just doing circles, serpentines, etc... I also did the same using as little/no rein and just my legs. I also found that doing transitions at the beginning using only my seat and legs to move up and down a transition. I did this to get him listening to my legs before starting circles etc... Also try doing transitions on circles and serpentines as the transitions get him listening to your leg and seat again if he begins to stop listening. Sorry if this is a bit jumbled!
 
I wish you good luck, I am also experimenting jumping pickle in a bitless, he seems fairly good. One pony at my yard has actually improved steering in a bitless!
 
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I wish you good luck, I am also experimenting jumping pickle in a bitless, he seems fairly good. One pony at my yard has actually improved steering in a bitless!

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Thanks soooooo much! Watch this space! xx
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