Backwards when going XC

[MagicMelon]

Got a green horse who has only done XC around 4 times now. Last time out at a hunter trial, she literally refused every single fence the first time then jumped fine the second time. When she refuses she simply starts losing power a mile off, nothing I try will make her go forwards so we just grind to a very gentle halt at it. She wont do it from a stand still (no matter how small), she will just stand there with me kicking like mad with no effect whatsoever. Yet she will ALWAYS jump it on second attempt. Took her XC yesterday with a friends horse to see if that would help her take the handbrake off, she was great following the other horse - jumped everything. But at the beginning she still would not go first but would go side by side over things and she did go on her own by the end fine. She point blank refused to go over a small open ditch. I know she's very green doing steps/water/ditches but she's not scared. She stands teetering on the edge just not moving at all. She doesnt get wound up, just shuts down totally. Ive never had a horse that switches off like this so Im starting to wonder if she simply isn't made for XC! She gets masses of praise when she does go forward and over things. She's very careful - doesn't put in massive jumps to scare herself etc. just jumps things very neatly and carefully. Maybe she's too careful. She's done three lots of training before and was perfectly good not shutting down at all. She showjumps fine including over any filler 80/90 level, even did her first working hunter not long ago - couple stops but got round rest fine (which were XC style jumps). So I dont understand why she's so backwards at XC events. These were very basic small logs, nothing scary at all. She's not scared, just like she cant be bothered when its a proper competition type XC. She doesnt care about leaving the other horses in the warmup so thats not an issue. She loves it in training so I want her to love it at competitions too. Ive always had forward going, buzzy types so never had this type of issue before in all my years of eventing. Has anyone had a horse like this and what did you do to rectify it?

 

[ihatework]

It might be that she is just not cut out for the job be equally she could just be overwhelmed/anxious.

A couple of years back I had a big horse whom I got just broken in. He took to life very easily and was completely amenable. SJ’ed without issue. Not spooky etc.

Time came to try Xc and I honestly just expected him to be a girly swot about it. He wasn’t. Went very green and backwards. Stopped at everything. Took best part of an hour to get over a tiny ditch. I was a bit despondent as I thought he would be a hunter/eventer!

Anyway, I did loads of groundwork with him. Sought out lots of teeny tiny stuff and led him over. Hacked over drainage ditches every day (started off having to get off and lead him!).

Once he was confident about going anywhere off-road over minuscule stuff I sent him to an event rider who had a large Xc training facility on site. He did 10 days back to back of trotting and popping Xc fences.

After that he never looked back, was a Xc machine and was top 10% at 2* within 12 months

 

[MagicMelon]

It might be that she is just not cut out for the job be equally she could just be overwhelmed/anxious.

After that he never looked back, was a Xc machine and was top 10% at 2* within 12 months

She does get overwhelmed quite quickly about things so perhaps simply doing xc style things over and over and she'll come right. Id have to box to courses though as I dont have any facilities at home except for a brilliant natural water nearby. Hopefully she starts to enjoy it, Im only planning low levels with her

 

[ihatework]

If you have time to box out mega frequently then that’s great, but I didn’t! It was far more economical for me to pay £35/day schooling livery which included free use of the Xc course than it was to hire a course, box there and set aside 3 half days a week for it to be any use!

 

[LEC]

I spoke to Mark Phillips about this as have one horse who has taken a long time. He said you know what to do…. I said yes, go out lots and lots and keep it easy. He said yep.

This year she has been a lot better but I would also go xc schooling the day before going eventing and that worked really well. It’s also expensive and very time consuming.

I did take the horse autumn hunting and on hunting hedge days which helped her a lot to think forwards last year and she has come out a lot better this year. Fun rides are very useful I think. It’s just about them learning to think forwards and get very confident. Camps are another good way to tackle this as facilities at your finger tips. I don’t tend to book in for the xc lessons but just do my own thing.

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks guys, ihatework sadly I dont have spare cash to pay anyone else to school her over their XC course (I wouldnt fancy that anyway as like to do the work myself).

LEC - thanks yeah I mean I guess thats the obvious solution, just time and keeping things fun/easy. Like you say though its pricey and time consuming as hiring my local XC courses is about £30 a time. Might try building my own pretend XC type fences in my field too to play over! Thanks very much guys

 

[LEC]

LEC - thanks yeah I mean I guess thats the obvious solution, just time and keeping things fun/easy. Like you say though its pricey and time consuming as hiring my local XC courses is about £30 a time. Might try building my own pretend XC type fences in my field too to play over! Thanks very much guys

It’s worth it when it comes together but I can see why a lot of people just give up or put up with a really bad performance. Personally I am far too anal for that as it’s a training issue. Riding through woods and streams is pretty useful as well. I make them go up and down, back through again etc. walk over logs etc.

I did get sick of it a bit this year but then the horse went amazing xc and just switched into really understanding it and taking me. I also think if you do the work now then you have far less problems long term than trying to smooth over the cracks. Funnily enough friends have an advanced horse who has always been ditchy but it’s really bitten them on the arse that they didn’t take it seriously enough as a young horse and spend some real time solving it. Whereas the horse I sold them had hours go in as she wasn’t brilliant about lots of things and had to spend a lot of time on the lunge and go schooling a lot but is now flying up the levels as the questions don’t change in how to answer them just the height and size.

I do a lot of teaching them xc in hand in a rope halter and lunge line and the basic work for this starts at home teaching them firstly with trot poles and then jumps so an easy win for you at home to put this into place. Loose jumping is good as well to give them confidence without a rider saying go.

 

[Green Bean]

I feel for you as my not so green horse does a very similar thing. She will jump coloured poles like they are nothing but present her with a 'rustic' fence, no matter how small, she thinks it is the scariest thing ever. I took her out a few times to a nearby XC course but decided to stick with what she is good at rather than force her to do something which I think will always be a struggle. Personal choice really. If you are determined to compete XC then all the suggestions already made are valid.

 

[Leandy]

All the suggestions above. Repeat, repeat, repeat over all types of teeny tiny fences, odd things on the ground etc and different types of terrain and different venues and slowly build it up. In company and not, in the arena and outside it, whatever. Break it down into tiny steps and repeat, repeat until she is confident at each step. You say several times that "she is not scared". She may not show it in a dramatic response but she is clearly telling you she is anxious enough to prevent her doing as you ask at the moment. It may also be the competition atmosphere somewhere or your response to the competition atmosphere. Maybe you override her and push her beyond her current comfort zone in anticipation of a problem? Or the jump judges and extra baggage around fences in a competition worry her? Funny things horses. They react in different ways from how you expect sometimes.

 

[oldie48]

You are probably doing this already but just in case, when we've had something sticky we used to go out with another horse that we knew would give us a lead and just school at each fence until the sticky horse was popping over, in the lead and not thinking too much about it. Our best horse ever was really sticky with ditches and tbh it did take time but eventually he just got on with the job and never looked back. Don't give up yet I actually think it's a sign of intelligence and once they have learned to trust themselves and the rider they are often the best. Good luck.