Can a horse "forget" how to jump??

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voiceoftruthandwisdo

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I was just wondering after an experience this weekend while I was riding. We had a small cross pole set up, which all the horses and ponies in the lesson could easily trot over without needing to jump at all. The horse I was riding managed it easily, as did the others. The instructor then put them up to a bigger cross pole, something that could invite a jump if the horse preferred it, but still able to trot over if they didn't want to jump.

So we trotted up to this cross pole, with plenty of time for him to see the poles from a few different perspectives. As we approached, it seems that he noticed the change in height (all 5/10cm of it), and proceeded to demolish the jump entirely!

I ask, can he have forgotten how to jump? Because previously this horse has jumped competitively at Hickstead, I'm told. Is it likely that he's so used to cantering into jumps, that trotting into them is difficult for him? What do you suggest I do about it?
 
More like he couldn't be bothered to make an effort over something so small but the extra height at the sides caught him out and he knocked it, that said I had a horse that just didn't get jumping out of trot he either clambered over or just kept trotting, if he is a RS horse he will be used to not needing to make an effort and may well be bored with not having jumps and riders of the standard he had previously, you may find him completely different when jumping out of canter over bigger fences, he will not have forgotten how to jump although may not have the ability he had in his youth.

You cannot really do much as your instructor is in control of the lessons and will do what she thinks is suitable for you, the horse and the rest of the group.
 
No they don't. It's far more likely that the horse wasn't concentrating and so didn't properly see the jump until the last minute. Keep your leg on with a good contact and keep the horse focused.
 
No, horses don't forget how to jump. They might need work on their technique over bigger fences after a long time off, but small jumps shouldn't be an issue if they are ridden into them correctly. As for the trot approach, most horses who can jump from canter - especially if they are powerful enough to jump big tracks - are equally capable of jumping from a trot providing they have good impulsion and aren't heavy on the forehand. However novice riders tend to sit and wait for the horse to do the work and not ride them forwards positively. It sounds like the "jump" was just too small for him and he couldn't be bothered to pick his feet up. My horse will demolish pretty much anything under 70cm.
 
Firstly, hello, and welcome to the forum :)

Secondly, I am a riding instructor, and I don't want to sound blunt or unkind, but my biggest pet peeve is clients who blame the horse for their riding.

As those above have said, horses don't just forget how to jump. It sounds to me like this horse wasn't being ridden into the fence, and was instead pointed at the fence, and so decided to put in minimal effort and crashed through it.

I see this every day. I regularly teach with a lovely horse, who many beginner clients struggle to get going, yet we have staff jumping 1m40 fences with this horse with ease. The difference is not the horse, it is the rider. People who are slightly unsure, and do not know which buttons to push, will be given the "half dead donkey" treatment and need a schooling whip to get out of walk. Yet if any of the staff (who are confident and know which buttons to push) picked up a whip with this horse they would most likely have no brakes.

This evening I jumped my horse, and at one point I got my OH to whack the fences up a few holes and turn one fence into an oxer rather than an upright as he was going really nicely. My horse can get looky when jumps "change", and so he approached the first fence in the grid and backed off slightly. I entirely over corrected this and rode too hard for my last element, which meant that he got too long in the canter, took a stride out, and took an absolute effing flyer which led me to have to slip my reins to the buckle, hail a taxi and pray for a decent landing. That was nothing to do with my horse. In fact, he was an absolute saint to take it on as he did and clear it so well despite the numpty on his back riding too forward, so he got a pat for helping me fix my screw up, and a shrieked apology as we flew through the air.

So, in short, it sounds like to were just pointing your horse at the fence rather than riding. He didn't forget how to jump, he wasn't asked to.
 
While I agree with your post Starzaan is it not the instructors job to teach the rider how to approach and ride into jumps, yes the rider is supposed to do more than sit there but if they are just sitting doing nothing I expect you would have done or said something at the time, I certiainly would have, it doesn't seem that the OP even had another attempt let alone any instruction on how to do better next time, they seem to be very inexperienced and unless they are told what to do how on earth will they learn.

I didn't read it as the OP blaming the horse more of a question as to why it failed to jump having successfully negotiated it the first time when it was smaller, not all riders have natural ability and if they are not getting decent instruction or being made to repeat an exercise until they do improve how will they make progress, hence my comment about the instructor being in control but I should have added a bit more on how to ride into a jump but is that really not the job for the instructor who is getting paid to teach.
 
RS rider here - some of the RS horses jump less well out of trot than they do out of canter, some CBA until the jump is a decent height, some jump nicely however rubbish the approach, some bimble along going la la la then stop with an obvious speach bubble saying "Ooh, a jump, you should have told me we were jumping" unless you do obvious half halts and use plenty of leg to put more jump in the canter.

In time you get to know the little quirks - my favourite is a little bay mare who tends to get strong and charge but can jump really well if you can get her to wait a little. Took me a while to get used to the bigger less feisty geldings...

We almost never jump under 30 cm - it's either poles on the ground or actual jumps - probably more like 40cm and the more confident riders will be jumping up to stage 3 riding heights...
 
Sorry, allow me to clarify a few things...

Firstly, I wasn't blaming the horse. I hoped that was clear by asking what I could do about it in future, should I ever be riding a horse that does it chronically.

Secondly, whilst I have a fair bit of riding experience, I haven't ridden this horse very much, and I'm definitely less experienced at jumping than with flat work. When jumping, I'm used to a different horse who doesn't bother to jump if it's below a certain height, but at least always clears them by producing a bigger trot step over them.

It just seemed to me that he's approached the jump and sort of fallen over it... I think I was putting my leg on, because if I hadn't he would have stopped (quite a lazy horse, and I'd rather not ride in spurs!). In hindsight and given your thoughts, I suppose it's more than likely he was busy concentrating on something else, not on the jump.

I did get another attempt: it was just that the comment the instructor made (literally, "looks like he forgot how to jump") made me wonder if that was a thing.
 
Oh gosh OP please don't think I was having a dig - I was more pointing out that it is so often rider rather than horse. I honestly meant no offence, and if I didn't explain myself properly, I'm very sorry.

As a poster has said above, I would be wondering why the instructor didn't mention anything about why the jump went wrong, and why you weren't then given any pointers for the next attempt. It does sound very odd!

I would feel awful if one of my clients left the yard wondering why they'd had an issue in a lesson. I hope that I always make it clear and explain what could be improved next time, and what went wrong.

So, please don't think I was having a dig or implying that you were blaming the horse. I agree with other posters that your instructor really should have given you a hand!
 
I would just like to add that actually I think some of the sitting doing nothing comes from pro-demos/talks etc. Many say it is the horses job to jump the jump, dont interfere, dont worry about a stride, just think rhythm, let the fence come to you etc etc.

I also think that can trot over/can jump height can be tricky for horses to judge and make a decision from and more likely to bash poles out as they aren't clear what is expected of them. Mine definitely doesn't really like jumping from a trot and his disdain for being told what to do with trot and especially canter poles is displayed by his ability to kick them out the way thank you very much :D.
 
voiceoftruthandwisdo said:
it was just that the comment the instructor made (literally, "looks like he forgot how to jump") made me wonder if that was a thing.
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I don't know if this is helpful (but obviously I hope it is!) I often say "looks like he forgot how to jump" about my own horses, when they just make an unusual silly mistake in the same way that sometimes I forget how to drink a cup of coffee and end up wearing it! It's common for experienced horses to make stupid "did not realise it was worth my attention" mistakes over very small fences, and it's common for horses and humans to make mistakes. I don't think it's at all silly having heard the comment to check whether that's a thing that can happen, but personally I'd interpret it as your instructor's way of saying that you didn't do a lot wrong, and not to worry because sometimes horses just mess up :)
 
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