Charging at jumps help

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L00bey

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Hello me and Roo have just got back onto the circuit after a terrible summer. We went sj a few weeks ago and I need some help!
Firstly, how do you remember courses haha I am awful at remembering courses. Mainly because I am concentrating so hard on trying to ride well that I forget where I am going!
Secondly, how can I get Roo to stop locking onto the wrong fence? In an indoor arena I find it so hard to stop him jumping anything that comes in his way, he is so big and strong and I'm either trying to remember where I am going or concentrating on trying to ride well. At home he will canter past jumps fine it is on course when he expects to jump everything in sight I struggle to keep him focussed. Any ideas?

Here is a vid of our extreeeeemely slow jump off round. We're starting off small hoping to work our way up to doing some workers or maybe scary BSJA. Any critique greatly welcomed :) please don't be too harsh it has been three years since I last competed and I wasn't much good at it then!


http://youtu.be/TBRNOYOa-0g
 
For remembering courses I always just remember my jumps as their colours so instead of going '1, round the corner, 2, across the diagonal, 3' etc i go 'green, blue strips, yellow wall, red wall, water' etc it helps me a lot more but that could just be me. For the fences help, my instructor always tells me that you should always be looking towards the next fence i.e. as soon as you are lined up with your next jump, you look ahead and as you are around one stride away look to the next jump ( idk if you understand what im saying but, yeah ;) ) so your horse just has to look towards the next fence that you tell him to, dont give him the chance to go towards another fence because if you are already turning, he has no choice but to go where you want.
 
At home use lots of canter poles, also @ home put him on a circle before a couple of fences when he starts to charge. Lovely horse though who looks as if he is very keen - I also wonder if you could get him a little bit off the forehand he could have a better look at the fence ?
 
He looks like a lovely boy and you seem like a nice rider. There is a lot to like.

Please don't think I'm criticising.

From what I can see there are several things going on where his 'rushing' to the fence is a symptom of these issues rather than an issue that stands alone, as it were. All of these look like learnt behaviours.

This is what I can see. (In order of issues:)

1. He's over-bent, broken at the 3rd vertebrae with overty low head carriage.
2. He's not straight and swings his quarters to the inside on the left rein (he may well do it on the right aswell but couldn't see.)
3. He looks to lack some straightness in his shoulders but this is only minor.

I would encourage you to see your horses's 'rushing' towards the fence not as 'enjoyment' (I know you didn't mention this) but as part of his 'flight' response.

I have a feeling that his 'flight response' is activated because:

1. The basics concerning stop/slow are not understood correctly. He is therefore, trying to avoid overt pressure in the mouth by overbending and breaking and the 3rd vertebrea. With his head and neck so low, he has to raise his head/neck to simply see the jumps. This is not a great position for jumping. I would imagine that you feel as if you don't really have control.

He needs work on the flat to raise his head carriage and re-train his understanding of stop/slow with his rider providing the pressure and an immediate release to reward.

He would need work on this first and once this is understood you can then add poles.

2. I don't think this is the only problem, however. Have you and him had trouble with refusing in the past? Have you had some arguments? There is much to say here, but not enough space on a forum.

He is definitely in flight mode whilst jumping. This situation is tricky to erradicate because there is some fear on his part. However, a horse refuses for a number of reasons to include lack of a proper 'go' response where the horse feels that the pressure from the rider is simply not enough to motivate him and every stop has reinforced this. There could be fear involved in this situation, depending upon what happened. Or, he may have been overfaced - this would produce fear and the flight response.

I think you would benefit from working with someone really knoweldgeable about this.

I may be totally wrong and I would love your feedback but it looks a little bit more involved to me, than simply 'rushing' to his fence (this is never simple though.)

Good luck.
 
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I agree with squiggles on paper I remember my courses by jump colour/ design. works for me :). Haven't watched the vid as in a lecture :o, but generally for rushing at home I'd work on exercises such as circling before the jump and only allowing them to jump once they were rhythmical and not rushing, and between the legs listening to the aids. I suppose for locking on the wrong fence perhaps at home you could line several up next to each other/ have two on a distance long enough that you can miss part a and jump part b and vice versa so that he learns he has to listen to you?
 
What Tonks said. On looking at the vid there's no way I'd jump a course on him. He's flat and super fast into fences, must take nerve to sit on. That is pretty serious rushing. What's his history? Hate to say it but I have found it usually means pain.

You COULD risk bigger and more technical with him, so he has to sit back and take a look. But I really wouldn't as from his way of going I think the pair of you could end up coming croppers.

I'd get physical checks done. If all ok then gridwork, gridwork, gridwork.

He's a lovely lad.
 
Crickey very technical for me hahaha erm he's never refused in his life-at least not with me- it has sort of built up to this rushing the more jumping we have done over the years. With the neck stuff I think it could have something to do with his past, he was born and bred a show horse (until he got a serious scar on his leg) you can tell he has been the sort that was broken with draw reins if you know what I mean and when he is being lazy he does just slump onto his forehand and tow.

On the flat he is totally totally different, he does really swing his hips out on the left though I have trouble with this. I do a lot of flatwork with him, haven't actually jumped since this as I haven't had time and I do a lot of schooling on hacks. I do feel like I have control, which is why I ride in the snaffle when I'm not jumping. I feel like I can slow him down change speed of pace a lot easier when there are no jumps involved.

And PF yes he had all summer off due to colic surgery :( and before that a wind problem... so we haven't had the best year really! On a physical point we had physio lady come and check everything was fine when he first came back into work and he was 100%. Teeth have just been done as well.

TBF to Roo that was the jump off and I was panicking so I was probably super tense on him as well, when I forget where I'm going and I mess up I do just let him take over really which definitely wont help!

Really appreciate your input I think a good lesson would make a difference!
 
He sounds a bit like PF. She never EVER stops and if she has any length of time off (for instance when I go back to the UK for several months) then she reverts to her evasion of choice, which is always going faster, especially at fences :) Once she gets fitter and stronger and able to 'carry' herself better, she slows back down. This is true even if she's supple and soft in her flatwork. You might just need to get him fitter and stronger.
 
That's probably true actually I had never thought of that, he still hasn't got his topline back yet after dropping so much weight and muscle over summer. He's so big I forget it must be difficult to carry himself properly when he's not fully muscled up. Going to try ride as much as possible over xmas and build up some strength again. Thanks :)
 
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