Clumsy showjumper

Has anybody managed to turn a horse who's clumsy over coloured poles into a careful, accurate showjumper. If so, how? Although he's capable of jumping a couple of pretty big jumps at home, he rarely goes clear at shows, knocking one or two down randomly with front or back legs. He does lots of grid work at home too. Any/all suggestions welcome.
 
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Bossanova

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*whispers* weighted boots

Never needed them myself. We've got one careless horse and he has just been greatly improved by putting him in a hackamore
 
*whispers* they don't approve of 'gadgets'
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Don't know if they've tried a hackamore - I'll suggest it. Thanks
 
I turned one from a no-hoper who would have at least 8 or 9 down at pn level to a winner at that level. Took hard work, weighted boots and a hackamore!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Metal poles and metal stands (or just the cups) - makes a hell of a noise if they hit them. I don't like rapping - have seen good horses' confidence ruined because of it, to the point where they won't go near a fence if a member of the arena party is near a fence. But I find my two benefit from the metal poles - I might build a related distance on 4 or 5 strides, and if they don't listen when I half-halt after the first it's their own fault if they whack the 2nd fence. My poles were a parking barrier, chopped it in two and it was already red and white
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An "old school" person I used to know was brought up in an sj yard of a renowned horseman where they had a hedgehog pole.... they were under instructions if they saw a squashed hedgehog they were to bring it home.....
 
I had a horse once that very rarely went clear at shows we jumped up to newcomers but in the end as I sold him as suitable for riding club. He did well at local shows with me showing and in working hunter. He was never lame with me and he passed a 5 stage vetting before I bought him and when I sold him on. However within 3 months of me selling him he was very lame on his front legs and he was diagnosed after lots of xrays etc with arthritis. This was probably niggling away with him whilst I had him but I didn't hack out much on tarmac and I was choosy about where I jumped him not purposely thats just the way it was and the new owners did a lot of road work and riding on forestry tracks. It may be something to consider if you are jumping him on a man made surface at home and then on grass at shows.
 
i knew someone who built a fixed grid at home and loose-schooled the horse over it... went from 4 or 5 down every time to winning its next Novice with a clear round. he learnt that they really hurt if he hit them...
a thin metal square pole, about 1" square, balanced on top of a normal pole, was a trick used by a trainer i went to years ago. if the horse tapped the pole, the metal pinged really loudly... made them very careful very fast, without worrying about them bashing their knees etc.
 
Thanks everyone - will pass on the suggestions. They think he may have been rapped at some point in the past as he was inclined to panic in the ring when they first got him and watched the person setting up the warm-up jumps rather than looking where he was going but he's calmed down a bit now I gather. The hedgehogs sound awful
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Sometimes the odd thing can work for a while but I have found they are either careful or they are not.
We sell our's if they turn out to be clumsy as usually you're wasting your time and money. IMO I prefer one to have the odd stop rather than one or two poles every week.
 
Get a different trainer - mine is very good at turning clumsy eventers into show jumpers just by altering the way it is ridden slightly. She is an out and out show jumper but probably trains more eventers now than pure show jumpers.
 
Managed to do it with a pony who was having 7 down in pony trials... took a few seasons but did get him clear around weston park which was the best feeling in the world! Weighted boots did help the first year i had him... but abandoned them the second year as he would still tap with them... honestly, it was a lot of pole work, hill work and fitness until the bloody pony was feeling so well it was leaping out of its skin..! although it did slightly spoil his dressage... Also I know it sounds strange but I had to develop a way of riding that goes against the grain, I had to not find him the perfect shot to every fence... don't get me wrong I didn't miss badly to everything, but if I found the same shot twice in a row he would get complacent and lazy whereas otherwise it kept him on his toes and thinking and having to work, if that makes sense??? Good Luck x
 
Mine is responding very well to a placing pole on a very short one stride distance (5yds or less) to a big upright with no ground line and V-poles. My god it makes him use his shoulders. The effect remains for a while if you swap to a 'normal' fence but I think it would need repeating virtually every day to make the point long-term. Also lots of jumping fixed or semi-fixed (wedge the pole right in) uprights from walk. With no boots on!
 
Thanks everyone (pmsl CSJ). They've tried leaving him to sort himself out but then he's even worse. Rosie's Mum is of the same opinion as w_d but I think they'll persevere as the rest of his 'repertoire' is pretty good
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It pretty much depends why the horse is having fences down. Obviously, if it's in any way training, fitness, understanding, preparation, management (including tack, soundness etc.), or riding related improvements can be made. Since almost no horse is jumping at 100% of its ability (or even close) this means most situations can be improved, especially with attention from someone who knows what he/she is up to. But even within these areas there are horses that "care" - ones that will try anything, no matter what the literal or metaphorical obstacles, to jump clear - and those that will pick rolling the pole over any other form of even mild discomfort every time. I've met quite a few "4 faulters" sold out of professional programs, many as good amateur horses because they'll have the rail rather than stop or lose confidence.

If the people are really serious about this horse there are a lot of good suggestions here and I'd second at least one session (preferably a series) with a really good jumping producer. Sometimes the "trick" can be a combination of some basic improvements and a particular exercise or approach for the individual horse.

Interesting that you mention the horse's tension level over jumping - that may still be a factor even though he's obviously improved a great deal. Contrary to some approaches, just as with people, winding every horse up tight about the process doesn't always make for an ideal result!

Be a little careful with the thin metal pole - no less a light than George Morris had a student's horse impale itself on one at a show a few years ago. I know an accident is no reason not to use a valid approach but I've heard of a few complications from this practice so I think it's one of those things that isn't quite as fool proof as it looks.

Good luck. Interesting to see how they get on.
 
We find building the jumps with substantial fillers underneath helps, I have some really high road barriers (bought not pinched!) and that makes them wary and jump bigger.
I had someone once who used to hire our shcool, one day she rang and said she would be late the following day a she was going to B and q to buy some carpet grippers, and planned to tack them onto my poles to teach her lazy horse to pick up better.
She had a dreadful reputation and I was really frightened about confronting her but next day I did and refused to let her do it.
She turned into a dreadful enemy, drove her landrover at me whenever she saw me hacking out, and the Police sent a mounted rider to hack out with me. That stopped her doing that.
She used to shout abuse etc, but luckily for me her poison turned against the landlady of the local pub. She attacked her twice breaking her arm, and was fined and given community service. ironically it was helping look after horses at a charity for abused ones.
The shame seemed to get to her and eventually she moved to Southern Ireland to breed Connemara ponies.
I had never heard of carpet gripper being used before, and to this day am shocked anyone could risk their horse's legs with something as sharp and nasty.
I reckon weighted boots , they may dislike gadgets but they do apparently work!
 
Hind extender boots. I swear by them.
Last year, my horse started having at least 1 fence down in every class we went to.
We perchased some of these boots, and we then had a consecutive run of about 20 double clears. We then took them off for a while so she didn't get too used to them, and she still kept them up without the boots on.
We started this year without them again, and she had 3 fences down at an intermediate event (PN level). We put them back on for Mondays open, and she went clear (Novice level).

Could be a coinsidence though
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Now that's interesting, I have heard of carpet gripper being used, but in this case it was the plastic stuff that you'd put office chairs on to protect the carpet. This has plastic spikes on the reverse, people then put in the boots.

Sounds better than making the poles dangerous, but I cannot quite see how it works, as my usually has evidence of a pole down in the form of paint on the hoof!

I have thought about metal poles for the noise, but I am frightened that if they got a pole in between the legs it wouldn't break like a wooden one (mind you wondering wether my plastic ones would).

V poles are good, but a good trainer is probably better.
 
Depends on the horse- I have one who has one round in him and because of that I never jumped him at home and then he would jump well at a show.

My other horse is a spooky sod and jumps better the more I do. At a 4 day BSJA show he will get better and better. Unfortunately I have no facilities at home so making more of an effort to get to friends arenas just to jump him.
 
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