Cob jumping bit advice

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Sophiecollins11

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I have been bringing my traditional cob back into jump work recently after buying him from a riding school early this yeat, Its all been going very well doing some single fences on my own and starting one strides with no one else in the school however he is starting to get rather strong now were building them up to 'proper' jumps and I'm struggling to hold him up in between fences which in turn is making him rush and knock them :/
In groups it gets worse as he goes crazy following others but this I's only jumping! He is in a verbindend snaffle for flatwork and a hanging cheek for jumping normally but I'm starting to think I need a little more so can anyone recommend any bits or exercises to help this???
I have had lessons (groups) and two instructors have just said he's enjoying himself as Its not nasty in anyway and he never runs out or stops just speeds up 😂
 
I'd swap the snaffle for a french link first off and see how that changes things. It may not be the case for your horse but some horses do a lot better with something that puts less pressure on the bars and more on the tongue as it encourages them to lower the head and come back to you rather than lifting the head the way the nutcracker action of a snaffle does.

But more importantly, I'd be doing lots of transitions and flatwork exercises during jumping sessions, with and without other horses present... Like leg yield between jumps rather than just jumping a full course. Or stop for a bit and walk, halt, trot, halt... If you keep him guessing, he'll be less inclined to take things into his own hooves. Whenever he starts getting a little too excited, I would take a "flatwork timeout".
 
I'm worry I have only just realised I didn't put in that his hanging cheek is a French link with a a copper lozenge, and I do normally try to warm up with lots of transitions and shapes round the school but it seems as soon as we turn in towards the jump he speeds up! And my half halts are not very effective
 
a lot of times, rushing is down to the horse being a little anxious - maybe the fences have got too big too fast??
 
Why do you change to the hanging cheek for the jumping? I don't think it will be any stronger than the verbidend if the intention is for it to be stronger? You could always try a pelham with teh same or similar mouthpiece to his current bit but with 2 reins and ride him predominantly off the snaffle rein and then just pick up the curb when needed.
 
Walrus said:
Why do you change to the hanging cheek for the jumping? I don't think it will be any stronger than the verbidend if the intention is for it to be stronger? You could always try a pelham with teh same or similar mouthpiece to his current bit but with 2 reins and ride him predominantly off the snaffle rein and then just pick up the curb when needed.
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Although it isn't really any stronger (my instructor said this too) he does ride differently in it and respects it a lot more, I use it for hacking too and find it makes a difference too... Don't know if it should but it does! I don't think he needs a Pelham as I have used them out showing (I now use a double) I think that is a bit to severe to jump to with him at the moment as he does get rather sensitive in one...
 
Wheels said:
a lot of times, rushing is down to the horse being a little anxious - maybe the fences have got too big too fast??
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I did think this but if anything they have got smaller �� I moved yards and as I'm not a very confident jumper we have gone back to doing two foot again at the moment, we did to 2'6 ish a one point but that was only when he felt ready to me to do it, doing grids he does smaller too as he still finds it tricky...
 
Lol that's not what you said in the original post :)

But my thoughts still stand, a lot of horses rush because of lack of confidence. If you are not confident then maybe this is why?

Whatever the reason I'd go back to poles, then small fences and only move on when he is doing them calmly.

What does he do if you set up poles and jumps around the arena and just school around them not going over them?
 
Sophiecollins11 said:
Although it isn't really any stronger (my instructor said this too) he does ride differently in it and respects it a lot more, I use it for hacking too and find it makes a difference too... Don't know if it should but it does! I don't think he needs a Pelham as I have used them out showing (I now use a double) I think that is a bit to severe to jump to with him at the moment as he does get rather sensitive in one...
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The it could be he prefers the stillness and slight tongue relief you get from a hanging cheek. They tend to be more still in the mouth compared to loose ring snaffles. A lot of cobs have quite fleshy mouths and fat tongues with not much room for the bit (my fell is like that) and something very still and slim might be preferable - i use a myler mullen mouth hanging cheek which is quite popular.
 
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