Coffin/Ditch/Trakehner schooling

CastlelackSportHorses

CastlelackSportHorses

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Just looking to see if anyone has any other ideas on how to school these jumps when they are not accessible.
Over here a lot of our cross country courses are no longer open for schooling, bar one that has 2 coffins/ditches which my girl will happily pop once she has seen them once.

But I would like to move up a level with her after how well she has been performing over the last few weeks in our unaffiliated league (We ended up 3rd 😍 )

She is brave to most fences, but has never jumped a Trakehner and can be ditchy! Will pop from a stand still but can be weary.

I have a ditch at home, and can make fake ones in arena which she is fine with, but Im afraid when we go to new venues they will catch her out.
I have done all the ground work in introducing them when she was younger etc.

Anyway, any ideas apprectiated.

Heres some recent pics of her out and about for ye to drool over. I cant stop looking at her 😍🤣

IMG_6560.jpegIMG_6562.jpegIMG_6366.jpeg
 
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CastlelackSportHorses said:
Just looking to see if anyone has any other ideas on how to school these jumps when they are not accessible.
Over here a lot of our cross country courses are no longer open for schooling, bar one that has 2 coffins/ditches which my girl will happily pop once she has seen them once.

But I would like to move up a level with her after how well she has been performing over the last few weeks in our unaffiliated league (We ended up 3rd 😍 )

She is brave to most fences, but has never jumped a Trakehner and can be ditchy! Will pop from a stand still but can be weary.

I have a ditch at home, and can make fake ones in arena which she is fine with, but Im afraid when we go to new venues they will catch her out.
I have done all the ground work in introducing them when she was younger etc.

Anyway, any ideas apprectiated.

Heres some recent pics of her out and about for ye to drool over. I cant stop looking at her
Click to expand...
Hunting maybe? Not sure where you are/what hunting is like around there but where I am (east coast) it's mainly drains and ditches!
Otherwise are they any all weather XC courses near you, as they usually stay open all year? The likes of Greenogue, Grange Farm and Wexford equestrian all have a few ditches.
I totally feel your pain though, one of mine is a very ditch averse warm blood and will happily jump everything he's schooled over previously but it's always dicey when you come across one he's never seen before at a competition 🙈

Eta - your horse is very pretty even if she doesn't like ditches! 😍
 
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If you own your land or have a very nice landlord, you could create these on a fence line between fields/paddocks.
We dug out a ditch on one section right near a corner, obviously removing the nailed on fence bars 1st. 2 x sleepers hefted in to keep the sides back, then put rail over.
A wide electric tape was used along the top when finished jumping.

We put several different xc fences at the end of fence lines, well away from gateways.
Pheasant creep, brush hedge, sleeper wall, tyres, chair. The latter was the only one that wasn't jumped from either way.
When fields were dry enough for a quick school, then the tapes were removed, we had 7 in total which made a mini course if you did a couple of turns back on yourself, plus my Heath Robinson wh fences free standing.
We did add 2 x freestanding fences either side of the ditch to provide me more entertainment....
V rarely did I ever let others use them, only the odd v close friend.
 
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Snow-pony said:
Hunting maybe? Not sure where you are/what hunting is like around there but where I am (east coast) it's mainly drains and ditches!
Otherwise are they any all weather XC courses near you, as they usually stay open all year? The likes of Greenogue, Grange Farm and Wexford equestrian all have a few ditches.
I totally feel your pain though, one of mine is a very ditch averse warm blood and will happily jump everything he's schooled over previously but it's always dicey when you come across one he's never seen before at a competition 🙈

Eta - your horse is very pretty even if she doesn't like ditches! 😍
Click to expand...
I am anti hunting. She has done fun rides and will jump ANY ditch fun riding!
Im down south so only place open in summer is Ballindenisk and shes happy with the ditches there.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
If you own your land or have a very nice landlord, you could create these on a fence line between fields/paddocks.
We dug out a ditch on one section right near a corner, obviously removing the nailed on fence bars 1st. 2 x sleepers hefted in to keep the sides back, then put rail over.
A wide electric tape was used along the top when finished jumping.

We put several different xc fences at the end of fence lines, well away from gateways.
Pheasant creep, brush hedge, sleeper wall, tyres, chair. The latter was the only one that wasn't jumped from either way.
When fields were dry enough for a quick school, then the tapes were removed, we had 7 in total which made a mini course if you did a couple of turns back on yourself, plus my Heath Robinson wh fences free standing.
We did add 2 x freestanding fences either side of the ditch to provide me more entertainment....
V rarely did I ever let others use them, only the odd v close friend.
Click to expand...
We have our own land and ditch and shes fine with it.
Its getting her brave enough to tackle them first time at new venues is the issue.
 
IME Trakehners at lower levels are rider scarers and horses don't actually see the ditch unless you essentially point it out to them by riding the fence going "oh heck there's a ditch under there". Erase the ditch from your mind and ride it like a hanging log, keep your eyes on the top of the fence and just think of the ditch as a ground line, I think a lot of people only run into trouble as they go into a Trakhener staring at the ditch and this highlights to the horse "LOOK - THERE'S A DITCH THERE!"
 
KikiDee said:
IME Trakehners at lower levels are rider scarers and horses don't actually see the ditch unless you essentially point it out to them by riding the fence going "oh heck there's a ditch under there". Erase the ditch from your mind and ride it like a hanging log, keep your eyes on the top of the fence and just think of the ditch as a ground line, I think a lot of people only run into trouble as they go into a Trakhener staring at the ditch and this highlights to the horse "LOOK - THERE'S A DITCH THERE!"
Click to expand...
TBF I have evented to 3* with my other mare and never had an issue with them. But this girl is particularly ditchy!
 
If you look down into the ditch, that is where you will land. So rider, ignore the ditch and present the horse at the correct pace, isn't it called a "coffin canter" and ride forward.
 
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