Difficulty jumping young horse

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Horzechick

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Help wanting some advice on a young horse we have on lwvtb. She's a 14.2hh sports pony aged 6, was backed early last year then ridden away and hacked out. We got her in September as a possible next pony for my 11 year old son knowing she needed bringing on. She is bold to hack out, goes out alone but was difficult to get going in the school refusing to go forward once we started working in the arena. With lots of work we've now established walk, trot and canter but having huge problems getting her to jump consistently. We have been taking it really steady and progressed to 30-40cm jumps. One day she will trot round a tiny course boldly then the next day refuses to walk over the same jumps or even walk over a pole on the ground. We went out to do a clear round comp this week and she trotted round the course ok then we went in to do it for a second time and she wouldn't even go over the first fence. Doesn't respond to using the whip or lunge whip behind her, just gets into a huge tantrum and spins away. Doesn't buck or rear but will not go forward. We have had back and teeth and saddle checked. She just seems unbelievably stubborn and inconsistent. Not sure whether to persist or send her back. She is just as difficult with me not just my son. Never come across another young horse quite this stubborn. Anyone else had one turn out good after a bad start? In other ways she's lovely and has huge potential
 
My friend's pony was like this and it's taken them a year to get to the point where the pony is (mostly) consistent. He wouldn't even go near a pole to begin with. The rider was the problem. It could be something physical but it might not be. Make sure that jumping is a positive experience. Whips and coercion aren't the way to go in this scenario.
 
I would also suggest getting a good vet to look, if nothing is found then maybe a trainer who is used to helping start youngsters would be the next step, she sounds at best confused, at worst in pain that she can cope with up to a point before it all becomes too much, probably not what I would buy for an 11 year old boy as it can be incredibly frustrating with this type of pony and as you have the option to return that will be the easiest option for you.

My cynical side would question why she was a lwvtb if she was straightforward and just a bit green she should be further on by now, I have had a few that took time for the penny to drop but once they make progress in the right direction it tends to be fairly rapid, not stop start, if there is not another issue going on.
 
SpringArising said:
My friend's pony was like this and it's taken them a year to get to the point where the pony is (mostly) consistent. He wouldn't even go near a pole to begin with. The rider was the problem. It could be something physical but it might not be. Make sure that jumping is a positive experience. Whips and coercion aren't the way to go in this scenario.
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Yes we are trying to always end on a positive note. Got a bigger rider schooling her with our instructor tomorrow so will see how that goes
 
be positive said:
I would also suggest getting a good vet to look, if nothing is found then maybe a trainer who is used to helping start youngsters would be the next step, she sounds at best confused, at worst in pain that she can cope with up to a point before it all becomes too much, probably not what I would buy for an 11 year old boy as it can be incredibly frustrating with this type of pony and as you have the option to return that will be the easiest option for you.

My cynical side would question why she was a lwvtb if she was straightforward and just a bit green she should be further on by now, I have had a few that took time for the penny to drop but once they make progress in the right direction it tends to be fairly rapid, not stop start, if there is not another issue going on.
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Hi she's lwvtb as the breeder had too many and our instructor knows the breeder and thought she could a good next prospect to event. My son already has a 13.2hh schoolmaster so the idea was to try and produce her quietly for when he outgrows his own pony. However I want to see if we can manage her before buying as don't need an awkward bolshy pony as got the 13hh version already!!
 
I would get the vet to investigate too, pain will make her difficult.
However if sometimes she stops at poles on the ground I wouldn't be starting jumping until you got over that problem. With a pony that is still learning the aim is really never to push them out of their comfort zone so they gain confidence. Even if sometime she can do the jumps, if sometimes she doesn't she is being pushed too fast and bullying her isn't the way to gain her confidence.
If the 13h is awkward and bolshy, how did that one get that way? Does something in your son's riding or your training methods need looking into
 
Horzechick said:
Not seen a vet but did have physio out to her and had back treatment.
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What were the findings as this would suggest whatever is causing the problem as I agree it could be physical?
As a starting point I would suggest putting her on a bute trial if your vet is in agreement. You will have your answer if she does/doesn't misbehave whilst on bute, or if not your answer at least an idea of whether it is physical or psychological.
 
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Having gone down the vet route a few time I agree it is often physical. But it is very expensive once vets start trying to identify a problem when the only signs are behavioural/loss of performance. I would not spend the money on a pony that was not already mine. Thee are plenty of genuine jumping ponies out there. I'd pass on one like this.
 
Gloi said:
I would get the vet to investigate too, pain will make her difficult.
However if sometimes she stops at poles on the ground I wouldn't be starting jumping until you got over that problem. With a pony that is still learning the aim is really never to push them out of their comfort zone so they gain confidence. Even if sometime she can do the jumps, if sometimes she doesn't she is being pushed too fast and bullying her isn't the way to gain her confidence.
If the 13h is awkward and bolshy, how did that one get that way? Does something in your son's riding or your training methods need looking into
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Unfortunately the 13hh was misold as a schoolmaster pony for my 8 year old daughter - turns out he's a bucker. Fortunately we have 3 other wonderful ponies. My son is experienced and competing in 80-85 sj and eventing but perhaps not yet strong enough for a youngster
 
Yes that's a thought. The breeder is well know for producing jumpers and eventers and WHP so thought she would make an eventer as has beautiful paces and good confirmation. I suppose it's knowing when to give up as our plans aren't working out with her. My son loves her but if they are no good for each other maybe she needs to go back to the breeder. I've thought about sending her to a producer but that kind of defeats the object and I might as well spend money on buying an older more experienced pony. If anyone knows a good 14.2hh that would event let me know!! Our 13.2hh was a hunting pony previously and with my son has won everything from NSEA National Champs to PC regional champs. Just need a straightforward one really!
 
Have you tried lunging her over small jumps? In my experience a pony that enjoys jumping will pop over the jump the first time and then keep on going round just for fun! As Cortez says, not every horse or pony is a jumper, you may have a dressage diva or a long distance pony instead.
 
I've had one who behaved exactly as you described. I gave up jumping him at six after he had refused to jump a fence in a course over which he had done a clear round just half an hour earlier.

At ten, he suddenly became catastrophically ataxic and when x rayed we found he had been born a wobbler.

I suspect there is something wrong with the pony if your physio has had to treat the back.

.
 
My gelding refused every jump from the day he was backed and hated going forwards on a surface. I couldn't work it out for the life of me, never had a horse like it. Instructors said what a backwards stubborn chap, but he wasn't in other aspects.

I eventually gave up jumping and started doing flat work only when he was 6. I just thought he 'wasn't a jumper.
He then noticeably found circling 20m in a canter extremely difficult and got worse not better. Vet came out but he was sound, asked me to ride him on bute, visited again and he was 1/10th lame, nerve blocked showed suspensory, scanned suspensories. He had a badly thickened left suspensory, probably been like it years and a old injury. Since hes been treated for that, every jump I pointed him at he flies into like a show jumper without the need for any leg. The difference really is unbelievable, it must of been painful before.

I'd bet there is something physically wrong.. my vet said not wanting to jump can be a number of things, hocks, suspensories.
 
6 isn't that young (do you mean. Plenty of 4 year olds never say no. It sounds more temparemt or physical.
Horzechick said:
If anyone knows a good 14.2hh that would event let me know!! Our 13.2hh was a hunting pony previously and with my son has won everything from NSEA National Champs to PC regional champs. Just need a straightforward one really!
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Where are you?
 
Most definitely not the pony for an 11 year old. Whatever is causing her issues with jumping will need time, patience and experience to overcome. None of which an 11 year old has in abundance. There could be many potential causes of the problem but it should be the owners job to investigate, not yours and on this basis I would send her back.
 
Its pretty demoralising for an adult to cope with an inconsistent pony/horse. To keep your son interested and progressing its much better to get something straightforward that he can enjoy - as you have some time before he's ready for a 14.2 it would seem sensible to just keep looking for a while... there will be something out there.
 
No, I haven't known any that are inconsistent jumping like that become consistent jumpers. Whether it is physical or ge just doesn't like jumping, it's not a suitable choice for a child to event. You risk locking your son into years of frustration and loss of confidence if you take on a pony like that.
 
I think you’re making the right decision. She may well turn out to be a lovely horse in time, but not a good match for your son at the moment and carrying on will be no good for either of them. Had a similar experience a few years ago with a pony for my daughter that she absolutely fell in love with but it was a pony that she would have been capable of doing justice in a couple of years so we didn’t buy it. When I see it out competing and doing brilliantly now I always have a slight pang of regret, but it was undoubtedly the right decision for both the pony and my daughter at the time.
 
My gelding was like this at 6 years old. Never found any physical reasons for it, and that's not why I'm posting. Just wanted to say he's now rising 12 and much much more consistent but it's been a loooong slog and taken a lot of commitment to get here. So, I agree with other posters that your pony is not a good choice for a child.

Incidentally, I personally think the issue with mine was a combination of lack of his confidence , poor breaking experience (I suspect his training was rushed in ireland) and my lack of confidence/skill when starting. Spent a year doing it softly softly and not using a whip - tbh it just made his behaviour more engrained. Vets/chiro never found anything wrong with him but maybe down the line something will show up!
 
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