Excitable jumper

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Maz55

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Hi I'm looking for advice on calming down my horse who can get very over excited jumping. But she's not consistently like this she can jump a course very calmly some days particularly when I'm in a private lesson. She's worse in a group clinic /at shows. I'm quite a nervous jumper and when she gets excitable it worries me and I only want to jump small but on her calm days I'm buzzing and want to jump bigger!

She's never nasty but I can sometimes feel a bit lacking control when she's in a fizzy mood although she does look after me.

Is it a case of just doing more jumping more regularly (I'm doing about once a month at the mo as don't have a useable arena) or does anyone have any other suggestions? Thank you!
 
Yes I would do it as often as necessary to make her feel less excited about it. With the help of a good coach and in a group setting because that is where the issue is. Make sure she's not going to lessons after a day or more off either. I've just spent a week jumping my horse daily. Not because he was excitable more because I am very nervous and the difference it's made to my confidence is immense.

If she isn't good at standing waiting for her turn, practice that too at home. Good luck.
 
Do flatwork exercises round and between your jumps, at trot mainly, then every now and then pop a jump. It all becomes part of the routine, and she gets to learn to use herself properly (rushing can be a sign of lack of confidence). If you do a figure eight around the jumps, if she rushes just carry on straight past and allow her to wait for your instruction
 
An exercise a friend showed me...

You can start with a line of 3 trotting poles if you wish, and then put the middle one up to a small jump... Trot her over it in a straight line (away from home, the first time). As soon as you can after you land, bring her back to a halt; once she is stood still, give her a scratch of the withers to reward her for coming back to you. Turn around and trot back over it. Pull up ASAP again, reward with a scratch when standing still. Turn around and trot back over it... and repeat, and repeat, and repeat... Eventually you should be able to pull up almost immediately.

It's a two pronged fork: you are kind of boring them death with it, so jumping is no longer a special occasion to get silly and wound up about; and they are learning that they have to listen to you after a jump, and not tank off or get overexcited.
 
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