Exercises to do to help with uprights??

[Breagha]

My husbands horse has an issue with just single uprights, not all the time but sometimes he "doesn't jump". Point him at any size of cross pole or spread and he clears it with air to spare.

We keep getting told to hold him before the jump but are finding, the more you hold him he doesn't jump but if you let him go, he get too fast and flat. What is the happy medium?

These jumps are 90 plus in height. We put a single upright up of 115 and my husband let him figure it out and he cleared it no problem but he isn't ready to be doing courses at this height.....yet! TIA

 

[Branna]

When you say he "doesn't jump" is he just crashing through it?
If he is getting too close, try rolling out the ground pole in front of the fence to help him find the spot. I'd be using canter poles in front of the fence too.

 

[Breagha]

When you say he "doesn't jump" is he just crashing through it?
If he is getting too close, try rolling out the ground pole in front of the fence to help him find the spot. I'd be using canter poles in front of the fence too.

Some days, he attempts to jump but with no real effort. But other days he barely tries and takes it down with his chest. He is more than capable. Will do more with ground poles and some canter poles tonight with him (no me jumping lol)

 

[paddi22]

how is your husband holding him? is he too much in the hands. he might be restricting the horse too much in front and the horse just can't lift it's shoulders. if he's fast and flat when he isn't holding him, then he isn't riding the canter properly and getting the horses hocks under him. so the canter sounds like it needs work, and also the contact issues, if he's interfering too much thats probably what's causing the horse to crash.
I;'d imagine the horse did the bigger jump fine because your husband was probably more nervous, froze a bit and left the horse alone.

 

[Breagha]

how is your husband holding him? is he too much in the hands. he might be restricting the horse too much in front and the horse just can't lift it's shoulders. if he's fast and flat when he isn't holding him, then he isn't riding the canter properly and getting the horses hocks under him. so the canter sounds like it needs work, and also the contact issues, if he's interfering too much thats probably what's causing the horse to crash.
I;'d imagine the horse did the bigger jump fine because your husband was probably more nervous, froze a bit and left the horse alone.

My husband is quite strong so is always aware of his hands, trying not too hold too much and then not enough, its a working progress (HGV mechanic lol).

One thing about my husband is he doesnt get nervous and treats each height the same really. Very jealous that he doesnt get nervous and I am a worry wart lol

 

[Breagha]

We did some exercises last night with one canter pole before the upright, did it both ways a few times. Pushed the pole in as a ground pole did the same coming from both directions and then took the ground line away. I think my husband has him more sussed in what he needs to do. It seems like Murphy likes to be held until about 4 strides before the jump and he will jump it with air to spare, so will go with this for this weekends show. It will be only his 2nd workers show since we have had him due to bad farriery and then covid. So we will just have to see what he does, plus its in an indoor school and have no idea if he has ever stepped foot in one before. lol

 

[LEC]

I think you need to help the horse to read them better. There must be a reason it’s jumping oxers fine? Pull your ground line out further and add another pole a hol down so its easier for the horse to read.

I would also work on your husbands body position through shoulders as suspect that’s a big part of the problem.