Fast Jumping... Ex race Horse

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stacey_lou

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I am after some tips from those of you who have had a speedy jumper and how you worked on this.

I have a TB ex racing 6 year old, I have recently taught her to jump with trainer in tow and she is everything you would want she is bold, brave and can jump.

My issue is after last weekend when I introduced her to jumping a course and from canter she pings off on landing into a sometimes uncontrollable canter almost as if she was on the gallops and she can be sharp with it.

She is fine on approach but I feel I have little control (short of riding lots of circles) on landing.

I have a few ideas and have considered canter poles on landing but the way she lands I fear she may slip on one and knock her confidence too much (she is a sensitive mare)

I have thought of raised poles on a 20m to canter round on, adding 1 raised pole on each quarter at a time until all 4 are up.

And i have also seen recently that Carl Hester does 70% of all his schooling in canter as a primary training gait so maybe this is the answer?

She is getting stronger in her canter and Im thrilled on the flat but at the moment I am worried about taking her XC, not for the jumping aspect but landing and buggering off. I have ordered a sweet iron 2 ring for XC are currently in a hanging cheek

Thank you
 
I hate poles on landing as I'm terrified of them landing on them, to the extent that I don't ride the approach right.

I Think you are in the right direction - lots of canter flatwork, making it really adjustable (and stronger). Circles, on and back, transitions etc

Don't stay in canter after the fence, come back to trot or even walk, then pick up canter again. Tim Stockdale had an excersize he called parking in the garage: have two poles parallel to your trak so you go between them not over them, aim to transition between them, he used to halt there, then gradually move them closer to the fence, so the horse learns to check after the fence - sort of ok whats next, rather than waahaaay! :)

You might find XC blows her mind, that said I did have a horse (mare) who was quite contrary and it really settled her to pop a couple of XC fences before flatwork (odd creature)

Keep at it, will take a long time, then you'll look back and realise that somewhere along the line you got it!
 
Would agree in my experience lots of circles. Before and after even if the canter isn't strong before will help keep her listening to you, make sure they are going clockwise and anti-clockwise also or she will start to expect the circle and that will defeat the object. Also if that hasn't help control the canter don't be afraid to do more than one circle, then once she is cantering where you are happy carry on with the jumps/course as her reward.

Working on the flat will really help too making sure all transitions are sweet working from the seat. I wonder if it could be a balance thing also? if she comes out of sync over the jump?

How is she over poles on the floor? maybe if you take it back to pole work and control the canter from there?
 
She is beautiful over poles, she a strange creature as the second time she jumped with me (had only popped a Cross after leaving racing a couple of times) I tortted on a circle and then canter and she was lovely so could well be that she is enjoying it too much?

I think I will try both methods put to me on here so thank you. I will try poles on a quarter turn on a 20m and the Tim Stockdale method as well as Carl Hester and spend a few sessions maninly doing canter work and transitions.
 
Its funny my other mare when she was in work couldnt be hacked out in company as she would rear and spin and be a **** but hunting she was spot on!
 
It might be worth you taking her to a Jonathan Allinson clinic. He does them at Orwell and Wix. He does just this sort of exercise, jump, halt between poles, then jump again. My gassy mare settled nicely with him.
 
I was just about to say something like cundlegreen said. I know we generally don't want to get a horse to stop after a jump, as it can become a bad habit, but with this mare you might want to get her over and really work on pulling her up or even trying to circle her to slow her, and getting her to chill out and calm, before going into another jump in the same line but a few paces away. So she doesnt see coming out of the jump as a free for all. The halt between the poles is a great idea!
 
I used to have an extremely whizzy jumper and the above Tim Stockdale exercise worked really well for us. If they're naturally that forward after a fence, it's highly unlikely that you'll cause a problem teaching them to check in and listen after a fence. Obviously if you have a more backward horse who wants to drop back to trot out of laziness after a fence then it's a bad idea.
 
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