Help!! Getting in so deep we took a rail out :( what do you all think?

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icklemadame

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My little mare, who is normally an absolutely superb jumper, tends to take a stride out and never touches anything, has been getting in really deep jumping hunt rails in the last couple of weeks, and managed to go straight through the top rail of a tiger trap on Tuesday, depositing me on the other side
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I could feel she was going to end up doing something silly like that as she just hasn't felt like she is jumping quite right, and she wasn't respecting the jumps at all, however once she had done it and I had jumped back on again (with various cuts, bruises and grass stains) she suddenly felt back to normal again and like she would take on anything - has she just been being blase in the last couple of weeks and the knock & fall woke her up? Or maybe she lost her confidence for a while? (although she has no reason to that I'm aware of...) She trots up sound but I was also worried something may be hurting?!? Any ideas anyone?? I'm supposed to be out with the bloodhounds this weekend and I'm in a dilemma about it - I'll know the minute we're going whether she's 'normal' or not, but its a lot of money to pay if we go over the first fence and I decide she's not jumping right again, but when she's in the mood (whatever that means) she loves it so much and I love it so much and oh what to do what to do?!? Its a hedges day so maybe she'll give them a bit more respect... and foxhunting is so slow I have a feeling that this year she is just switching off, and then doesn't realise we're jumping until we're doing it I think, so maybe the faster bloodhounds will be better... but I don't want to do it if she's not right... oh gwd I don't know... help!!!
 
Personally I would scrap hunting for a while and take her back to basics with pole work to remind her how to take off in the right place. Going fast into hedges in my opinion is asking for trouble & a potential trip to A&E! Sorry, I know it isn't what you wanted to hear.
 
Is she possibly a bit stale and lost a bit of enthusiasm for it? I don't know how often you jump her but maybe some time off would do her some good? My 2 are off work just now chilling out in the field. I usually give them about 2 months in total (not in one go) over the winter which Im sure keeps them fresh. Otherwise, its hard to say why she's doing this - do you feel she has reason to lack confidence?
 
I'd have her back checked - my old lad could jump all day but had back probs on and off. i knew straight away when his back hurt again as he would knock jumps he could usually clear by miles, as soon as his back was fixed he was flying again....
 
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I'd have her back checked - my old lad could jump all day but had back probs on and off. i knew straight away when his back hurt again as he would knock jumps he could usually clear by miles, as soon as his back was fixed he was flying again....

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That was my initial thought when I read your post. I'd get a McTimoney Chiro out to have a look
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We do pop hunt rails in the mornings when I take her out (hence why I know that she's been like this for the last week or so) and she does feel really... despondant... at the moment... but apart from that we don't jump except out hunting. I think we both feel a bit bored by foxhunting this year - I'm finding it very slow and stop/start stop/start, with a huge amount of standing around - stand on one side of a rail for ages, then everyone jumps it in a line and we stand on the other side for ages, and possibly we're both switching off a bit... she's so calm and now I have her in a bit I can stop her in it all seems a bit... easy... so maybe thats it, maybe she just feels the same as me!! We haven't been out hunting much this year because I've been feeling like this... but we both loved the bloodhounds so hence why I was thinking she may be better out with them...

Thinking about it I have changed her bit in the last couple of weeks... she's in a cheltenham gag with two reins... I was hoping it would feel like a snaffle (which is what she's used to at home) on the snaffle ring but give me that extra stopping power with the gag ring... I love it cos I can now stop but maybe she doesn't like it??

I think I'll try her out with the bloodhounds this weekend and if she doesn't feel right give her some time off - its just a pain to give her time off in the winter as I've paid a very hefty hunting sub!!!
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I had a physio out a couple of weeks ago but apart from a slight click in her knee when pulled out straight he said she was fine - I wish I could call our old back guy out to look at her, as would feel so much happier if he could check her over, but he's no longer available and I don't know anyone else who does the same thing... so if anyone could recommend someone who will massage instead of stretch her (if that makes sense!!!!!) who lives in the s/e that would also be great...
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Could be the change in bitting means she is just "holding back" a bit...? Some very good eventers say sometimes you need slightly less control than you necessarily want so the horse is confident to go forwards....
 
With the bit I've tried her in everything - snaffle, kimblewick, waterford, 3 ring gag, with one rein and then two - out hunting I couldn't stop her in any of them - the cheltenham I've introduced recently and is the 1st thing I've been able to stop her in, and as I say I hoped she would be ok in it as when she was being a good girl I could just use the snaffle rein - so she's in that for hunting, 3 ring gag for my fast work and jumping at home/competitions and a snaffle for when the kids ride her (we run a riding school as well which she's used in). I'll ride her tomorrow (she's had the last day or two off) in her 3 ring on a high ring and see if it helps...
 
I am laughing a lot icklemadame - my coloured pocket rocket is just the same. I've been riding her at home in a snaffle and hunt her in a cheltenham gag. It doesn't seem to make any difference - I can't stop her in anything!!

I do believe its better when we are slightly out of control because it means they are more forward going and able to jump the way they like doing it. I have found I need to gallop at hedges etc so she can take off where she wants and if I try and gather her up she doesn't have enough impulsion to get over them although she gives it a bloody good go.

With rails etc - mine does sometimes get a bit close and it feels a little bit hairy. I should think whacking it last week or whenever it was will have reminded yours to pick up her feet a bit. We had a fall 3 weeks ago where we hit a telegraph pole in a whispy hedge - she tried to brush through it and we both went flying. Since then she's jumped impeccably!!

I also think you'll find she'll get her enthusiasm back with the bloodhounds if you let her go and get on with it letting her have her head. She'll be happier bombing along and with the bloodhounds you can let her go becuase you know the lines mean continious galloping and jumping instead of stopping and starting.

Take her this weekend and see how she goes and then perhaps think about giving her a break or doing something else to refresh her. I should think she's been hunting a fair bit since the season started. Some horses do need a break in the middle OR a new challenge. Let me know how Sat goes x P.S We've got our next big hedge day next Thurs - yippee!! Will try and get some pictures of the pocket rocket up for you to see!
 
Hmmmmm yes but a new challenge for a pocket rocket that quite happily takes on the world??? The only thing she can't do is stressage!!! And that would just be torture for the girl!!! (And me!!)
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And I would love to see pics of the other pocket rocket!!!
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Maybe it's the ground? My mare does the same as yours, gets in deep mainly when the ground is very soft as I think she's unsure of doing a huge leap as the suction in the ground would mean she doesn't travel as far in the air as she'd like. She's generally better over the hedges though.

When the ground is firmer she's fine, but if it's hard she'll do the short strides again and 'potter' a little. So I generally consider it's the ground that affects where we take off from.

Your bitting might be an issue as Guildford said above, but I'd prefer to have the brakes myself! I ride in a snaffle and running martingale and found that a grakle noseband made all the difference to my braking ability as she didn't like the other various bits I tried. She's not strong to the point of being unstoppale though, more just excitable and bouncy with lots of twirling.
 
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