Help with jumping please

[vicm2509]

I think I have developed a problem jumping Baron and could do with a little help please.

I bought him in april as a greenish 7yo and was jumping him very small until I started lessons on him. I realised he wasnt quite as green as I thought and we jumped lots of chalanging fences at my instructors yard and my confidence on him was at a high. He can get nervous and often stops or naps away from scary jumps but once hes done them hes ok (hes just not seen a lot). We got to the stage where we were jumping ditches, banks and hedges and I was really confident but he still would stop sometimes. I started thinking that he would stop if he hadnt seen something before, and as I had a bad fall when he stopped at a water tray I now think, omg he doesnt like water trays so he will stop. I dont always think this though, if we are on a hack I will happily pop him over jumps or logs and things and he never stops. Then the nights drew in so we couldnt go for lessons anymore.

Then i started my BHS stage 1 and have a brilliant instructor for this. But it seems Baron has knocked my confidence a little as I always prepare myself for the horse to stop before a jump. She tells us to go in a forward seat which I do in my lesson but then I get all tense and fell off last week as I think im going to fall if the horse stops as im in a forward seat. But when I am riding baron I cannot go in a forward seat, I asked my friend to watch me last night and she said my seat is forward until two strides before the jump then I sit up. This resulted in him refusing each jump the first time, once he had jumped them all I was confident and remained in a forward seat and he was brilliant. I never used to be like this, I used to jump anything and really enjoyed a chalange. I wanted to bring baron on to to SJ and XC and possible event him one day. I love riding him but dont really enjoy jumping anymore. I have brought him on so much in his flat work as I only jump about once a fortnight then its only over a few jumps.

I have to add he doesnt stop at shows, which is because I think I have more determination in me for him to get over them. At home its like a block, I think right we will attempt to jump this, then I approach all nice and straight and my next thought is I wonder how may attemps this will take, instead I need to think right we will pop over this and then turn left over the next jump etc etc but I just cant.

My BHS instructor is going to start giving me lessons on him at the end of January but any advice is appreciated, please help as I feel im getting worse. I know my problem but just dont know how to solve it.

 

[PoppyPony]

definately carry on with the lessons, and have you thought about TFT with Jo Cooper? Apparantly it's great for specific problems like yours as well as general confidence issues. Google her name and give her a ring, I've heard lots of good things about her and talked to her myself once in person, she's very nice.

 

[icestationzebra]

Go back to jumping v small fences and get your confidence back. It needs to become no big deal. It is always good practice to play around with courses and grids. Think about concentrating on your rythym and your turns and then stopping will not enter your head and therefore not his. Lots of practice with poles too - ride him on the flat and then use some poles or pop over some small fences to finish - try not to make anything a big deal. You confidence will soon come back and when you can start to have lessons again you will have done lots of homework.

Good luck!

 

[vicm2509]

He is more likely to stop at a small fence that is part of the problem. When I got him I was jumping very small fences and he would sometimes refuse which made me think he was greener than he was. My instructor put up bigger fences and he flew them. He is happiest jumping around the 3 foot mark or bigger, he makes no effort with small ones.

He has lots of scope and I was really pleased with him but last night it hit me that im making his problem worse. Its not everytime. I mean if I watch someone else ride him and he refuses then I can hop on and make him go perfectly. If someone who doesnt know he sometimes refuses gets on and is confident he wont stop. He is very affected by the mood of the rider on his back.

Its not a major problem at the moment but I only realised last night that it is me making him stop, not all the time but a lot of the time. You are right, if I have a course and get a rythm going he just flies them but I can help wanting to trot to them first which means im lacking impulsion. I just think if he stops when im trotting im less likely to go over his head.

When I was having my lessons I was so happy with him but I was also being pushed by my instructor to do things I wasnt happy doing. I had been out the saddle for 8 years. I felt she was pushing me to make my horse something he wasnt. She and her daughter are very good eventers and it was as if that was what she wanted baron to be but she was moving too fast. She never used to comment on my riding, only my horse and I felt like my horse was getting too good for me. In a way I was glad when we couldnt go to her anymore.

I think last night just made me realise how much this is my fault and not just Barons. before I thought he was just being naughty. Im sure when I start with my new instructor things will go back to normal.

 

[icestationzebra]

I'm a bit confused

you say that he is more likely to stop at a small fence but then you say you realise that it is you that it making him stop? Surely you can't mean that you are making him stop at small fences but better over 3ft? Perhaps I have read it wrong....
I was always taught (and still am) that if I can't jump small fences without making mistakes then I shouldn't be putting the fences up. The bigger the fence the more important it is that you are in a good rhythm and in balance with your horse. I know myself as a rider I am confident when the fences are smaller and will ride quite boldly - doesn't enter my head that my horse will stop. When they go up - I suddenly ride like a muppet because I start to obsess about seeing strides etc - my own worst enemy - what I need to do is ride them exactly the same.
If you are happier trotting over a fence before taking up canter then that is fine - just make sure the trot is forward and positive. When jumping make sure your leg is underneath you with the weight in your heel - that way if the horse stops you are more secure than if your leg flies backward and you tip forward. I hope your new instructor helps you - your last one sounds as though she may have overfaced you a little.....

 

[wizzi901]

I had this problem a few years ago, having had a nappy youngster, it destroyed my confidence! I had lessons in between the sale of that one and my oldie coming to me from jersey. That helped.

Titch is notorious for stopping (usually me getting him totally wrong admittedly!) but can throw the odd naughty one in when you least expect it and at the tiniest jump! - I thought I would lose confidence again but funnily enough I havent, the reason being that I never come off, I sit right back on him until we are taking off (hence some very odd photos sometimes).

I was taught that with some horses you cannot take a forward seat, if they are going to stop then ride them until you leave the ground!!

Not sure if this will help, but continue on your horse over some small stuff and try and build each others confidence up.

A horse def knows what you are thinking. I remember deciding to change a jump off route at the spare of the moment whilst doing jump off once! - because I changed in my mind what direction I was doing my horse totally lost the plot!! They def pick up on it.