Hores rushing his fences & then coming to grinding halt - help!

[olop]

I am having real issues with my boy rushing his fences & then coming to a grinding halt if he see's something he doesnt like.

He will rush poles on the floor, uprights & spreads but if I put something in there to make him back off (say a filler, water tray, barrel etc) he will rush into it & then come to a grinding halt.

I have tried putting up jumps & schooling around them (he just charges at them if we turn towards them) poles on the floor he just runs out of control at. If I lunge him over fences he does the same & I am at my wits end.

I did originally have issues with him napping when going into the ring, now I have this problem instead. I really think its a confidence thing & I could do with some advice to help us out. He is 9 years old to just to add.

I dont want to be sending him forwards when he is already rushing but at the same time I cant be dealing with this stopping, can anyone offer any suggestions??

I dont want to be changing bits etc as he goes very nicely on the flat in the combo I have, all usual checks are done.

TIA

 

[icestationzebra]

It sounds as though he is worried and hence rushing at his fences in order to 'get them over and done with'. Then, I guess, when he gets there and it is something a bit spooky his last drops of courage leave him and he stops. Difficult to ride so I sympathise. Whatever happens don't be lured into taking your leg off - I speak from experience! If anything you need your leg even more in order to support - and so it is there to deal with any 'hesitations' shall we say. It's also really important not to hang onto his mouth (it's hard I know when you are being towed into a fence at warp 9 speed ) but you then get into a cycle of all hand and no leg which is not going to help his confidence - or yours!

Some gridwork will help and spend as long as you need cantering round the school in a light seat trying to get a light and balanced canter. Keep your leg on so he is accepting of it and adjust the canter 'on and back' keeping everything soft and relaxed. If he rushes the fence/poles then go back to relaxing him. Remember a soft arm and hand to the fence and a supporting leg. If he feels you are relaxed and confident he will start to loose the tension. A good exercise I use is the one KatB posted a video on last week. Small fences round the perimeter of the arena with one on the centre line - you don't need a huge school and it really helps set a good rhythm and you can canter round in a light seat and let the fences come.

Perserverence and patience and lots of praise when he gets it right. IMO there is little to be gained from getting cross with a horse like this - obviously he needs to learn that stopping is naughty but punishing a horse with low confidence can be counterproductive.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on

 

[kerilli]

that's all good advice. it definitely sounds as if he is insecure, so all i'd add is that for now i would, irrespective of his age, keep the fences small and jump everything from a balanced steady trot at least a few times first, to build his confidence. once he's jumped them a couple of times without problems, i'd think about canter.
the rushing - Lionel Dunning has a great exercise for it. canter round the school, halt at B and E (from canter). pick up canter, repeat. do this a few times until the horse is truly listening to your aids. then come towards fence, if he rushes, halt. stand. either back up or do a small walk circle both ways 1 after the other. then go forward and jump fence (from walk if necessary, that's fine as long as you give enough with the hands). another good one of his is to canter down the school on a parallel line to the approach to a fence, and canter past it. do this a few times, then repeat but about 3 strides away turn and pop the fence. horse won't be expecting to jump so should just do it calmly.

 

[olop]

Thank you both for the fab replies - will get onto those exercises ASAP! Im willing to take it slow as I really want him to be able to enjoy his jumping (and me!) because at the moment its a bit hair raising lol!!

Do you think the spooking will eventually stop once I have combatted the rushing?? Or should I tackle that once the rushing has stopped??

Thanks again

 

[icestationzebra]

I think that perhaps in his case the spooking is almost secondary to his anxiety. Once he is confident to jump and stops rushing - even if he is going to be spooky you can close your leg and he'll gain the confidence to go. When it becomes a bit 'wall of death' all hand and no leg - he spooks and you are not in the right place to say go - probably sat a bit upright and a bit bracing with your leg off - which is kind of instinctively where you put yourself when you are being towed like that. He reads that as you are petrified too so he'd better stop and save you both!

There is nothing wrong with building spooky jumps at tiny size and trotting round them until he is comfortable. Week in week out - hang jackets off poles, bits of tarpaulin, road cones - anything you can get your hands on in order to desensitise him BUT i'd work on the confident soft approach to a simple fence or series of fences first then start to add the questions - if he reverts to rushing and panicking then start again. Time, time and more time but you will reap the rewards in having a horse that trusts you.

 

[classicalfan]

All good advice. I would just add that maybe you should pay a little more attention to your hands. You may be blocking or pulling on him without realizing, thereby increasing his anxiety. Go back to the basics, it's sound advice, and concentrate on keeping your hands soft and giving, making sure you are not jabbing him in the mouth as you land.

 

[olop]

Thank you all for your input - getting into these exercises as we speak!
Its so difficult not to hold him in the mouth though as my natural reaction when he pulls me in is to pick up the reins & pull back which is obviously making things 10x more difficult!
Thanks again