lannerch
Well-Known Member
my horse ducks at owl holes she also ducks with her legs so barely reaches the height, highly dangerous any advice to help her reach the height?
Horse ducking at owl holes
- Thread starter lannerch
- Start date
TheMule
Well-Known Member
@RachelFerd made a brilliant thing to school owl holes so might be able to help
Otherwise, it's really just repetition, starting with lovely wide easy ones
Sprig
Well-Known Member
Can you mock up an owl hole at home? It sounds like she needs more practice to improve her confidence. It should be fairly easy to create a hoop to go over a jump using water pipe, or something similar.
AmyMay
Situation normal
She’s very, very new to eventing - and this type of fence is a massive ask for a novice. It needs to be introduced sympathetically at home, reducing the height of the hole over time. Starting with no fence, then cross pole etc, etc.
lannerch
Well-Known Member
It’s in Shelford be90 , imo not a fair question , it’s hard to knock up a hole to introduce slowly , we have done the ones at Somerford which she bravely jumps but only just . Agree totally with what you suggest though thanks
AmyMay
Situation normal
It’s not particularly unfair question, depending on the experience of the horse.
lannerch
Well-Known Member
There
Apparently there has been several bad accidents William fox Pitt’s for example involving owl holes , having googled it apparently some horses never work out they don’t have to duck , hoping it’s missing from Shelford this year but if it’s not it’s quite kind and very open
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Owl holes make good photo opportunities, but IMHO are an unfair question. I'd happily see them banned.
Sorry, not really helping, am I.
Sorry, not really helping, am I.
AmyMay
Situation normal
I suppose the rider could just not jump it if the aim is just to give the horse a non competitive run.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
I understand your concern- there's an owl hole in the BE90 at Pontispool this weekend which is making me a bit twitchy. I did school through a couple of easy owl holes but it's the sort of thing that could (quite literally) trip a baby horse up
Gamebird
Well-Known Member
I appreciate your concerns about owl holes, but the one at Shelford I really wouldn't call an owl hole. The 'roof' is very high, and is only a couple of planks, not a solid roof. The sides are straight too, so the horse has plenty of room widthwise. It's very, very open, both at the sides and the top and I have ridden several green horses through/over it that I might expect to baulk at a 'proper' owl hole, and who, as far as I could tell, have not even noticed the 'roof'.
Fence 16 in this - it doesn't show much of the roof, but it's a long way up, and not solid. The Pontispool one is more of a question.
Course Pictures Gallery - Shoestring Eventing
Fence 16 in this - it doesn't show much of the roof, but it's a long way up, and not solid. The Pontispool one is more of a question.
Course Pictures Gallery - Shoestring Eventing
Flowerofthefen
Well-Known Member
My lad has an issue with over hangs outside the stable. He panics in the doorway so has to go in backwards. He loads fine in a trailer. I took him to a trec type thing and we had to go through/under a frame with wriggley things hanging off it. Poor boy did it for me first time then I realised what i was asking him to do. Face his fear of something that close over head. A few weeks ago we did a ODE which had an owl hole. Luckily the roof was fairly high. I must admit I did wonder if he would do it and bless him he did.
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
A lot of its in how you approach it. Should be done in a powerful sjing canter rather than xc more open canter. It helps the horse have time then. The one I have doesn’t duck if more natural and hedge like. Only if it’s more like a building.
lannerch
Well-Known Member
I was more worried about this last years Shelford 1 be 90’s last fence
happily from the jumps description for Saturday it looks like it might be owl hole free
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Gamebird
Well-Known Member
It's the same fence! They just sloped the brush up at the sides a bit last year. Honestly, sit up, hold your horse together on approach so that it jumps from its hocks, and leg on. The more you build it up in your head as a problem, the more it will become one.
lannerch
Well-Known Member
Luckily I’m not the rider but she will duck , Be2 last year they removed the owl hole bit and just had it as a brush so I’m hopeful it will be just the brush .
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
I built one using guttering which I can velcro to a showjump. I dangle stuff from it (taped on) to make it extra spooky. Repetition has solved the problem for mine - he will now jump through relatively normally, but I do have to repeat every now and then. He was initially absolutely terrifying, dropping his neck and legs. Took about 20 attempts to get through the smallest one at Somerford... Now not too terrified when I come across them at novice/2* now we've done our homework! I have pics if you need some inspiration!
lannerch
Well-Known Member
Yes please rachelferd thank you so much what a brilliant idea
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
Sorry, forgot to do this - it features in this video:
3 pieces of guttering, 2 corner pieces of guttering, 4 velcro hook and loop straps, and some cheap flappy bits of banner taped on to give it horrible visuals. Total cost about £50 and can be put up and down in about 5 minutes!
lannerch
Well-Known Member
Brilliant I need to go shopping looks really good thank you so much
ycbm
Overwhelmed
I don't think you can deliberately miss out a fence and continue on the course BE.
I missed one by accident once and finished the course before anyone could stop me, (fell off two fences later and gave up!) but I think it's against the rules.
I've never had a horse have an owl hole problem, thankfully.
lannerch
Well-Known Member
No unfortunately you can’t you would be pulled up and have to walk home .