Horse loves XC, hates SJ

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siant2

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Over the last year I have tried and tried SJ my horse with view to getting our confidence before going XC..... She has always been a little bit unpredictable SJ and put in the odd stop (perhaps one per hour lesson) where she usually panicks the last few strides before the fence and messes up her strides and then unable/unwilling to jump off a bad stride.

Today I had my first XC lesson ever on her and she was an absolute machine
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She cleared everything I asked in her hour lesson including (small) ditches, tyres, logs, water, steps, skinnies and combinations!!!!!! Was never panicky or nervous and saw her strides perfectly.

Can this happen that she just doesnt like SJ??? As she is never scared of the actual fence as the stops SJ can occur over small fences with no fillers etc

I hope she carries on being a machine XC!!!

Any Ideas?? Or any1 else know a horse like this??
 
I have had similar problems with my mare, but she was more ring shy, but also lacked confidence. My instructor described her as a " stopper" and nothing could be done. New instructor and problems have almost become a thing of the past.
Two years of patience and repeatedly going to shows have worked out and she is now flying SJ and XC.
 
Think it can depend on horse / rider / instructor .
Chestnut in my signature picture can jump pretty monstrously high scary fences in a xc setting / at home . but sj he doesnt like at all , cat leaps , stops , runs past jumps, smashes through them etc etc . dont know why , tried to organise him and school etc ,he has jumped 4ft sj at home , but only couple of fences ,
but he just doesnt seem to like sj at all, whether its the confinement of the ring or what , xc he gallops round and jumps anything !!! it baffled me at first but then we just tend not to sj anymore , and concentrate on xc .


xxxxxx
 
my horse is exactly the same he refuses knocks runs thru sj, but when it comes to xc hes a star and flys round, i wasnt sure if it was me or him at first as im not too keen on show jumping but i think hes made me not like it being so unprdeictable, now we stick to hunter trials and xc i think its more fun anyway!
 
You might find that her new found love of XC will give her more confidence for the SJ. It's the going forward thing in an open space, even when you're not on the perfect stride they're so forward and 'up' they can cope with it easily and adjust accordingly. One of mine is better SJ after a bout of XC.

Hopefully!...
 
My coloured cob was similar. He would never stop SJ but he had absolutely no respect. It was over or through usually through. I would do a ODE dressage was a case of whether judge believed cobs should be there. Onto show jumping, as I left the arena I do a quick count to see if I was under the magic 24, if so it was a good day!!!!
 
I would try and use her new found love and build on it
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maybe you will have found a new gear which can be the way sometimes, if not why push it, Im sure you could make the most of her pros and forget the cons, unless of course you want to event her..
 
i have a horse similar to this. hes not as stoppy but goes through bad patches of just saying no wayyy.
i just stopped SJing for a while and XC schooled him and hunter trialed him. i also hunt him over the winter most saturdays. i find this really helps him.. but i think my horse just gets a bit bored/stale of SJing, so not sure if your horse is tha same? if youve just been doing SJing could be similar?? why dont you just do lots of XC for a while to take her mind of SJing...?
 
My uselss over SJ very talented but too flakey. XC a total machine, fortunately son of mare just loves jumping anything.
 
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