horse people that KNOW! what there talking about please?

[ShowJumperBeckii]

When showjumping mY Horse gets over excited and lieks to gallop off and rush resulting in polees getting knocked and thee full check fulmer was pants as its too light she needs somethink harder but with somethink to help strearin as her stearing bad

i was maybe thinking pelham with double reins
PLEASE no snaffles there Farr no light shes too strong shes a bit pushy horse so a snaffle is like no bit?
maybe bitless? or would that be worse? lol
i do have light hands and NEVERRR pull hard or yannk!!! < NEVER i promise lol

yes thats the problem its when she see the fences she goes strong and excited
flatwork shes relaxed and listens ::S

 

[ester]

flatwork is your friend

 

[TinselRider]

Have you had her back, saddle and teeth checked?

Does she still rush if you are schooling round a course of jumps? or is it just at shows? also is she strong to jump at home when schooling over fences?

 

[Weezy]

As Ester says, it is ALL in the flatwork. Lots of it, lots of pole work, lots of jump schooling. There is no shortcut, it takes time and dedication, but it is very worth it. You want a horse that has a truly adaptable canter to be successful in the SJ ring, and you can only get that through schooling, and sadly not by bitting.

 

[xRobyn]

Schooling.

How is she when there are no jumps in the arena?

How is she when there are poles in the arena?

How is she when there are wings in the arena?

 

[TicTac]

flatwork is your friend

I agree. Stronger bit not always the answer. Maybe your horse rushed because she is worried? Invest in a few lessons before anything else.

 

[Bowen4Horses]

flatwork is your friend

and a dictionary too...

i agree with ester, what's your horse like schooling? have you tried working on your flatwork? what kind of 'strong' is your horse? nose in the air? head down and pull? or just not listening? you might find it's not a stronger bit you need, just a different one plus tonnes of flatwork. good luck!

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

yes new saddle just fiteed teeth done few weeks ago
and poles fine flatwork tucks her nose in works perfect
butt when she see jumps she like wahyyyy
how can i do flatwork if its only with jumping?????

 

[BSJAlove]

have LOTS of lessons and a good instructor will help you solve these problems. please dont put her in a pelham until you get a second opinion. i bet the answer will lay in not having basic schooling or pain. nothing that a bit of hard work wont fix.

 

[sychnant]

Yep
I had a horse like this. Stronger bits worked once or twice then she got the hang of ignoring them too. I reschooled her. It took a long time but it worked.
Plenty of flatwork until your horse listens to you and does what you ask with no evasion, be it rushing, throwing head, whatever. Then reintroduce pole work... then grids... then courses.
Don't move on to the next step until your horse is happy and calm with what you're working on.
I'm sure it's not what you want to hear... but you can't stop a horse with a bit if it doesn't want to listen. You have to have the schooling there.
Good luck

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

iv had lessons my intrustor said somethink stronger but neever said what

 

[BSJAlove]

in which case talk to your instructor about it. if youve had lessons with them before they will know the horse.

 

[TinselRider]

I would be schooling her when jumping round courses, getting her listening to your SEAT and hand aids.

Everytime she goes to rush off try circling untill you have re established a nice balanced canter then carry on this way. Also try putting her through some grids.

 

[LauraWheeler]

I would school her with jumps in the arena but not jump. That way she will lurn that jumps don't always mean fun. I would use the jumps to school her do circles round them. Put trot poles inbetween wings then when she has done this a few times relaxed i would let her have a small jump.
Good luck I hope you find something to help you.

 

[ester]

I thought you said on a previous post that your instructor changed your bit when you were last out showjumping anyway?

 

[xRobyn]

Jumping is 90% flatwork. I'd be setting up some poles on the ground between wings and keep riding her until she settles. Then put up a tiny x pole and school her round it. Don't let her jump until she starts listening to you

 

[Cash]

RE flatwork while jumping: With my horse (who finds jumping verrry exciting ) I've been working on popping a little jump (or just going over poles) whilst schooling- he gets excited just seeing the jump, so i'm hoping that by making him work whilst there's a jump in the school, he'll realise it's not all that exciting. I trot round doing circles, changes of rein and speed, and occasionally pop over the jump with minimal fuss, and then try and do changes of pace/half halts directly after, to stop him charging off, and to get him back listening again. There already seems to be an improvement i'm happy to say.

I *think* what people mean by flatwork being key to jumping is that the more you work on having a balanced, rhythmical canter, the less she will be inclined to rush.

 

[SpockkyBoy]

Lots of flatwork, transistions transisitions transistions. do NOT go for a stronger bit, this can generally make horses more likely to thrown heads up, take hold of bits and run away from pressure jumping. If your horse does take hold of the bit and 'envades' maybe a flash or a grackle may help.

Grid work, in particular bounce fences also helps horses who rush as they actually have to slow down and think about what they are doing. Circling before jumps can also help (for some this winds them up more). Schooling around jumps also teaches manner and paitence, as horses learn just because jumps are up do not mean they always jump. My horse has a tendancy to rush, and I don't let him jump untill he slows down and softens in the mouth. Bad manners to rush, and often makes them flat over jumps; in turn meaning poles being knocked down.

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

i have a hard mouth pelham shall i try thanks xxx

 

[JessandCharlie]

You could put power tools in her mouth, but you say she's over exited. You cant harness excitement with a piece of metal. Flatwork is the key, professional show jumpers don't jump their horses at home much at all, they keep their training to mainly schooling and hacking, and I reckon that's why they're professional, they got the schooling side sussed. So I honestly don't think a stronger bit will help, or at least not for more than one or two goes before you have to go to the next stronger, schooling and education however, will.

 

[BSJAlove]

i just want to say i do feel sorry for your mare that your not giving her the option to learn to do as you say and your just tying her up with a stronger bit, as you obviously dont seem to be listening to a word of advice you asked for.

 

[JessandCharlie]

i just want to say i do feel sorry for your mare that your not giving her the option to learn to do as you say and your just tying her up with a stronger bit, as you obviously dont seem to be listening to a word of advice you asked for.

Agreed, reading through, the general consensus is that big bits simply won't fix the problem, they may mask it, but if you want a truly good show jumper than education is the key.

 

[Umbongo]

Please don't put a pelham on her. They can be very harsh unless you know how to use them properly. Changing the bit will only mask the problem, and if it is excitement then a different piece of metal in her mouth will make no difference and she may learn to just ignore it.

Flat work and education is the key to successful jumping. School with jumps around but do not jump them, practice your flatwork, then move onto poles, grids, small jumps etc. This will take time there is no "quick" fix. I used to ride a horse like this, perfect flatwork but would gallop at jumps, it has taken nearly 5 years but he is as perfect with his jumping as he is with his flatwork now.

 

[SpockkyBoy]

i just want to say i do feel sorry for your mare that your not giving her the option to learn to do as you say and your just tying her up with a stronger bit, as you obviously dont seem to be listening to a word of advice you asked for.

Ditto that completely. The only 'advice' taken on board was about a stronger bit than she is currently using.

After working with T. Stockdale for a while, his grooms and himself only jumped and did pole work once a week, all other sessions were flatwork. The exciteable ones were generally ridden in a snaffle, although a few of his horses were ridden in stronger bits like kimblewicks or pelhams (but they were comming back into work) but after a week or so back into a snaffle again. When talking to him, and when I spoke to Mary king earlier this year they BOTH recommended keep bits AND tack as simple as possible and PRACTISE on flatwork, as horses KNOW how to jump, but they aren't going to jump well UNTILL your FLATWORK is sorted.

 

[sykokat]

I am sorry but I am finding your posts increasingly frustrating. You ask questions to people quote; 'who KNOW what they are doing' and then ingnore it.
This I can only assume shows your level of immaturity and lack of experience and knowledge. Why bother asking us if you clearly don't intend to take any notice. I too feel sorry for your horse. Our horse has done a bit of everything successfully including BSJA. She does not need to be schooled over fences at home before competing anymore. She does lot's of hacking and schooling on the flat at home. If she goes through a phase of getting strong, we take her back to basics and move her into a softer bit. Stronger bits do not compensate for good old fashioned flatwork. Sorry, but there are no shortcuts

 

[Sol]

Have to agree - the schooling works, BUT sometimes you get a horse that will just take the p*ss. My gelding now just gets jumped in his pelham (with 2 reins, because he's a funny beggar and too much sends him upwards, too little and he runs through your hands) because although he'd spend a good 70% jumping sanely and coming back, he'd decide some days he would rather not, and would bolt which resulted in getting very little work done. Pelham? Never an issue, therefore more improvement.
However, the pelham hasn't become our 'quick fix'. We still work on getting that ideal canter - in the snaffle! - and lots of other things to just teach him that it's ok to wait, stady up and use his hocks rather than his speed.
I've also found that fast horses also = lazy horses 99% of the time, so teaching your horse to really use him/herself on the flat is another bonus, if a lot of hard work!

So yes, a different bit can help. Sometimes. But like I said - pelham hasn't even done much for us (he will still rush, be a prat, etc) except just reminds him not to majorly take the p*ss and bolt.

Oh, and double reins aren't always as fun as they look - getting them back in a combination after slipping them isn't easy! o.o Especially when your horse likes to duck out at the 2nd half and try to behead you on jump wings in the process.... hahaha, I love the ginger thing really!

 

[charlimouse]

Most of the replies to your question are from people that KNOW what they are talking about. So be open to the advice. You seem to have decided upon your course of action already, regardless of any advice from peeps on here. TBH I just feel a bit sorry for your poor mare!!!!!!!!!

 

[martlin]

Look, OP, we have seen videos of your riding... IMO you need to learn to ride on the flat, not to pull round the corners, not to rush the horse etc. If you put a strong bit on her without doing your homework on the flat, she might jump better for a very short while, until she meets the pelham (or whatever) to hard and start stopping. And believe, she will, she'll just chuck the towel in and start refusing.

 

[TinselRider]

BSJAShowjumper123

It seems you DO care about your mare from this post ASKING for help and your other post. Please do the kindest thing for her and SCHOOL HER for a week or 2, I know it can be boring but how lovely will it be when she is listening to you and you can both jump in harmony and balance?

I feel if you start puting harsh bits in now without the schooling you will only make the problems worse, I know what you are going through as Banner used to be VERY strong at one point and I did SJ him in a pelham, but after schooling him for a few weeks working on HIM LISTENING to my seat and voice aids I can now happily jump him in a snaffle safely.


Please please give your mare a chance and don't ruin her mouth while you DO have the chance to school her on.



I am not having a go at you I am only trying to help you and your mare so you can enjoy jumping together.

B x

 

[JessandCharlie]

Im really sorry to have to put it this way but you wouldn't ice a turd, you'd bake the cake first. Same principal applies, basics first then you can have the fun with icing!