Horse persistantly refusing

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Rachaelpink

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Just wondering if anyone has any tips for stopping a horse refusing.

At the beginning of last year I started doing some unaffiliated showjumping with my mare. After a couple of months she started doing well in 75cm then 85cm classes (she's only 14.3hh). Then after a few months of success, in the late summer she began refusing and chucking me off a lot. I had a really rubbish saddle so not a good seat in it.

I really thought it was the saddle as it was really old, got a new one, but in the end found out she had a mouth ulcer and sharp teeth as vets hadnt done her teeth properly last time they were done. She was then on/off refusing after this was sorted. Stopped jumping her in Oct 09 then in Dec she had an accident so I only started jumping her this April.

In April took her out she had one refusal and one knock down on first outing. On second double clear. Then on our next outing she chucked me off. I had a lesson 2 wks ago and she didnt stop once in an hr. Then past three outings got eliminated. Not sure what to do next?

Her teeth have just been done and her back is ok. Started using metal spurs on her. Once she gets into the habit of refusing its hard to get her out of it. It's just really frustrating. My instructor thinks she's just being a stubborn mare and needs one hard smack once she refuses facing the fence. Just started doing this, admitedly beforehand I often didnt smack her when she refused.

Any ideas appreciated.
 
maybe you should step back a level as she may have lost some confidence! Cus if she hadnt jumped since oct and only started back in april then she may be a bit weary!! dunno if that helps just a thought :)
 
Take her back over smaller fences in TROT, get her confidence up and it will also help yours. What tack do you ride her in? (ie bit?) Do you have a martingale?
Ask someone to video you, then you could see it from another perspective. It could be a number of reasons and no 1 reason will cure it, but take it slowly and break down all the possible problems til you both as a partneship have gelled together.
Good luck.
 
There is ALWAYS a good reason for them refusing. We might not agree but to the horses they are doing it for a very good reason. No horses ever thinks 'haha, today I'm going to refuse for the sheer hell of it. Mwwhhaaaa'

The last time she started to refuse it was pain related (rubbish saddle, sore teeth) so it's quite likely to be the same this time.

Common things are common. Are you SURE the saddle fits? And her back isn't sore? And her teeth are still fine.

After that it needs to be a lameness work up - THE biggest physical cause of refusing to jump is hock pain - bone spavin is very common in older (i.e 12yr+) horses. And sore hocks cause a sore back too. Get her lameness checked then a good physio to investigate.

Once you're completely sure she's not sore somewhere then you can start to retrain her. Start small, rebuild her confindence that it's not going to hurt to jump and work up gradually.
 
If you have checked everything physical and had lessons then I would be tempted to forget the jumping for a month or two work on the flat, then reintroduce the jumping slowly as tbh a fresh approach with the advantage of better flatwork is often what is needed.

Last year my mare went from double clears BE to eliminated 75 cm, no physical reasons and no solutions despite lots of lessons. I worked on the flat for 3 months, having never believed in this idea, and she is now (touch wood ;)) back jumping with a much more positive attitude although I know this is also down to me now having no expectations and a much better canter :).
 
Kallibear said:
There is ALWAYS a good reason for them refusing. We might not agree but to the horses they are doing it for a very good reason. No horses ever thinks 'haha, today I'm going to refuse for the sheer hell of it. Mwwhhaaaa'
Click to expand...
Mine only jumps if he is in the right mood...
 
Maybe you ride differently at compettions? I've had problems in the past where I've started taking my leg off going into the fence, but only at a competition.

Can you get someone to video you so that you and your instructor can take a look together.

Failing that, agree with the others that she may have got jump sick. Do something else for a while maybe try some fun rides, TREC etc., and then reintroduce the jumps slowly and keep them small.
 
When I get nervous I tend to start doing a rapid series of half halts into the jumps so I can 'see' the stride

This results in me killing the canter, pulling him off balance and will result in a stop if I've done a **** job

I would like at your riding as a starting point before teeth, back and saddle
 
Rachaelpink said:
Started using metal spurs on her. Once she gets into the habit of refusing its hard to get her out of it. It's just really frustrating. My instructor thinks she's just being a stubborn mare and needs one hard smack once she refuses facing the fence. Just started doing this, admitedly beforehand I often didnt smack her when she refused.

Any ideas appreciated.
Click to expand...

Using a whip and spurs is making your horse jump because of the fear of pain. It doesnt address the issue of WHY the horse is refusing in the first place. It is basically a quick fix but is highly likely to cause more trouble in the future. TBH it says to me your instructor has a lack of knowledge- by whipping the horse to make it jump rather than working as a partnership and training it to jump or recognisng something is wrong.

You have to work through every little thing in a process of elimination to rule out pain and discomfort. Then if nothing is apparent work on schooling to build confidence and see if something comes up. If your instructor still insists on whipping to make your horse jump change your instructor!
 
wench said:
Mine only jumps if he is in the right mood...
Click to expand...

ditto wench

thankfully he is now in the right mood more often than not.

OP it would be very very unusual for mine to stop in a lesson or at home now, though in lessons it wasn't unheard of in the past. Sometimes he will jump anything off any stride, sometimes he just says no. He is spooky at fillers but mostly they are just a nappy excuse as I say other days he wont stop at anything if he is in the right mood.

We have an understanding...... I make the most of when he is good. Now if he is bad (which normally results in elimination as it is unusual for us to have just one stop) he has a break from jumping and I bore him with dressage for a bit ;)

So no great suggestions really, I thought I had it sorted as he had been going fab but we had major application of ABS 2 weeks ago so he is on jumping holiday atm to see if it resolves itself. If they dont want to do it there is no way of making them.
 
my own horse originally started to learn to jump about 18 months ago but then losing the use of the school through winter meant he couldn't jump and so he was restarted the following spring and was going well. He enjoys jumping but we have had to take things very slowly and gradually with him as if he doesn't jump for a couple of months he then gets scared of the jumps and has to start with a pole on the ground and build up. He is now jumping happily and is just starting with small fillers. I plan to take him to his first show later this month but will just do cross poles as I don't want to over face him and have him go backwards again.
 
Thanks for replies. Jumped her at home a few times and she hasnt stopped, jumping 2ft 9 spreads. I'm only jumping her over 75cm occasionally 85cm courses at the moment so I don't think I'm over facing her, she always jumps a great deal bigger than is actually needed. I don't think she has lost her confidence.

She was pronounced perfectly sound by the vet in February, she also had x rays on her injured leg and all is fine. She's definately sound.

Her flatwork is fine, I school her several times a week at home so it's not that.

Her teeth and back and tack are definately fine.

I do get nervous at shows but she was jumping these heights with me successfully at shows before and jumped double clear in a 75cm class the second time I took her out in April.

Definately got my leg on when jumping, I'm especially consciously thinking lots of leg. I do have to hold onto her a bit coming into a jump as she flies at them, but this has always been the case and she jumped fine like this before. She wears a dutch gag, martingale and curb chain attached to top of the bit. (A BSJA instructor advised me on this tack and she has been in that tack since March last yr).

I don't want to give her a break from jumping as I only jump her once a week, occasionally twice if I have a lesson so I'm not over-doing it. Also she's just had a 6 month break! She wasnt ridden for 3 months of that but she is perfectly fit now. She seems to enjoy it when she does do it.

She is a very stubborn mare (i.e. refused to get in box for several months once, used to stop dead on hacks with my sharer and she couldnt get her to move- didnt so this with me).
 
I dont know your view but maybe try hunting or XC. Often helps them get into a foreward "jump whatever" attitude, makes it a bit more fun. It's so easy to just say beat it until it jumps, but if she not happy jumping then its not nice and she will loose trust in you. However you do have to be firm, but key is making it fun for her and take the pressure off both her and yourself so you can both enjoy it more.
Good luck!
 
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