Horse raising it's head, fighting bit and rushing before jumping- help

[madeleinewachman]

I would love people's opinions / advise on a horse of mine.
She is a mare who has been eventing and is currently been ridden by a friend of mine who is an experienced, but amatuer jockey.
She is now six and is eventing at Novice level c 1m 10 For the last few months her jumping has become increasingly worse. Every time the rider checks her before a jump she raises her head, fights the bit, rushes and starts looking behind/side and NOT at the jump, then ends up crashing into the top of the jump as a result.
This mare can jump and at home has easily jumped a course of jumps at 1.35.
She did do exactly the same with a previous rider, again not to begin with, but as she became more confident, the mare started to take the attitude that she new best, that she would jump the jump how she would like to, challenging any resistance from the rider. At this stage she was jumping 90cm, so she got away with it as she could still clear the jumps even if she saw them at the last minute and her head was in the air!
Cross country she is a dream as the rider does not check her as much and she is given her head more. On the flat she has been fairly good and relatively submissive. She can at times be a little tense, with some resistance, but would generally get scores in the mid 30's.
She is on regumate as she did have a marish stage, this has calmed her down.
Feed is twice a day, a half scoop of Baileys No 4 and a small cup of stud balancer, so nothing too much here.
For jumping she is currently in a pelham, she has been in a running gag before this with a running martingale.
She does have her back and teeth done regularly also.
Any help on what we can do to solve this problem would be appreciated

 

[millitiger]

find a bit that she will happily come back to without the rider having to exert lots of pressure on her head?

 

[KatB]

Take the martingale off

My 4yr old did this a bit, took her martingale off and she has stopped it.

A running gag would have encouraged this behaviour

 

[madeleinewachman]

Any suggestions on a bit that would work? Thanks for the advise regarding the running gag.
Interesting what you say about the martingale, the rider was going to try a standing martingale instead. What type of martingale where you using?

 

[Bossanova]

I would first look at the rider's hands on the approach to the fence as, especially with mares, the hand can be the trigger for an OTT reaction like this.

 

[KatB]

I was using a running martingale. The prob is with them is that if a horse throws its head up, it gets pressure on the bars of its mouth from the martingale which makes them raise their head even further! I would use a nice bendy rubber pelham if she likes the pelham...

 

[sportsmansB]

Is it only at competitions that she does this or has it become all the time? Does she do it in the practise area or just once she goes in to the arena? Just wondering as all of these things make a difference...

 

[henryhorn]

She sounds very similar to a mare my daughter used to ride.
The sideways looking is an attempt to escape the rider through her shoulder and go faster on the approach to the fence.
I'm afraid it would be back to basics for a while, insisting she approaches the fences at the speed the rider dictates not her, and lots of popping fences at home out of a trot.
Another thing you could check is if she is in a bit containing nickel (some of the mixed metals have it now). Some horses just can't tolerate nickel in their mouths it can cause ulcers and a general aversion to the bit.
It sounds to me as if she is beginning to understand what happens at comps and is just getting over excited, I'm not a standing martingale fan I have to admit, and would likely school her in some draw reins at home provided the rider is capable of giving correctly with their hands .
I don't think a stronger bit is your answer, more one of mental obedience.

 

[mystiandsunny]

Come have a lesson with my YO (loc = south bucks) - she's an ex pro (due to injury) and is AMAZING at sorting probs out. We've gone from being unable to get round 2ft (rushed due to fear and refused at nearly everything) to getting 3rd in 2ft6 and making it round 2ft 9, in 5 months of on-off lessons! Or another decent instructor. If it only happens at comps, get the instructor to come to one and see.

Alternatively, some thoughts...
1. What is the quality of the canter like? My mare used to rush a bit until we got a really '4 wheel drive' canter so I could feel her back hooves digging into the sand/grass.
2. Is your friend keeping her leg on and the hind end under? Are they getting too flat in between jumps so a check isn't enough?

 

[KatB]

Personally wouldnt touch anything that holds the head down or restricts the horse, it has to learn the correct behaviour itself, not by being forced.

At home doing lots of work with placing poles to decent uprights with a pole afterwards will make the horse get in deep and jump in a round manner, which will discourage it from rushing and sticking its head up.

Also, it sounds stupid, but also try a softer bit at home, something like a nathe means they have nothing to react against, and if you do lots of grids with the rider keeping a soft hand and using lots of leg into a still contact, the horse will realise it is easier to go forward in a relaxed manner and there is nothing to fight against. Using lots of poles on the flor will encourgae her to drop her head and not rush too

 

[madeleinewachman]

She does mainly do it at competitions, but has more recently started doing it at home too. I am buying her a nathe french link. I started her in a nathe and she went really well in it, so I think going back to basics and doing pole work as Katb suggests would be the way forward.
What I have found is that if the jumps are big and are dressed well, she tends to back off them and is more respectful, so tends to jump better as a result. She is at times over confident and wants to jump the jumps without prompting from the rider. Then when the rider checks her, she is putting up a real fight.
I do think that part of the problem has been that the rider has been over coming this by putting in a stronger bit, this has had a temporary positive effect as she has immiediatly respected it more, meaning she will hold back and listen, however with time this wears off and she goes back to old habits.
I think it has been a case of papering over the cracks, when really we need to go back to basics.

Thanks for the advise!