Horse stopping dead AFTER the fence!

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becky1489

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Hi, I know there are loads of really experienced riders on here so was wondering if anyone would have any advice on this......

Ok, so my horse is an OTTB and is very lazy and laid back with no motivation to go anywhere fast. Despite this, he is great on the flat with decent paces and his lateral work coming on nicely which is great, I'm really pleased about that.

BUT....when it comes to jumping he has a very nasty trick up his sleeve. We dont jump very big, 75-80cms usually. He can jump from trot (awkwardly but gets over ok) putting in minimal effort. However when we are coming to the fence with a semi forward going canter he will stop dead within the first stride after landing if not as soon as his feet touch the ground. As well as this he rounds his back and his head disappears between his front legs, creating a kind of 'catapult effect'. I have NO chance of staying on and I hit the deck in the blink of an eye.

It's so frustrating because when he does put more effort in his jump feels great, but not-so-great when I am face down in the sand! I have thought that next I should maybe lunge him over fences and get him going more forwards from the ground?

Any advice or past experiences on this would be hugely appreciated! I have never known anyone with a horse that does this!
 
it could either be pain related...in that landing is uncomfortable so the best thing is to stop....or it could be a bad habit either stemming from previous pain or being socked in the teeth... first off i'd make sure you're saddle fits, that he has no mild/underlying back/leg issues and then take it from there.

from how you describe him, it sounds to me like it's something causing him discomfort

hope you get to the bottom of it
 
my horse does this sometimes. he's cold backed and will do it if his back isn't warmed up sufficiently. it sounds like your horse isn't that happy in his jumping... perhaps take it back down to polework until he is happy trotting and cantering over a course of poles :)
 
it sounds like something physical to me, too. i'd get him checked out, and/or jump him on the lunge or loose jump if you have facilities, ideally with no saddle on, and see how he jumps without a rider or saddle... if he flows over beautifully and carries on happily after the fence, that will tell you a lot.
if his neck and back are very good, i'd be suspicious of the saddle... and i'd believe the horse over the best saddler in the country...
 
OK so will certainly look into getting his backed checked out asap.
He is also cold backed and has his back up for first 5 mins so I usually quickly lunge him and then he is alot better when I get on. And I have lunged him in trot over a small cross pole and wasnt bothered. He also has a bronc in him when he feels so inclined =S
Could it be naughtiness? Because it seems odd to stop after the jump and not before?!
 
Experience would tell me, as above, most likely discomfort. Saddle would be my first look in, followed by a front end/shoulder issue. Have you tried another saddle?

Also, no offence and I've never seen you ride so could not possibly comment specifically, but it could be something you're doing. Some horses, particularly when they're green, have a low tolerance for any unbalancing or interference. What does he do when someone else jumps him?

It is possible it's "habit" but I'd be very surprised. First off, it doesn't get him anywhere, secondly something must have caused it in the first place . . . most likely discomfort.

What does your instructor say? Have you had anyone very experienced assess the horse?
 
becky1489 said:
Could it be naughtiness? Because it seems odd to stop after the jump and not before?!
Click to expand...

Honestly? It wouldn't be my first port of call. Where does it get him? He's reacting to something that's happening over/after the jump and letting you know it's something he doesn't like.

Btw, horses that hurt don't necessarily turn into refusers. It would be lovely if horses were that simple but there are too many other factors operating on them to make their reactions so black and white.
 
it could be that he is sore landing - would look at his shoulders & front legs for any signs of soreness.

Could be very simple such as corns in front feet! :)
 
i don't think it's naughtiness, i think he'd stop or run out if it was. it's a reaction to what happens in mid-air or on landing. if he's cold backed maybe he wants to bronc but knows he shouldn't so stops dead instead. if he loose jumps perfectly, i'd definitely try a different saddle and a different rider, and see how he is with them...
 
Ok thats for all the suggestions, I will certainly be trying to get to the bottom of this, especially if its pain related :(

The only person I have seen jump him other than me was the girl I bought him off and she only jumped him from trot over a small cross pole.
 
Lots of young horses when they first start jumping stop after the fence. It's because they haven't got a clue and can only think about one thing at a time, getting over the jump, not what happens after it. I found cantering mine over a pole on the ground, really forward helped him grasp the concept that he could move after he had jumped.

Maybe no one has explained jumping to him?
 
He is a 5yo ex point to pointer so i would presume he would have a sort of idea about it. But having said that, he hasnt been out of training long, only 7 months or so and its very difficult to keep him going after the fence. Back to basics like poles on the ground seems like a good starting point for teaching him to keep going after the jump.
 
Hi, did you ever find out why he was doing this? I’m just going through this now with new pony - everything checked I.e teeth, feet, just trying out a different saddle to see if that has an effect. I’ve never seen seen a horse stop after a jump before and sounds exactly how you explained
 
The thread is 13 years old and the poster hasn't visited the forum since she wrote post number 12.

You'll probably be better off starting another thread, but I would be investigating possible sources of pain.
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Bit sad seeing all those names who don’t post … luckily lots of very good friends in real life still.
 
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