Horse won't canter over small jumps?

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SarabiTheHedgehog

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I've been loaning a 16.2hh 18 year old horse that was broken a couple of years ago. Jumping has never really been a strong point for him, but particularly with small jumps. He just doesn't seem to care for them and him being rather tall he just steps over them. (Up to 2"3 - 2"6 roughly he does this with.) I'll have a good, well balanced canter up to the jump then he'll slow to a trot and step over it, or he will even refuse or steer away from the jump.

With higher jumps, he really gives it his all!

Sometimes he has really great days though and he'll try throughout the entire lesson. I'm currently doing a lot of gridwork with him which I feel is helping. As well as canter poles leading up to the jump. (Though this doesn't prevent it.) I'm just not entirely sure how I could help him out with this, it almost seems like he gets confused with his strides up to the jump but doesn't want to disappoint, so quickly does a trot instead? Should I just continue with what I'm doing now and see is he improves? Around the arena his canter is fine, if anything he just has short strides for his size but that's not a problem.

I can't really ask the owner about him, because she's never around the yard when I am, and to be honest I think she knows as much as me about him.
 
18 and broken a couple of years ago? Or was that a typo?

In any case, could you try free schooling him to see if he still does this? He needs to know how to lunge and how to free school on the flat first. Once he's got that down, it's just a case of popping up a couple of jumps and putting him in canter over them...

This will also help him figure things out without a rider interfering.

Something else I'm wondering is what happens if you just trot the jumps? Try that and see if you can keep the forwards going. If you can get him to trot with plenty of forward energy up to the lower jumps, you can then ask for canter just one or two strides out to get him used to jumping from canter.

It may also help to place a canter pole one stride out so he has to canter over it before jumping. You can also just get him used to canter poles... And then raise the pole off the ground just a little. If he understands first that he's meant to canter over the pole, he should still do so when it's raised! Then just raise it a little at a time...
 
This sounds very much like the behaviour of my boy who is 5. Stop and step if it's a cross pole but really motors into and flys bigger jumps, though 2'6" is a big jump for us :$ . I think, with him, it is partly due to lack of confidence and also lack of strength in the canter. My plan is as been advised above, no jump, just canter poles and then raising the poles to help build strength and and to stop the whole thing being such a big deal. Let us know how you get on. It's great to hear what works.
 
Are you giving him enough time to 'sight' the jump as he comes up to it? As hes quite tall (and especially if his heads held high) if you dont give him enough time to see the jump -8 to 10 canter strides- he mightnt realise its there as its below his eyeline.
 
Thank you all! He was broken a little before age 18 because he was a companion, not quite sure why, lack of an experienced owner perhaps?

He's absolutely fine with trotting over smaller jumps, I just find my position sloppy when we go into jumps at a trot but hey, he's going over it which is what matters! I've never really free schooled him but I've lunged him, so I'll try and see what he's like with free schooling! I try and do canter poles when possible but I find even then he'll sometimes come back to trot, but I'll keep trying with it. His back has been checked and fine and his saddle has been the same for 9 months or so now, but I can have that checked again.

Good to hear other horses do it as well! Kind of reassuring, 2"6 is pretty average I would say, it's just in comparison to him aha. He definitely is not really strong in his canter, but he certainly isn't weak either, I am trying to build up his stamina in canter slowly. Next couple of weeks we'll be doing canter poles then! I will try and share the results of that :)

I always trot past the jump when I put it up, and always give a ground line if that's what you mean? x
 
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