I don't know what to do!

DonkeyClub

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I think horses that love their jumping this much& are so bold are often too strong to hold in a snaffle- definately try other bits, I love the Tom Thumb for thoroughbreds as it gives neater control without being harsh/ bulky for them
 

Mardy Mare

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This ^^^

He sounds like he loves his job and forgetting your on board and in control!

Your lucky you have a horse who enjoys his job. Definitely try a a stronger bit- be safe. If you're not being yanked around by him, your position will probably improve too.
 

lucemoose

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Could it be the high lucerne feed content? Or any mini changes in the uk to us management? Can you get a jockey on him to give him a spin up a track, and see if you can put a pro on him to have a jump? I think your trainer should also be coming up with some more answers for you too! Where's tarrsteps?!?!
 

MagicMelon

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Has anything changed since you moved to the states? I know it sounds a bit simplistic but what about his turnout? My bay was permanently stabled before I got him, so to begin with when I got him I had to keep him this way too and had to introduce turnout to him and slowly increase his time spent out (from 10 mins to 24/7 like he is now). When he was stabled all the time he did exactly the same as yours, he'd get faster and faster round a course and at 17hh he's a big horse to control. Slowly he began to chill out as his turnout increased! Honestly the difference was quite amazing.
 

Honey08

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I agree with a lot of what has been said on here already. I would try a stronger bit for a while. My mare races and pulls in a snaffle. In a Cheltenham gag, she respects my aids and we don't have the leaning and pulling, so I can ride her forward in a soft way and everything relaxes. In a snaffle we are both fighting and tense.

I also agree that seeing how a bigger, experienced rider copes would be interesting.

Can I also say, as politely as I can, that it seems slightly strange that your you are the experienced rider, yet hubby is deciding whether you get a back person in and also what your options are re keeping him or selling him. I may have just read it the wrong way, and don't mean to offend.
 

Exploding Chestnuts

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I would find an experienced show jumping rider to school him at least once, see what he thinks.
In the meantime go to the gym, build up your strength, you are losing confidence and that is no use.
 

TarrSteps

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Could it be the high lucerne feed content? Or any mini changes in the uk to us management? Can you get a jockey on him to give him a spin up a track, and see if you can put a pro on him to have a jump? I think your trainer should also be coming up with some more answers for you too! Where's tarrsteps?!?!

Stuck in an area of the house with no WiFi. :D

The horse will have experienced any number of changes as will the OP. .Frankly, I'd be surprised if there weren't a few cracks appearing and that is not anyone's fault, it's an unavoidable consequence of the situation.

That's why it's also almost impossible to say 'It's probably this' because there are just too many variables in play.

If you can get a video, OP, then that would probably help you assess the situation objectively, regardless of asking anyone else's opinion.

As you know, OP, I can probably understand your situation better than most. Find me on fb if you want. :)
 

Firewell

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You are a helpful lot aren't you :D. I am in a spin as I don't have my 'management' team here like I do in the UK! I was panicking as the farrier was rubbish but luckily I stumbled across a very good one so at least his feet are looking good again.
I kind of agree with my husband, I'm happy to pay for services but I'm not paying 250 for a 'back' man. I also don't really like chriopractic as a treatment. However I think I may have solved the back man issue so fingers crossed :).
I'm aware that I am predicting the rushing so I'm riding with too much hand giving my horse more reason to lean. If I know I can check and he will come back I feel certain I will be happier for him to jump from more pace. I try my best to ride softly and into the fence we are OK. It's the landing vroom off he goes and I have to do half a dozen circles re establishing the canter to get him to be the horse I want to ride before the next jump!
So I have dug out lots of bits to try (benefit of being at pro SJ yard lots of bits!!). Top of the list to try is a kimblewick with leather curb strap and a tom thump pelham with leather curb strap. Have also dug out a Waterford but I'm not feeling that will suit him but worth a try :).
There is a guy who jumps the youngsters at the yard who is the most amazing rider who will jump him for me if I ask. I know Jae will be perfect with him though, they will probably float round a 1m20 with no probs while I cry into my bottled water. He is a man though, he could probably break Jae in half just by sqeezing him with his legs and he is Mexican with balls of steel. I see him riding the young stallions. So bit different than 8st of pathetic english girl muscle. If the bits don't work, I'll try thd mexican and if J does it with him then I will know it's pain (which my instincts say it isn't, the horse is too damn happy).
 

TarrSteps

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Sounds like a good plan. Start crossing things off the list. You might very well find the change in bit gives you enough say in the matter to bolster your own confidence and get you both on the right track. If it's still not going the way you want, get the input of the rider and go from there. Good luck.
 

Queenbee

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I had straightness issues due to a bad fall years ago, it really affected my riding, I simply couldn't build up strength down the one side and found myself almost rotating when doing rising trot and shifting when I put my weaker leg on. All my back knotted up in unseemly places and I fixed it by having regular sports massages to loosen all my muscles and investing in a lower back support for riding, it kept me in the right position so my muscles developed evenly on both sides. It took a good few months a massage each month, using the support religiously, and my back hurt like hell after I used the support for the first few weeks,You will also have to have your horse, regularly worked on by physio or massage therapist to ensure that muscle build up is not affected by your unevenness, but after a few months your core strength and lower leg will be vastly improved.
 

j1ffy

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If the bits don't work, I'll try the mexican

For some reason this really made me chuckle :D

The only thing I'd add is I've known two TBs (my own when I was a teenager, and another here) who would shoot off at extreme speeds if the rider got unbalanced / held on to their mouth for too long over a fence. It's a tricky habit to break as the tendency is to keep a contact over the fence in anticipation of the shooting-off on landing, but in fact the opposite (more of a release over the fence) is needed.

You've not been there for that long so I wouldn't give up on him just yet!! You know Jae better than anyone and from your reports it sounds like he is your horse of a lifetime, this is just a blip and in a few months you will look back and wonder why you ever considered letting him go. Keep us posted!
 

ann-jen

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My old mare used to be similar. I repeated an exercise ad nauseum to stop her doing it. Starting with a pole on the ground. Approach in walk. Halt in front. Walk over pole. Ride straight. Then halt before the corner. Pivot turn and do same in opposite direction. Then start doing same in trot and then canter. Always halting at the far side and always before reaching the turn. When this was going calmly, a small fence and always halting on the landing side whilst still straight before the turn. It was hard!! But once she started anticipating the halt she wasn't running off after the fence. Then eventually stringing a few fences together and pulling up to a halt if she started to get strong.
 

samleigh

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I think you may be getting yourself disproportionately wound up about poss altering his bitting arrangement ;)

He is being fed differently (ie super hay!) and is presumably quite fit and quite poss just having a bit of a wahay moment at his amazingness to clear a fence so perhaps he just needs to know you are still there ;)

<<This>> I cut out the Rye Grass Haylage, went back to Hay..different horse!
 

samleigh

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My TB would also go into a fence in a nice controlled canter but land at a much increased speed & with occasional cow kicking, my SJ trainer said this was down to me, a) firstly I was thrusting with my seat on take off b) I was folding to quickly over the fence, both giving him signals to go faster and since he has Turbo Power he found it easy to accelerate landing. I had to learn to lighten my seat and sit quietly with lower leg on and consistent contact, I still finish a course of fences quicker than when I started but its controlled and in a rhythm now & I sometimes revert to thrusting when I think things are about to go wrong instead of leaving it to him and he tells me off now by big bucks or putting me on the floor!
 

prosefullstop

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Have you started riding US hunter style, cantering in two point and remaining forwards on landing from a jump? Do you think that might have something to do with his newfound desire to zoom?

Horse-keeping is so different out here. We are about to start building a three-stall barn at home, and I could do with a glossary of US barn terms to reference as we go along!
 
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