I thought id solved my break issues but.....

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Stacie_and_Jed

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I couldnt hold him last night!

I normally ride Jed in a 3 ring gag on the 2nd ring when jumping and XC. (I tried the 3rd ring but it didnt make much difference) He became really strong when jumping and last time i ended up coming off due to a control issue. I decided to experiment so i put D rings on the 1st and 3rd ring on the gag and it seemed to help. But last night i had no breaks again! He just seems to tank along. I dont want to keep going up the strenght's, so to speak, and end up with a dead mouthed horse. I just need something effective which give me control.

Any ideas.

Thankies
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Schooling. I bought a horse who was going to be shot because he was uncontrollable jumping.

It took a year of schooling, but he became very steady and responsive, and I sold him for 4x what we bought him for.
 
i found my mare didnt listen to a gag at all but i tried her in a pelham which is much better,

i think it is not necessarily stronger but because it has a different action its worked also i usually ride it with roundings on so i only have one rein but if i need a bit more for excitable situations i'll ride with 2 reins as it is more affective with 2 i find
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My friend jumps hers in a hackamore and finds that works much much better!! She used to be quite uncontrollable before but seems much better in that.
 
I actually took the Pelham off him and now ride in a Dr Cook, which he is as calm as you like in, but I appreciate not everyone wants to be bitless, especially if they are into dressage.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Schooling. I bought a horse who was going to be shot because he was uncontrollable jumping.

It took a year of schooling, but he became very steady and responsive, and I sold him for 4x what we bought him for.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ive had him for 8 years and she schools amazingly on the flat but has always been the same when a jump is stuck in front of him.
 
Maybe ill try the pelham then. I show in one with double reins and he is still bloody strong!
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Maybe ill result to steroids and lots of sesions down the gym to build up some upper body strength hehe!
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My Ned was 8 when I bought him/...


Seriously you should never write a horse off as 'thats just how they are' - Jackson Reed-Stephenson even told me to have him shot, it was a ride with your mind instructor who actually created miracles.

What worked for me, as an initial..thing (wierdly), was to jump on circles, and to make the jumps BIG. By making the jumps seriously big, it made him sit back on his hocks rather than rushing at them flat out. Stressing them even more with circling away, trying to hold, trying to change pace etc only made things worse, I circled (not away, just as if that was the track) to get him to bring his hocks under.

But yeah, gridwork that they can't rush to get over, so big jumps with differing strides such as double, bounce, related, bounce, plus adding dressage test elements such as serpentines.

For me, it wasn't about preventing him from galloping off which is what everyone had tried to do (and so stressed him out till be became dangerous), but to get him actually thinking.

Anyway, it's upto you, but thats what I did. The horse I'm talking about is the left in my sig, getting placed at PC area championships at sansaw (won the semi's).
 
I would try him in a curb bit, either pelham or kimblewick. If this makes no difference spend alot of time walking, halting and schooling him between wings and over poles, gradually building back up to cantering a course. Get him todo collected trot between some jumps, then a good strong medium, bring him back to working, get some extended strides in a double, to get him really listening just in trot, then do the same in canter. As soon as he takes a hold bring him back to walk, of stand if he won't relax. If you keep persevering, he will, eventually realise jumping is dressage...with jumps! From my experience....
 
(Sorry to hijack your post!)

It's interesting that Rara, because that was the thing that had sent my boy mad, people kept asking him to adjust his stride or pace or length or stand then canter then walk then jump, and his little TB head just exploded, bless.

I found that instead of 'forcing' him to listen to me, I made it so that it was easier for him to, so I didn't force him to slow or stop or change, I just rode him in a steady 'hold' canter feel, and did the circles etc.

(Again, sorry to hijack! Just a particular topic I find interesting for obv. reasons)
 
Thats some interesting things to think about. Ill have to give them ago. He works well with grids but as soon as he's on an open course he just flys. I do enjoy it and dont want him to calm right down but i just need to feel in control so we get round the course effectively.

Karenjj - Im not sure on the bitless as ive never used one. It may be an option worth trying though. How would it work when im doing dressage in a snaffle, will he accept a bit after using a bitless?
 
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