Improving Jumping Technique in Front

[iknowmyvalue]

Looking at photos of H recently, I've noticed that he still has a tendency to jump with one front leg lower than the other. As in front legs leave the ground at different times and never really even up (if that makes sense?) It is normally the left leg which is lower than the right leg, which I assume is because the left rein is his better rein, but sometimes it's the right leg lower than the left leg. He does have the occasional pole down, but I wouldn't say any more than most young/green horses and it's usually when something else isn't quite right (dodgy approach/stride, I got too in front of him/on his shoulders etc.) He is perfectly capable of snapping up in front (as demonstrated by a couple of other photos!) but he usually doesn't.

He has already improved his jumping massively, and in recent photos he's taking off beautifully and evenly behind and using himself a lot better than he used to, but still have one slightly dangly leg in front! I am making the assumption that it is a balance/technique issue rather than a soundness issue, as it's not always the same leg, he hasn't done loads of jumping, he's always done it and had no lameness picked up on 5 stage vetting, and he is not the most naturally balanced horse at the best of times (especially in canter, though improving every day). My current plan is to keep plugging away with him to improve his balance and his canter, try and do some gridwork when we can too.

Has anyone else experienced this? Have any suggestions for exercises that might help? Or do I just need to whack the jumps up so he has to make a bit more effort (he's 16.2hh and we're only jumping about 80-85 currently)

 

[be positive]

Gridwork, gridwork and more gridwork!! I would do nothing else, other than the odd competition, until he is more consistent and balanced, set the distances a little short to encourage him to get slightly deep and never needing to stretch to reach as that can make them rush a bit so they don't pick up evenly.
High x pole bounces ensuring you stay behind him allowing the front end to really come up through the shoulder, wide square oxers so he spends a little more time in the air once he has taken off, narrow oxers with the front rail lower can help them drop their heads and pick up as well as numerous other options that may work for some and not others, a really inventive trainer is key to get the grids set correctly for you, the eyes on the ground are probably more important than the rider as a tiny tweak can make so much difference obviously you need to stay inbalance and not allow your body to have too much influence, keeping your head up and not looking left or right is also key to remaining straight.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Gridwork, gridwork and more gridwork!! I would do nothing else, other than the odd competition, until he is more consistent and balanced, set the distances a little short to encourage him to get slightly deep and never needing to stretch to reach as that can make them rush a bit so they don't pick up evenly.
High x pole bounces ensuring you stay behind him allowing the front end to really come up through the shoulder, wide square oxers so he spends a little more time in the air once he has taken off, narrow oxers with the front rail lower can help them drop their heads and pick up as well as numerous other options that may work for some and not others, a really inventive trainer is key to get the grids set correctly for you, the eyes on the ground are probably more important than the rider as a tiny tweak can make so much difference obviously you need to stay inbalance and not allow your body to have too much influence, keeping your head up and not looking left or right is also key to remaining straight.

Thank you for the suggestions! Those were definitely the sort of things I was thinking might help him, I will definitely try and do as much as I can with him over the next few weeks. I'm sure I can ask my instructor if we can squeeze in a couple of gridwork sessions! It's interesting that you say I should encourage him to get a little deep. I am a little reluctant to do that, because we've spent the last 18mo trying to get him to figure out how to stretch a little! He is a horse who naturally gets very, very deep to a fence and often tends to then scramble/hop over. He gives a much better feeling when I can get him on a nice, forward stride and encourage him to take off that little bit further away! When he gets a bit close, it feels (and looks on video) like he just sort of does an exaggerated trot/canter stride with the front legs moving independently... Is it possible that part of the problem is that he's getting too deep and doesn't have time to get his legs out of the way? (I have plenty of photos and video if that would help people!)