Introducing horses to fillers…

[maya2008]

Is there a better way than I have been doing it? I’ve found it a bit hit and miss in the past. Some horses never care, some get over it and some insist, for their whole lives, that fillers are monsters.

At the moment I do it like this:

- brightly coloured poles and basic jumps first.
- small plank sized fillers they can walk over. First led from ground, then walk over, then trot, then canter.
- two planks, or taller filler with the separate sides moved out so there is a gap which then gradually closes.
- a ton of practice with different ‘pictures’ in arena hire etc.

Am I missing a trick or doing anything wrong? Have four to do this with this year, so thought I should double check first!!!

 

[Katieg123]

Thats exactly what I would do! If its an especially anxious horse, having a more experienced horse there to give them a lead can be useful too.

 

[J&S]

Make sure you get some pink pigS They have been well known to catch ponies out!!

 

[Accidental Eventer]

That’s what I do, but then once they get more confident throw is some random stuff too. Cones sitting on something, I’ve jumped a fit ball in and oxer, anything that looks weird. Maybe something that flaps a bit. If horse is worried, let them touch it with their nose and that solves most things.
I also make sure horse is always in front of the leg and knows when I put my leg on, to keep going, they won’t get hurt!

 

[Jellymoon]

Sounds like you are doing everything right, and you’ve just described teaching jumping to horses in general! Some enjoy it from the off and never look at a thing, others just don’t get it and never will, despite your best and most patient efforts. And then there are all those in between.

 

[Jellymoon]

Just had a thought, and remembered a couple of mine from the past have found xc training and hunting has helped them cope with fillers. Maybe in the process of riding them out in the open and bit more forwards has helped with their confidence.

 

[maya2008]

Will definitely take them xc more to see if that helps. I wondered if a ton of desensitising at home to random scary things would help just before the filler training? So the whole flapping plastic bags over them etc sort of thing.

The comment that some 'never will' makes me feel so much better. My much loved chestnut TB jumped fillers if she felt like it. So you could win the class or get eliminated at the first jump. There was no actual rhyme or reason to it because she'd win a class full of terrifying fillers but refuse a couple of pink planks on another outing.

 

[Jellymoon]

It’s taken me a few to realise it, and friends experiencing similar, but yes, I do think some just never like it. I also used to think that hunting was the cure for all reluctant jumpers, until I ended up with one mare who would jump everything out hunting, but still wouldn’t take me forward in an arena or round a xc course. I guess she didn’t really like jumping, she just did it in a mad frenzy galloping in a herd!
And then you get one of those non-spooky ones that just loves it from the start and jumps everything without ever looking, and you think you can actually ride after all!! But actually, you are just joining in their party. I’ve had 2 of those in 45 yrs of owning horses. They were never sold!!