Irrational fear of oxers

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I have a rather embarrassing confession to make now... after all my years of riding, I have never once jumped an oxer. My riding stables was small when I was learning, and we only really had barrels and branches to jump so nothing fancy, and my first horse was a cob who'd never been taught to jump. My current horse jumps very well and we are having a lesson this weekend, and I am starting to panic because I have no idea how to approach or handle an oxer! For some reason I have an irrational worry that my horse won't see the back bar and jump it like a vertical, then land on the back bar and hurt himself.. Ridiculous, I know, but any help overcoming this would be great! Thanks!

 

[lindsay1993]

I rode my first proper Oxer on my mare yesterday. It was much wider than I expected. My instructor always has huge jumps set up for her own horses, she events. Normally she moves them about and re-arranges things as I'm warming up. This time she just lowered them slightly. I thought Oh God!!! I eyed it up the whole time. We were practising square corners and then it came to jumping the oxer. I jumped a barrel, then a vertical, then square turn to the Oxer. Horse messed about coming in off the square turn and I had no choice but to ride very strongly to the fence, or she would have floored me. She popped over no bother!! Don't know what I was worrying about. Instructors only advice was....'Sit up, shoulders back and go,go,go!!' Just put some good boots on your horse and have fun. Good luck!

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I rode my first proper Oxer on my mare yesterday. It was much wider than I expected. My instructor always has huge jumps set up for her own horses, she events. Normally she moves them about and re-arranges things as I'm warming up. This time she just lowered them slightly. I thought Oh God!!! I eyed it up the whole time. We were practising square corners and then it came to jumping the oxer. I jumped a barrel, then a vertical, then square turn to the Oxer. Horse messed about coming in off the square turn and I had no choice but to ride very strongly to the fence, or she would have floored me. She popped over no bother!! Don't know what I was worrying about. Instructors only advice was....'Sit up, shoulders back and go,go,go!!' Just put some good boots on your horse and have fun. Good luck!

Thank you!! I bought some lovely new purple tendon and fetlock boots especially for this lesson to match our numnah, so safety is sorted! My boy's a very confident jumper and he's never once refused a fence, even if he eyed it up a bit on approach so I'm worrying more about me than him. I'm going to try a small oxer today when I do a bit of training, thanks for the advice

 

[be positive]

For novice horses and or riders most instructors will not just build a square oxer and expect you to jump it with no preparation, I always start by using a x pole then putting a back rail on once the horse/ rider is happily popping it, this would usually be incorporated within a combination or as part of a simple grid, once they are fine with the cross at the front then it will be built up appropriately with the front rail being slightly lower.
The horse will usually jump an oxer far better than an upright, if you watch how they jump the mid point is nearly always beyond the top of the upright rail so they will have no problem reaching a back rail provided they are capable of jumping in a normal style.

 

[Merlod]

I love oxers! Because they have to stretch more over them I find they give a nice feel and i've never had a horse not see the back rail now placing poles.. those are scary!

 

[molly7886]

Firstly - you are not alone, a back rail on anything brings me out in a cold sweat!!
If you're having a lesson make sure you tell your instructor as that is the point of them. Don't think you'll feel stupid, they need to know what you worry about and so how to approach it.
Then I just try to think logically....a horse does not jump vertically. It jumps in a curve, so to clear even an upright it is travelling forward. So although the top of your arc is slightly further ahead over an oxer it's never more than the horses body length away(hope that makes sense) and just think how much ground a horse covers in one canter stride!

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

For novice horses and or riders most instructors will not just build a square oxer and expect you to jump it with no preparation, I always start by using a x pole then putting a back rail on once the horse/ rider is happily popping it, this would usually be incorporated within a combination or as part of a simple grid, once they are fine with the cross at the front then it will be built up appropriately with the front rail being slightly lower.
The horse will usually jump an oxer far better than an upright, if you watch how they jump the mid point is nearly always beyond the top of the upright rail so they will have no problem reaching a back rail provided they are capable of jumping in a normal style.

Ah thank you, that calmed my nerves a bit! My instructor has been to Badminton and can be quite brazen and confident, whereas I tend to get nervous, so I'm going to practice a few by myself before our lesson. I have jumped a couple spreads in the past so I'm not so nervous about an ascending one, it's just the parallel ones that worry me!

 

[LibbyL]

I used to be petrified of these so refused to jump them, making sj rounds pointless. Then my instructor put a tiny one up the first day of camp and my horse jumped it beautifully, much better than any other jumps we do, making it alot more comfortable. Just start small and don't over face yourself Enjoy it...plus your horse will look smart in their new boots

 

[lindsay1993]

Thank you!! I bought some lovely new purple tendon and fetlock boots especially for this lesson to match our numnah, so safety is sorted! My boy's a very confident jumper and he's never once refused a fence, even if he eyed it up a bit on approach so I'm worrying more about me than him. I'm going to try a small oxer today when I do a bit of training, thanks for the advice

He sounds like he'll look after you! Just do something small at first and build up from there. I have had a number of jumping lessons over the past few weeks. We built up from small x-poles, small verticals, onto water trays and barrels, then barrels with poles on top. Horse can be very strong minded and will refuse or duck out if your not riding strongly enough. So I suppose we did a fair bit of practise before jumping the oxer, although it was much higher than in our previous lessons. Horses owner says she can jump 1.4 metres!!! Don't think I'm ready for that yet, I'd say we did about 2ft 6 ish? That suits me just fine at the moment!! ;-)

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I used to be petrified of these so refused to jump them, making sj rounds pointless. Then my instructor put a tiny one up the first day of camp and my horse jumped it beautifully, much better than any other jumps we do, making it alot more comfortable. Just start small and don't over face yourself Enjoy it...plus your horse will look smart in their new boots

Nice to know that I'm not alone on being nervous of these I used to be terrified of jumping anything with fillers but my confidence grew really quickly after I did my first one, so hopefully the same will happen here.

 

[PaddyMonty]

At the likely height you will be jumping, dont think of it as an oxer. Forget the back rail, just ride the front rail and let the horse deal with the back rail. All the horse needs to do to get over even a decent square oxer is stretch a little in the air

 

[Bernster]

If anything I am probably the other way around, don't like uprights so much. As above posters have said, if you think of the horses natural shape over a jump they should find it easy enough as they bascule over it, unless you're jumping whoppers which hopefully won't be the case just yet unless your instructor goes mental haha. Agree start with a x pole in front and small so you're feeling well confident, bet you'll fly it!

 

[JFTDWS]

I used to love a nice oxer, then I tried to train my now-dressage pony to jump. He does vertical take off and landings - jump jet style. Oxers put the fear of God into me. Now working with my younger horse over fences, they worry me a lot less as he cruises over them sensibly. Start small, work up - it'll all be fine.

 

[Kat]

Another one with a case of the oxer wobbles here!

 

[Deltaflyer]

I'm another who think twice when there's a decent width oxer in the course. Trouble is the RS attached to the yard where I keep my boy runs little jumping comps and they NEVER put decent oxers in the course. They are so narrow they might as well be uprights. This means when going out competing wide oxers make me anxious. Silly I know as I'm only jumping up to 80cm at comps at the moment and even a widish oxer is no effort for my boy at that height. I'm getting better though. Now just have to get over our fear of wide XC jumps. Did manage the 'plane which is quite wide at Halton last Sunday though, piccie when I get my laptop back

 

[Bernster]

I'm another who think twice when there's a decent width oxer in the course. Trouble is the RS attached to the yard where I keep my boy runs little jumping comps and they NEVER put decent oxers in the course. They are so narrow they might as well be uprights. This means when going out competing wide oxers make me anxious. Silly I know as I'm only jumping up to 80cm at comps at the moment and even a widish oxer is no effort for my boy at that height. I'm getting better though. Now just have to get over our fear of wide XC jumps. Did manage the 'plane which is quite wide at Halton last Sunday though, piccie when I get my laptop back

Woohoo for the plane! I did wonder about posting a thread to start up the Halton plane pics haha. Well done

 

[Deltaflyer]

Woohoo for the plane! I did wonder about posting a thread to start up the Halton plane pics haha. Well done

I was thinking about that too LOL - you know what they say, great minds

I sooo wasn't going to even attempt it this year but Samuel was jumping like a stag all the way round so I thought what the hell let's have a go. Friend managed to video it too which was unexpected and fab He had a little look just before take off but I had an SJ clinic at Quainton a few weeks ago and the voice of the instructor shouting 'ass over bum' rang in my ears and it worked.

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I was thinking about that too LOL - you know what they say, great minds

I sooo wasn't going to even attempt it this year but Samuel was jumping like a stag all the way round so I thought what the hell let's have a go. Friend managed to video it too which was unexpected and fab He had a little look just before take off but I had an SJ clinic at Quainton a few weeks ago and the voice of the instructor shouting 'ass over bum' rang in my ears and it worked.

Woohoo well done I'd be far too scared to jump anything like that, even though my horse would probably have a go!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

My sister has the same regarding the back rail of an over. Took her ages to just settle and ride the horse to it.

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I was going to try one yesterday but I bottled it... aargh I hate riding nerves so much!!

 

[Deltaflyer]

Woohoo well done I'd be far too scared to jump anything like that, even though my horse would probably have a go!

I posted a pic in the St Patrick's day thread, if you look at the expression on my face it's pretty grim LOL

It actually jumps a lot better than you'd think ! It's like jumping a wall really. Still had to put on my brave pants though

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I posted a pic in the St Patrick's day thread, if you look at the expression on my face it's pretty grim LOL

It actually jumps a lot better than you'd think ! It's like jumping a wall really. Still had to put on my brave pants though

Still a very impressive achievement And you have an amazing horse not to get spooked by a jump like that!

 

[JFTDWS]

I posted a pic in the St Patrick's day thread, if you look at the expression on my face it's pretty grim LOL

It actually jumps a lot better than you'd think ! It's like jumping a wall really. Still had to put on my brave pants though

Super pic. It's on my bucket list, but I never seem to have a fit jumping pony at the right time of year to enter!

 

[applecart14]

I had a nasty fall onto of an oxer with a previous horse and we both ended up on the floor. So I have never really been keen on them since. I always think uprights look smaller than oxers, but I think that's just an optical illusion, but I'd much rather jump and upright than an oxer anyday. Apparently (so they say) your horse can never be more than half a stride out, so its should be able to clear an oxer given that a horses canter stride is 12 foot!

I would suggest grid work with a small oxer on the end of the grid and you can gradually increase the width and height as you progress.

 

[Bernster]

I was thinking about that too LOL - you know what they say, great minds

I sooo wasn't going to even attempt it this year but Samuel was jumping like a stag all the way round so I thought what the hell let's have a go. Friend managed to video it too which was unexpected and fab He had a little look just before take off but I had an SJ clinic at Quainton a few weeks ago and the voice of the instructor shouting 'ass over bum' rang in my ears and it worked.

Same here, I kind of had a feeling we would do it as he's so brave, but I decided to just see how he felt and how he was jumping up to then. I also showed him the fence beforehand. He flew it and never batted an eye. Fab that you have a vid of it too, it's a big moment.

I was going to try one yesterday but I bottled it... aargh I hate riding nerves so much!!

I reckon you should tell your instructor, start small but get her/him to make you do it. It's amazing what I will do when someone on the grounds makes me do it.

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I reckon you should tell your instructor, start small but get her/him to make you do it. It's amazing what I will do when someone on the grounds makes me do it.

I have my lesson tomorrow morning so I might just do that! Often I've asked people on the ground to yell at me until I did something, that's how I got my youngster over his very first grid - he was spooky, and I was nervous, so it's kind of a similar situation now.

I appreciate everyone's support Might not seem like a big deal but when I finally do it, it'll be a big deal to me!!