Jumped Andy- Advice Please...

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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So I jumped Andy for the first time today, we warmed up very nicely and, dare I say it, we actually had some moments when he was working in a correct outline :eek:
Started off nice and little like 2ft3 x poles we had 3 jumps set up two on either side of the school and one in the middle going across the diagonal. The first jump was 'interesting' to say the least, he went into it nicely then about 2 strides out threw his head in the air and charged it then took off very very early!

So we put a placing pole on the jump and I took him around again and gave him a shorter run up and he jumped it a lot better. So carried on and the jumps just kept going up and up until we got to about 1.10 and he literally felt like he was jumping a x pole it was so easy for him.

I am soo excited for his future he has loads of potential and is going to go very far :D

Just some advice turning between fences seems to be difficult he tends to go around like he's doing tokyo drift, despite me turning with my leg and body position.

So are there any exercises I can do to help this?
 
Wow he sounds lovely!
Just a small question though.. Did you not say he hadn't done anything 4 a few month? If so he should really have 4-6 weeks of fittening work before being jumped or he could pull muscles and injure himself..
The head in the air at the beginning was probably just excitement if he hasn't jumped for a while. The turning sounds like stiffness... Again maybe because he has had some time off and is weak. Get him softening on the flat and bending/lateral work will help. When you are jumping focus on the turns, plan well ahead and flexing him slightly to the outside with your inside leg on will help to counteract him falling in and should give you a
straighter approach. :)
 
firewell said:
Wow he sounds lovely!
Just a small question though.. Did you not say he hadn't done anything 4 a few month? If so he should really have 4-6 weeks of fittening work before being jumped or he could pull muscles and injure himself..
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She's had him a while though :)

I am also going to say flat work, flat work and more flat work! Especially lateral work.
 
firewell said:
Wow he sounds lovely!
Just a small question though.. Did you not say he hadn't done anything 4 a few month? If so he should really have 4-6 weeks of fittening work before being jumped or he could pull muscles and injure himself..
The head in the air at the beginning was probably just excitement if he hasn't jumped for a while. The turning sounds like stiffness... Again maybe because he has had some time off and is weak. Get him softening on the flat and bending/lateral work will help. When you are jumping focus on the turns, plan well ahead and flexing him slightly to the outside with your inside leg on will help to counteract him falling in and should give you a
straighter approach. :)
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Thank you, yes he was turned away but has been back working for about 4 weeks now and we thought he was fine to jump. I think the head throwing was excitement aswell seeing as he didn't do it again afterwards, I was thinking if it does happen again maybe put on a running martingale for jumping.

We do lots of flatwork, he has pretty much mastered baby lateral work as I think he knows it already is just a little bit rusty. When you say focus on the turns, is there any exercises I can do to help me do this?

Thank you for your advice will get on it when I ride him, do you think its to early to start shoulder in?
 
Sanolly said:
She's had him a while though :)

I am also going to say flat work, flat work and more flat work! Especially lateral work.
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I do love flatwork I must admit, I think I'm more suited to dressage then jumping but when I got a pony like Andy it would just be wrong not to jump :p

We have leg yielding down was thinking of starting shoulder and quarter in but don't want to puch him too much too soon if you know what I mean?
 
I would leave jumping for the time being until you have properly established your flatwork, got basic lateral work started and got the ability to shorten and lengthen the stride pretty well.
Then i would work on grids, with a placing pole in front of it as keep it small pref x poles to start, this will stopping him chargeing and help establish rhythum which is one of the most important things when jumping.
Putting a martingale on him will do no harm, and if correctly fitted will only come into use when you need it, think of it as seatbelt, its there but only works when you really need it.
hope this helps
Q
 
Quadro said:
I would leave jumping for the time being until you have properly established your flatwork, got basic lateral work started and got the ability to shorten and lengthen the stride pretty well.
Then i would work on grids, with a placing pole in front of it as keep it small pref x poles to start, this will stopping him chargeing and help establish rhythum which is one of the most important things when jumping.
Putting a martingale on him will do no harm, and if correctly fitted will only come into use when you need it, think of it as seatbelt, its there but only works when you really need it.
hope this helps
Q
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Thanks for your advice, I will get the flatwork sorted but as we have him on trial we have to jump him to see if I like him but will focus on flat now, like I said previously I do love my flatwork :)

He only charged the first fence and after that we did do all 3 jumps in a lovely ryhthm, I think I may have chased the first fence a bit :o

Yeah we was thinking of starting grids next week (if we keep him), I think they will really benefit him :)
 
From you previous posts I gather his outline can be a bit inconsistent at times?

This suggests to me he is not always working through his back and soft. To get good turns he need to be working through and supple. So like others have said lots of flatwork with him to loosen him up and supple him.

Also some pole work and grid work might help. To begin with I would keep it small and concentrate on slowing it down and keeping in a nice rythmn till you feel you can direct him easily. then slowly build it up to full size courses.

I also used to flex and do some leg yeild etc with my horses when hacking out as we had nice quiet roads. Helped alot as they were often more willing to relax on a nice hack.

Hope that is of some use.

Have fun!!! And ditto the request for pictures!! :p
 
Emily91 said:
From you previous posts I gather his outline can be a bit inconsistent at times?

This suggests to me he is not always working through his back and soft. To get good turns he need to be working through and supple. So like others have said lots of flatwork with him to loosen him up and supple him.

Also some pole work and grid work might help. To begin with I would keep it small and concentrate on slowing it down and keeping in a nice rythmn till you feel you can direct him easily. then slowly build it up to full size courses.

I also used to flex and do some leg yeild etc with my horses when hacking out as we had nice quiet roads. Helped alot as they were often more willing to relax on a nice hack.

Hope that is of some use.

Have fun!!! And ditto the request for pictures!! :p
Click to expand...

Yeah he's working lovely an then he goes, "ohh whats over there" and the outline is gone, its pretty much consistent in walk and canter but in a trot he turns off so we've been working on doing plenty of exercises, shapes and turns to keep him interested in what he's doing.

We also started getting him used to the polocrosse racquet and ball, he didn't bat an eyelid and I'm sure this will also help with turning as we are currently teaching neck-reining :)

I love schooling out on hacks I think it makes it so much more fun for them aswell so at the weekend when its light I will go on a nice educational hack :D

As for pictures totally forgot the camera :( but I'll get some Friday and Sunday :D
 
Kokopelli said:
Yeah he's working lovely an then he goes, "ohh whats over there" and the outline is gone, its pretty much consistent in walk and canter but in a trot he turns off so we've been working on doing plenty of exercises, shapes and turns to keep him interested in what he's doing.

We also started getting him used to the polocrosse racquet and ball, he didn't bat an eyelid and I'm sure this will also help with turning as we are currently teaching neck-reining :)

I love schooling out on hacks I think it makes it so much more fun for them aswell so at the weekend when its light I will go on a nice educational hack :D

As for pictures totally forgot the camera :( but I'll get some Friday and Sunday :D
Click to expand...

exercises and turns etc all brilliant.

I would just be a bit carefull with the neck reining. Having ridden a few polo ponies the neck reining tends to be a very stiff way to turn. Which if your jumping you dont really want. you want him to flow and bend as he turns.

I'm no expert though so just my experiences.:)

Emily
 
Hi, this might stop him rushing, put a jump in the centre of the school then 3-4 strides a dog leg to the left and right so youve got 3 jumps in all, they dont need to be big. But then keep coming to the jumps alternating which jump you jump second. It will get him listening as hell be concetrating to which direction you want him to go rather rushing!! :)

Glad you rhaving fun. :D

Hope ive explained it well let me know if you dont understand and ill try again, i can do things just not very good at writing them down!!:p
 
He sounds lovely. We want photos! :)

An exercise I find useful for keen horses is to set up few small jumps in the arena and work round them on the flat. Even to the point of riding on the line towards one but circling away 4 strides out. Lots of changes of gear, direction and include lots of leg yielding too. Basically everthing you an possibly do to get his attention on you, then when he is 100% concentrating quietly trot down over one of the fences and then go back and do some more schooling for a good few minutes and prehaps pop another fence. Also mix things up a bit whilst on the line and after the jump, ask for a downwards transition or even a halt (obviously not 3 strides either side of the fence!). He needs to listen to you. You decide the speed, rhythm ect. not him! Easier said than done I know.
Good luck! :)
 
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