Jumped mare on lunge. Interesting.

[dozzie]

I jumped my mare today on the lunge. Only over 2'6 max and started with cross pole.It was really interesting. Firstly she hollows. Secondly on numerous occasions she landed with both back feet together. On her better rein she would land with her inside hind further forward but on her bad rein both feet hit together, parallel with each other. Now she was trotting into the jump in a very lazy way, just couldnt get her going forward today. If I ride her she is fairly forward going but I cant see the shape she makes. TBH it is a bit worrying.

Plus at the end she had a really hard lump in her neck. About the 3rd vertebra down from her ears. Sorry dont know the name! She was also sore when I massaged it.


Guess i need the physio out again! What would it indicate to you ?

She has been diagnosed with SI so i am suspecting it is linked.

 

[TinselRider]

It sounds to me that your mare lacks confidence jumping on her own, as for the lump in the neck it may be connected with the SI or she may have jarred it on landing (one of my geldings has done similar and physio described it as a cramp
)
sorry to hear it didnt end all so well

 

[dozzie]

I was wondering whether the jumps were too small to get her to stretch through her back. Trouble is she just does not have the impulsion to go bigger. She is 16.2. So she can just hop over in trot if she wants! It is just so hard to know if it is the SI/back or just her being lazy!

Maybe i should just continue to jump her ridden with more impusion.

 

[TinselRider]

try jumping her under saddle with more impulsion but let her have a reasonably long rein and guide her via your legs / seat, this way you are allowing her to go forwards and stretch trough her back.

if she tends to waiver going into the jumps try putting V- poles up to guide her into the fence

hope I've helped and best of luck

x

 

[debradley]

Soz to here it didn't go so well today. When your onboard jumping her, could you get someone to video you so that you can see what she's doing with you onboard. That way, if she's jumping completely differently it may be that she just doesn't have the confidence to do it herself and is getting a bit lost? Just a thought - might help. I know Honey is very different when working her from the ground and actually riding her. She seems to like being held together by the rider and just goes to pot when she's asked to do it all by herself and becomes lazy and careless.

 

[zoegolding]

Can you go back to basics and start by lunging her over poles encouraging her to relax and stretch down then slowly raise the poles then build up to a small fence, gradually increasing the size as her confidence and technique improves without a rider on her back. Having trot poles or even just a place pole before the fence may also help as that will encourage her to have her feet in the right place before the fence.

 

[dozzie]

Yes I think videoing her is a good idea. She does seem to be more forward under saddle although still needs more impulsion. It was so interesting watching her back legs!It really highlighted the problems. Long and low is difficult for her as you will know with Honey. Also due the the SI forwardness is an issue!

I also think actually lungeing her over poles is a good idea. It would help her in far more ways than just her jumping. Just feel bad as due to my mum's accident I dont have as much time as i need to fit everything in. I am going to have to get more organised!!

I dont think she is frightened at all. But she is green having only just established her jumping when the problems started.

eta It hasnt all gone wrong really, just another mountain to climb!LOL!

 

[zoegolding]

I don't know the history of your mare (I'm new to all this so aploogies!) but a really good exercise for horses that struggle with long and low work is to use a tail bandage and tie it to the horse's tail (plait it in then tie it to stop it coming out) then pass it between the horses back legs right through between the front legs and tie the bandage to back of the horse's noseband/headcollar and lunge them like this.

I know it sounds peculiar but it works and you can start it off failrly loose and then gradually shorten the tail bandage as the horse gets used to it. Some horses are a bit silly at first as they don't like the sensation of having their tail up between their back legs but they soon settle. It just means that if they pull their head up it pulls their bottom down and brings their hind legs underneath them (same sort of principle as the pessoa but far cheaper!). Once the horse gets used to this you can lunge them over poles like this too.