Jumping Ditches!!

[LKWilliams]

My horse wont jump a ditch, she steps into them and then out the other side. Which luckily I know as she wont even jump dug out drainage ditches, so out hunting I sit back and dont interfere too much. However this summer will be spent teaching her to jump them rather than stand in them! Does anyone have any tips or experience with horses that have done this! All my previous hunters have lept over ditches no problem!

 

[Clodagh]

Start with her on the lunge and let her find her confidence and feet.
I am in Essex and we tend to like the horse to shuffle down and then leap over from half way, but mine would always jump if given a kick and a 'get on', if you knew they shouldn't go to the bottom.
What happens if you canter at them?

 

[LKWilliams]

Thank you for the reply, I have cantered at a few out hacking and she still just puts her feet in them! I am going to take her xc schooling once this weather finally dries up in the hope that those ditches being more defined and obvious that she might go over them.

 

[Shay]

Our brilliant hunting cob always goes down one side and up the other if he thinks he can. Small ditches he will jump - like the ones on XC courses etc. Tbh I find that preferable than the ISH who would simply launch over anything he thought he could get across - even when he really coudn't and needed to go down a bit, leap and up the other side.

What about trying a pole over a ditch? She has to jump the pole and so will de facto jump the ditch as well. That might be a way to get her started?

 

[Ditchjumper2]

We are Suffolk and I agree with Clodagh. Keep lunging over as many ditches as you can. Our best hunter will also.sus out whether to go part way down or not.

 

[Bob notacob]

Bob was always a nightmare at ditches ,not because he had a problem . It was just that he didnt understand why others did. He would simply sholder hangers back and make them jump (or crash) When you weigh three quarters of a tonne and love jumping ,its a bad move for anyone in front to hesitate.

 

[P.forpony]

Essex again here, all ditches!
My mare started climbing through her first season until the rain came then very quickly learnt not to drop a foot in a puddle of unknown depth...!
Jumps nicely if taken at speed but otherwise I just sit back and let her get on with it. She’s a clever pony and knows what’s under her feet better than I do.
On a side note she can still throw in a horrified stop at tiny artificial XC ditches! So may not necessarily connect the ‘made’ ones to the hunting version
See if anyone in your area runs ditch clinics, I had a fab day at ours and really helped me find my brave pants