jumping help - late takeoff?!

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bex1984

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Murphy likes to wait to lift his front hoovies off the floor when jumping until the last possible minute - I find it rather unnerving when he gets in so close
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We only do little jumps (2ft absolute max) so he doesn't usually get all 4 feet off the floor at once, and he lands really close on the other side.

I have tried putting a pole in front of the jump - he refuses the first time and then just steps over it and takes off after it
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Any advice for getting him to a) leave the ground completely and b) not take off at the very last second?
 
errr....haven't actually tried loose schooling, but he is totally uncooperative on the lunge so would probably refuse to jump altogether.

The likelihood is it is something I am doing/not doing that is causing it...

I might see if I can try loose schooling (but I suspect he will just stand at the gate and refuse to move
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Try doing some little combinations, start with two poles on the floor a few (pony) strides apart and move them until they are exactly right for him to canter over, then change them to little crosspoles. Keep coming through at a canter until he gets the idea and is confident. Chipping in a short stride is often lack of confidence so keep it all easy and the right distances for him. Hope this helps
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thank you - makes sense that it would be a lack of confidence as we used to refuse everything but we are now getting a bit better. Will try your suggestions, it will probably do me good as I get a bit nervous cantering into jumps.
 
No problem hope it helps. Once he's got the idea with that if you want to PM me I can tell you some other exercises I've done that help. Do you usually trot into jumps then? As you know Murphy is very like my Chance, and she much prefers jumping from a good forward canter- so maybe just come at them a bit quicker and it'll all come together lol.
 
We do usually trot into jumps - he is more likely to stop from canter (and I am more likely to fall off if he does - I fell off a year ago and hurt my back and it has made me nervous...).

We have been jumping logs today from canter tho, and he was doing them really nicely, so maybe I need to be brave and do more cantering into jumps!!
 
IMO it's your confidence and/or Murphys as when I am not sure Pidge puts a short one in but when confident he doesn't! Only twigged when lunging him and loose schooling and saw he never did it therefore it was something I was doing!
Other tip is too look up over the fence and not at it as this can sometimes cause them to put a short one in?
 
It may be he is a little stiff through his back and needs suppling up, so I would build a grid of five fences no more than a foot high to start with, and with no stride in between (bounce distance) and go up and down the grid until you can feel him rounding his back nicely. This can then be raised a little until he is jumping well.
It will also do wonders for your jumping, you should be able to relax and not worry as he and you will know what's coming next.
It won't happen overnight but should over a few weeks really make a difference to both of you. (leave the grid up and pop through it at the end of every session of riding)
 
Pidge - totally agree with you that it's a confidence thing - probably mostly mine and a little of his. Will try to look up (must remember to picture a naked hunk in the distance
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HH - thank you, will try your suggestion. Unfortunately I won't be able to leave the grid up as I have to put all jumps away - but will try to keep doing it whenever I can.
Am a bit rubbish with distances - how many of my strides apart should the jumps be?
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that sounds more fun than looking at a telegraph pole or a tree
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for a horse they should be 8 strides but with Murphy you may need to bring it in a bit, we do for Sunny. 2 to land, 4 for a canter stride and 2 to take off. So if you want 2 strides inbetween go for 12 strides and if he's like Sunny he'll put 3 strides in
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