jumping skinnies

[windand rain]

Pretty pony is going cross country next weekend but she is too clever by half and knows that she can duck round skinnies so how do you keep them straight and central to a jump less than 3 ft wide. Her avoidance is to go out through the shoulder so her head and one front leg go over the jump she bends her body so she sort of goes out through the shoulder

 

[Illusion100]

A good established 'coffin canter' is ideal for the approach. Also pop your stick into hand you feel she will most likely try to fall out through, if she falls out both sides, a stick in each hand. Use these to reinforce straightness when you feel even a slight veer to either side on approach.

Kept her together and bouncy and imagine there's a dressage judge that has marked you unfairly sitting right in the centre of the skinny and you only get once chance to knock them off. Aim with determination Good luck!

 

[Elvis]

Make sure where you school has flags up as these can help to guide a horse. If they don't have flags up, take a couple of electric fence posts with you to use as flags.

Ideally practice at home first with a skinny showjump. The horse has to learn that it goes where you direct it. Approach the fence in trot, if you know your horse is going to try and run out bring her back to a walk. A stop is easier to correct than running out. Have the fence small enough that it can be jumped from stand still, or even have someone on foot to pop the pole down to the floor and then walk over it. Then build up the pace and height from there. The idea is the horse goes where you direct it. All of what I'm saying is based on Lucinda Greens Petplan master class on horse and country tv. This technique really worked with the green horses.

 

[Starbucks]

Have you tried her in the school over some barrels etc.? It's easy to think they are having you on but my hunter is honest / bold as they come but he really does not understand skinnies very much at all! I think he wonders why I'm trying to run him into a piece of wood!

Agree with Elvis, start small and slow and build it up from there, she probably just doesn't get it.

 

[Carefreegirl]

As above plus make sure you look beyond it, don't waggle your hands about and I keep my legs on as if I'm squeezing through a narrow gap.

 

[Equestriangirl123]

Someone told me to put my hands together on the reins , should help channel the horse

 

[Fun Times]

Someone told me to put my hands together on the reins , should help channel the horse

I do the opposite of this! I ride into a skinny with wide hands to stop them dropping out thru the shoulder. Also makes me feel more in control of the front end generally.

 

[Tnavas]

If rider is able to, bring pony back to trot as it's easier for a rider to keep the pony straight in trot, she can then push on in the last stride.

 

[windand rain]

thanks for all the ideas I can see Mondays schooling session being quite interesting

 

[Red-1]

Make sure where you school has flags up as these can help to guide a horse. If they don't have flags up, take a couple of electric fence posts with you to use as flags.

Ideally practice at home first with a skinny showjump. The horse has to learn that it goes where you direct it. Approach the fence in trot, if you know your horse is going to try and run out bring her back to a walk. A stop is easier to correct than running out. Have the fence small enough that it can be jumped from stand still, or even have someone on foot to pop the pole down to the floor and then walk over it. Then build up the pace and height from there. The idea is the horse goes where you direct it. All of what I'm saying is based on Lucinda Greens Petplan master class on horse and country tv. This technique really worked with the green horses.

I like all these, but if your horse does not get it, or gets stuck, I would use riser poles in a V to channel him over the narrow fence, until he believes he can fit between the wings. Once you are confident with the V poles then drop them to the floor so they are still visually channelling you. Then when REALLY confident remove the poles altogether.

Slowly slowly making the exercise more difficult so it is just small steps at a time.

 

[Elvis]

I like all these, but if your horse does not get it, or gets stuck, I would use riser poles in a V to channel him over the narrow fence, until he believes he can fit between the wings. Once you are confident with the V poles then drop them to the floor so they are still visually channelling you. Then when REALLY confident remove the poles altogether.

Slowly slowly making the exercise more difficult so it is just small steps at a time.

This, definitely.

V poles are brilliant. If you can't school your mare over a skinny showjump before you go cross country, could you maybe bring along a couple of short-ish lightweight showjump poles to use as a 'V' to channel your horse over the skinny?

 

[Marydoll]

Deffo v poles and start in trot as its easier to control, or a traintrack of poles to the jump