Jumping too close/ getting in deep

[silvershadow81]

I'm trying to work out if I am causing this!

Horse is 5 and bold as brass, very forward and onward bound into a fence with a big canter, which isn't yet too balanced.

When we start a course its fine, but by fence 4/5 she will start chipping in a small stride and luckily she is nimble enough to get out of trouble (so far!)

I think my reins may be too short (I have been used to a very sharp, quirky TBxArab who would shoot sideways or stop, so have picked up the habit of holding them into the fence) from photos it never looks as though I am pulling back too much, but I do know I 'lift' with my hands over the fence.

I just wondered if this would be contributing to getting in too close?

I know I need to work on her canter, getting it balanced and light, gridwork also helps, although, once you've been down it once, she thinks she has it sussed and tries to go faster down them, which in turn makes me hold her more, I feel like there could be a cycle appearing which isn't helping!

I may have answered my own question 'go try without lifting her over and holding her right up to the fence'.. which I will try and do when next have an area hired, but any other suggestions, tips, advice for just ironing this out please? and does holding/ lifting them over a fence with your hands usually contribute to poles being taken down?

 

[Shay]

You've already identified the most likely cause - you are holding her, causing her to rush to save herself which in turn makes you hold her more. Focusing on the quality of the canter rather than the jump will help. You might find it useful to count or sing so you focus on the rhythm - and you can't hold your breath. Grids are good - can you go through a grid with the reins knotted and your arms held out by your sides? That helps remind your body that you don't need to hold on to jump. (Be sure you are absolutely stable first!). Also focus on being able to slow and even halt her on seat aids alone so you don't need to touch the reins. Working on a really stable lower leg can help too - can you trot around the arena stood bolt upright in your stirrups? Not 2 point - really standing? If you can your lower leg is stable.

Don't be downhearted - its a common problem and you have already figured out the most likely cause and started measures to improve it. Your mare sounds wonderful and genuine to get you out of the problem so far. You just need to get used to her and let her find her rhythm.

 

[be positive]

It sounds to me as if she is inclined to rush, don't confuse forwardness/ boldness with her being too fast and a bit flat then with your contribution of holding her a bit tight and lifting she starts to lose the canter she has not really got established properly so her flat canter gets her too deep and she has to chip in rather than jump out of her stride, not sure if that makes total sense written down.

I would not be too concerned about you holding her at this stage but would want you to improve the canter so she does not speed up through grids or set off too fast and keen starting a course, lots to work on which from the sound of it will be worthwhile as she is keen to do the job just rather lacking in technique.
Jumping on a circle is very useful as you can keep going, work on the stride pattern and take them off to do bits of canter work without having to stop, 2 small fences set up either on the centre line or at B&E so you can jump both, jump one then do a 15m circle before jumping the next is a really good exercise for green horses that rush, it is not as easy as you think it will be asit cam be tricky to keep on a true circle, to control their shoulders, the stride pattern and get to the middle of the fence, once they are doing it well you can use it to alter the stride length and also put in 2 extra fences so there are 4, otherwise any gridwork and polework to help the canter generally and to try and stop you interfering too much with your hands.

 

[tristar]

i would work on improving canter, collection and extension, collection will give you both the opportunity to adjust and rebalance, and shorten or lengthen the stride before you approach a fence so you can meet it in a flow rather than her saying hurryup and you saying slowdown, which is the last thing you want

but as she is so young please do not rush the training

 

[wkiwi]

sometimes when they are onward bound and bold they just go for a longer and longer spot as they go round a course, until they realise they can't risk the very long one and so then they chip in short ones (i.e. it might NOT be anything you are doing on top). An instructor should be able to sort out any rider issues.
For the horse, working with placing poles before jumps can help a lot, and gridwork etc. as mentioned above. Also setting poles on the ground at a set number of strides apart (e.g. 6) then making sure you can consistently do those number of strides, followed by adding a stride (i.e. canter 7 strides in the same 6-stride distance) - not on the same day of course!! Then take out a stride (probably some time later before horse is balanced enough to do this). You don't want to take away all the horse's initiative, but they should be adjustable down ccanter lines.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Do you have a vid of a round?

 

[Kat]

I have this issue, although not as seriously as I think, it seems to feel worse than it looks so get an opinion from a good instructor it may not be as much of a problem as you think.

Otherwise Be Positive explains pretty much what happens to me and how I am working to fix it.

Because my mare rushes I take my leg off and we don't have enough power so she needs to get close and then put in a steep jump to clear it. So I have to ride a bigger more powerful canter, sit up, keep my leg on and my hands down and quiet (when I get tense my shoulders and elbows misbehave).

In terms of exercises as well as the circles the Be Positive mentions and using grids I find that jumping off a corner, a bending line or dog leg helps as I have to keep my leg on and ride to make the turn. Also riding school figures or pole exercises between jumps. Basically anything that forces me to focus on riding a bigger more powerful (but not rushed) canter.