Long Time No Post! Henry Update

iknowmyvalue

iknowmyvalue

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It's been a little while since I've posted, life has been completely hectic. Between revision, exams, placement, horses and family I feel like I've barely had time to breathe! All is good here in camp IKMV. Praying for sun so the XC courses will dry up so we can get out and get some practice because most of the ones around here are still shut :(

Henry has mostly been pootling along nicely. Had a week or so off with the snow, but they did still get out in the fields and on the walker every day so didn't affect him too much. We've been having a bit of a rubbish time with our jumping in the last month or so, had some very disappointing outings which all ended in elimination as he decided he would not be jumping some of the jumps because they might eat him. This started a bit of a downward spiral, where we both lost our confidence in each other and he started stopping randomly. He used to pretty much only stop away from home at spooky stuff, but he started stopping at home even with small, simple stuff. Duly had appropriate physical checks, but nothing really found there. We did think it was probably confidence/behaviour anyway, since on the flat and when he actually goes over the jumps, he is feeling better than ever. Therefore bootcamp commenced. After video analysis from me and my instructor, the issue is pretty much that he doesn't go forwards and take you to a fence. He almost slows down and then stops because he doesn't have enough power/can't be bothered to make the effort. This is partly rider error, I'm very used to just sitting there and I also feel like he's going more forward than he is, partly a training issue because he's never really been taught to jump properly, and partly him being a monkey because now he's found out spooking isn't an evasion tactic that works anymore he's trying out new ones.

So in jumping recently, we've basically been told to throw "pretty" out of the window and just focus on FORWARDS. This means that our jumping warmup now consists of making him gallop around the arena, going forwards and backwards in canter (and by forwards I mean he has to practically gallop off when I put my leg on), doing lots of walk-canter, canter-walk transitions, and just generally winding him up. When we start jumping, I've been told to ride everything "like it's a bl***y great hedge". At this stage we don't care if he's knocking them down or making a good shape, we can teach him to do that later, but we can't do that effectively until he's thinking forwards and actually taking me to the fence. This approach, combined with weekly trips to the clear round at the dreaded venue he hates, seems to be getting us somewhere. I've had 2 great jump lessons today and yesterday, one with my normal instructor and one with a friends instructor (they know each other well and have similar approaches to things, so we're all on the same page). I was especially pleased with today, because it was a new venue, where he's never been before, and it's a very spooky place too. He started off pretty spooky and was backing right off my leg, but after a few gallop laps and instructor chasing him, he was suitably forward :D And actually, once he was going forwards and having to concentrate on what I was telling him to do and on balancing himself, the spooking was pretty minimal. Which goes to show that my theory that he's not really that scared, he's just being evasive and a bit of a pickle, is probably right. This was our second lesson with this instructor, and he said that he can already see a difference and he's much better and more forward than he was. I have some video which I'll put at the end of this post. It's not exactly a pretty round, and I'm riding like a bit of a lemon, but we got the results we wanted, and I like to share things warts and all. And looking at the video, he doesn't look like he's going that fast most of the time! It feels like we're careering out of control but apparently not :D Here's hoping it's onwards and upwards from here!

Other than that, he's just generally been his cheeky but loveable self. I gave my very novice sister a lesson on him the other day, she's 18 but hasn't had a real riding lesson since she was about 8 or 9. We were on the lunge just in case, but he was such a gentleman bless him, so I didn't really need to do anything. We mostly stayed in walk with a little bit of trot, but very focused getting the feel and correct aids. By the end, she was getting him going in and out on the circle from her weight and leg, and also going forwards and backwards in the walk! She was quite unbalanced in the trot to start with, but much better by the end. He did not bat an eyelid the entire time, every time she lost her balance a bit in trot he'd come back to walk so, but he was still very responsive to her aids. I was so impressed with him, because he was so careful with her, and he really boosted her confidence, and she enjoyed it so much that she wants more lessons! He might be a bit spooky and a bit of a monkey at times, but he never ceases to amaze me with what a sweet boy he is.

Anyway, long enough with the rambling! Here is the video from today, any comments/constructive criticism welcome, I'm very open to new ideas and tactics!
[video=youtube_share;y6wW6NeT3ks]https://youtu.be/y6wW6NeT3ks[/video]
 
Hi. Well done with the progress and the attitude. They are great.

I am going to be very mean. Your hands are not helping Henry on his approach - you are over checking him on approach, you yourself are leaning back and then there's not much release over the fence. I know they're tiny and you don't need to throw your hands up his neck, but you do need to let him jump. I think he's wary because you effectively sock him in the teeth whilst booting him on in front of the fence. He's expecting punishment if he goes over. Yes, sit up and push on but be kind with your hands and don't hang on to the poor lad's mouth on approach. If you need to check him, do the half halt with your shoulders, drive your seat downwards and then release.

Sorry if that sounds harsh.
 
Pocholo went through a similar phase just over a year ago. I know exactly what triggered it - we came into a full-up 80cm oxer in a warm-up (only his third jumping comp) and he wasn't on a great stride. Instead of popping a short one, which is his preferred approach, he took off from a long way away and did a huge leap. I was out of balance and I think the whole thing scared him. Needless to say, we were eliminated at the first oxer in the course at that competition.

Back home he kept stopping or running out and seemed to have lost all confidence in jumping. As he's such a cocky horse usually I think it really shook him up! Like you, we focused on just getting him forward and over the jumps (very small) in any way. My instructor told me to imagine I'm on a pony in a jump-off! I did have to ride very firmly at times, particularly if there were fillers, but suddenly it all clicked again and he rediscovered his love of jumping. These days I have to slow him down into fences, which is so much easier as he's forward so a half-halt results in him taking more weight onto his hocks and pushing instead of killing the canter.

I know exactly why you are holding him and leaning back on the approach, particularly if he has been putting in sudden stops or running out, but as per HH's comment do try to give more over the fence. I felt I wasn't quick enough in getting from my defensive approach position to the jumping position, so I practiced over poles for a while until I could switch quickly between the two and avoid catching him in the mouth. I'm still far far from perfect mind you!
 
iknowmyvalue said:
any comments/constructive criticism welcome, I'm very open to new ideas and tactics!
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I love that he is kind to your sister, and I also watched your other video again, it made me cry all over again.

With Henry, I am not sure that I wold be doing things in this exact order. I do agree that I would be getting him off the leg, but I would also want to attend to him making that added power land in your hand before jumping a course.

At the moment the added power has a big brace in his body, so he is going flat and long and then is not in the best position to jump the fences. Also, as he is braced, the corners are ending up a bit wild, so he is not balanced and straight when approaching the fence.

If he were mine I would back off some, I would do loads on the flat but in jump saddle/stirrups to have him going forwards and collecting in the canter, by collecting rather than thinking "backwards" he would round up his canter. I would have exercises including poles on a curve to assist you to have him in a rounded and balanced canter on corners, cantering the centre of each pole.

For jumping I would do loads of grids from trot, including bounces, strides, poles, spreads etc, so he learns to use his body.

It is about building confidence. If a horse is confident and obedient they don't behave as he is. I don't believe he is being a "monkey" but instead is worried and unbalanced. I don't like the way he is so long and flat he is not sure weather to put another stride in, and leaves a leg and knocks the fence.

That, of course, is just my opinion from seeing one video, and is no substitute for eyes on the ground, but as you asked for opinions and from that one video, that is mine.
 
Well done in battling through your confidence issues, from someone who has had a bad stopper I understand why you want to site behind the movement but agree with others that you need to give more over the fence it can be done I used to with mine.

He does look a little unbalanced and you do appear to be fiddling a lot with the front end coming into the fence, try putting him on a good stride further back and leaving him on that, I’d work a bit more on the flat getting him a bit softer onto the hand, pole work to help with your stride seeing, grids to help develop his muscles properly and maybe put your stirrups up a hole or two for jumping.
 
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Well timed post for me! We have had similar issues, for similar reasons, so reading how you are dealing with it, and the above tips, is really helpful.

You're right that he doesn't look like he's going as fast as you think. It's so good to video to see what's going on! I've had very similar advice, working on forwards and ignoring making it look pretty. You are far more stylish than me I'd say! We are very not pretty right now (lots of pony club flapping) but it's a work in progress.

I'd continue to keep it small, do lots of practice, grids, poles, lessons. Work on that canter and build up your balance and confidence together. Agree that you are leaning back a bit and need to give with your hands but totally understand where that comes from, as I've been doing it myself!

Also good to hear others have faced the same and have worked through it.
 
Thank you all for the helpful comments! You're all very perceptive, because you're all correct and I know I do all of those things, but I'm working on it! At the moment it's a bit of a case of finding the right balance. I do really appreciate all the comments and criticism, because I know I'm far from perfect and I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to help him! It's also good to know that I'm on the right lines with what I'm doing, and what I think I need to work on in my riding. I'll add a bit more detail/info below, I just wanted to see what people thought without too much extra info :p

Those saying I'm not releasing over the fence, you're right, I think that's mostly me over-correcting. I was previously throwing myself too far forward over the fence to make sure I was releasing, but I was actually throwing his balance off and all my weight was on his shoulders so he couldn't lift up properly. I need to make sure I'm releasing with my hands without throwing my body, I'm working on this with my instructor, but it's not coming naturally yet so I do need to be reminded sometimes! I will make sure that I really concentrate on that next time I jump! I was also definitely in a more defensive position than I sometimes am coming into the fence, because I've had a couple of crashing falls/near misses recently where I've gone forwards too early and then he's stopped and I've either gone flying off the front or ended up sat behind his ears. I will make sure I sit back, but also remember to release when we do get to the jump.

The fiddling with his head/putting the brakes on on the approach. This is my worst habit, and I know it. I had an instructor many years ago who taught me to ride like that (incorrectly I know now), and it's taken a lot of time and effort to break the habit. I'm mostly a lot better now, but I can see how I revert to it when I'm worried. It's also a factor of me panicking when I feel like he's going too fast, which I think is because of what happened with Rosie, although I know that is no excuse for doing it because it is definitely not fair on Henry. As my instructor told me the other day, I need to let the handbrake off and let him do the jumping!

You're all spot on with the exercises too. They're part of the plan going forwards. It's a bit tricky, because on the flat and over poles I can get a lovely forward canter whilst also keeping him balanced and light. The main problem we're having is that once we start introducing jumps in, he tends to back off completely and totally ignore my leg. So that's why we've been trying to get a bigger reaction off my leg, because before I could literally be pony club kicking and he would just keep slowing down into the fence. His other worst habit is that even if I get him going more forward into the fence, he shortens up so much that he loses all his power, can't make the stride and ends up buried in the base of the fence. Rather than lengthening into the fence, he tends to just shorten and go fast and then gets his legs in a tangle. Most horses shorten and then use the power to jump, but he shortens and loses power so he doesn't really jump at all, just climbs over the fence, barrels through it completely, or slams the brakes on. So that's why we're currently preferring long and flat, to short and crashing into the fence.

We are also doing lots of work on the flat to improve the quality of the canter even more, including lots of poles set at a slightly long distance so he has to lengthen and stretch through, and then shorter distances so he has to balance and collect. With jumping, we are keeping it little to build his confidence, all he has to do is go forwards! We are also doing lots of grids etc, which do seem to be helping somewhat, but it still tends to fall apart when you try and apply it to a course. We've been doing things like 4 little bounces then 1 stride to a bigger upright, a line of 5 x-poles on 1 stride, to make him sit back and stretch.

This video is definitely an extreme example of what we've been doing, and it's in no way shape or form a finished product! Once we've got him thinking more forward and taking me into the fences, we can work on refining his stride and balance, making a better shape and generally making it a bit prettier! And again, any extra input welcome, I find it really helpful and interesting to know how other people would approach the same situation :)
 
Great update, well done on keeping cracking on with it. I think the biggest thing with your upper body is that you are straightening up two strides out to prevent you getting ahead of the movement (and avoid going out the front door in case of a stop :p), and inadvertently locking out your spine. But your natural inclination as a rider is to stay with his movement, and with your upper body locked out all you've got left to move is your arms. So the result is that just before the fence you lock out with your body and then try to keep the momentum going by rowing with your arms. Maybe you could try a neck strap to loop your fingers through - it might not work, but it might be enough to just trick your brain into keeping a butt softer through your body.

I agree with red on the forward thing in that at the moment you are getting around Henry's tendency to worry and shut down by making everything really simple for him by giving him just one message - forward. It's absolutely the right thing to make everything super simple for him, but the problem with this way of doing that is that you might find that further down the line when you start to introduce the niceties of jumping again, you'll go straight back to worried Henry again as you've stripped away his simple comfort blanket of 'forward, just forward'. Which is were grid work is so very useful with this kind of horse. If that makes sense?
 
DabDab said:
Great update, well done on keeping cracking on with it. I think the biggest thing with your upper body is that you are straightening up two strides out to prevent you getting ahead of the movement (and avoid going out the front door in case of a stop :p), and inadvertently locking out your spine. But your natural inclination as a rider is to stay with his movement, and with your upper body locked out all you've got left to move is your arms. So the result is that just before the fence you lock out with your body and then try to keep the momentum going by rowing with your arms. Maybe you could try a neck strap to loop your fingers through - it might not work, but it might be enough to just trick your brain into keeping a butt softer through your body.

I agree with red on the forward thing in that at the moment you are getting around Henry's tendency to worry and shut down by making everything really simple for him by giving him just one message - forward. It's absolutely the right thing to make everything super simple for him, but the problem with this way of doing that is that you might find that further down the line when you start to introduce the niceties of jumping again, you'll go straight back to worried Henry again as you've stripped away his simple comfort blanket of 'forward, just forward'. Which is were grid work is so very useful with this kind of horse. If that makes sense?
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On the neckstrap thing, we have tried that but it didn't work that well, will try and keep persevering though! What works best is my instructor shouting "why are you riding like a chicken!" at me :D Oh and also making me ride around holding cups of cold water that spill if I move my hands too much :p Yes, that makes perfect sense, and I can definitely see how that could happen. I think maybe a better way of describing what we are aiming to teach him would be that when I put my leg on he has to listen, and even if he is worried it's not a reason to completely ignore me. I'll definitely keep an eye on it though, and make sure that we don't end up reverting back to that. We are using the grids to help him work things out for himself and to get him confident in himself, so hopefully that will help too!

rosiesowner said:
Henners! I really, really like this horse. He is so cool. That is all I have to contribute :p
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Haha thank you! He is pretty cool. He definitely has the ability, but right now it's just a bit inconsistent! But it's ok because I love him anyway ;)
 
Though I am far from an expert what you have just written was me about 6 months ago, with my masters, work and everything else the riding was just not quite there. I lost confidence, the horse could only do so much to save my butt and I, like you, stopped with the competing until all my ducks were back in a row, not a straight row but at least waddling in the same direction!

My big saving grace though was someone mentioning that through hunting and riding-out (racehorses) I had lost the stability of my seat, this resulted in me over checking and fiddling too much with the hand-just like you. I spoke to my trainer and we decided that the best way forward was actually back to basics. We spent nearly 2 months doing lots of no stirrup work and on the lunge with neither reins or stirrups!-the no stirrup work was not limited to lessons, every time I went for a hack on my own the stirrups were removed. I also started working on my core, I am a shocker I eat for Britain and am allergic to the gym. However, I worked on actually eating properly so cutting out those student meals and eating protein and fruit and veg, working on my core and cardio. BUT making sure I was getting the correct amount of food that I needed, fit not thin. After 8 weeks of this I returned to jumping and the difference has been incredible, the horse was soft and relaxed, I was soft and relaxed and able to use my seat so much stronger than before which in turn meant that I hardly needed to move my hands.

I hope that makes sense, I would really recommend no stirrup work-horrid for the first week but does get better I promise!
Looking forward to reading more of your reports! :)
 
ahml100 said:
Though I am far from an expert what you have just written was me about 6 months ago, with my masters, work and everything else the riding was just not quite there. I lost confidence, the horse could only do so much to save my butt and I, like you, stopped with the competing until all my ducks were back in a row, not a straight row but at least waddling in the same direction!

My big saving grace though was someone mentioning that through hunting and riding-out (racehorses) I had lost the stability of my seat, this resulted in me over checking and fiddling too much with the hand-just like you. I spoke to my trainer and we decided that the best way forward was actually back to basics. We spent nearly 2 months doing lots of no stirrup work and on the lunge with neither reins or stirrups!-the no stirrup work was not limited to lessons, every time I went for a hack on my own the stirrups were removed. I also started working on my core, I am a shocker I eat for Britain and am allergic to the gym. However, I worked on actually eating properly so cutting out those student meals and eating protein and fruit and veg, working on my core and cardio. BUT making sure I was getting the correct amount of food that I needed, fit not thin. After 8 weeks of this I returned to jumping and the difference has been incredible, the horse was soft and relaxed, I was soft and relaxed and able to use my seat so much stronger than before which in turn meant that I hardly needed to move my hands.

I hope that makes sense, I would really recommend no stirrup work-horrid for the first week but does get better I promise!
Looking forward to reading more of your reports! :)
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Yep, only being able to ride him 2 days a month and during uni holidays is not great for quick progress in either of us! The no stirrup work thing is actually how we initially solved the issue 5 years ago, and I'd almost completely stopped. Now I just do it jumping because I feel I need to hold him back, which I know is my confidence. I actually really like riding with no stirrups, which most people find strange :D It's quite a challenge on H though because he's got such a big movement that he pings you out of the saddle in trot :p I do it anyway though, at least once a week if not more.

My instructors bright idea to get me to stop fiddling with his mouth on the flat was to detach my cheek pieces from the bit, so the only thing keeping the bit in his mouth was my hands, and if I fiddled too much it would fall out. This was done in a grass arena with no fences, in a massive open area. Needless to say, I kept my hands still :D :p She's also a big fan of doing grids with no reins, so the horse has to sort it out themselves.

I'm also very pleased to report that following these tips, I had another go at jumping at home today and really focused on myself and everything people mentioned. Great improvements overall :) Still a bit messy and the steering went a rather awry when he started locking onto random jumps, but better, and at least he was locking on and taking me to them :D Also had a great flatwork lesson on Thurs, where we really worked on the quality of his canter. I'm hoping I can build on that on my own, which I know will improve his jumping no end :)
 
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