Martingale or Market Harborough????? Jumping saga cont.......

[Quartz]

How very very annoying! Just when things seem to be getting slightly better it all goes terribly wrong again!!!!!

I had a thread up the other day about relaxing my horse more when jumping and that he rushes. Well I didn't do my jumping lesson last week as we did dressage instead as my friend turned up with her donkey to ride for the lesson!!! Sent my horse into orbit, rearing and kicking (all in sheer excitment). He did look stunning during the lesson as he was so on his toes, but beautifully rounded and tail up (must take note to bring a donkey with my to any future dressage tests!!).

Anyway, he was in a jumping lesson on Saturday. But he was a nightmare, worse than ever apparently!!! He charged the jumps, he refused, he bucked. I put this partly down to the sudden freeze and now limited turnout. But still very dissapointed. The girl riding him came off twice! Now the instructor has said, he needs a stronger bit and a martingale (I have always said he needed a martingale but was always told it was just my riding). Now there is a more experienced girl riding him for me they are starting to see that it is not just me!!!

Also personally I thought with a horse who has issues when jumping it was best not to jump in a. too windy conditions and it makes it a worse experience for them or b. very very cold conditions when they are likely to be too fizzy. At least not until his issues are resolved, so in making it a pleasant experience for him. Maybe I am just nuts though!!!

So should I go down the route of a martingale or a market harborough?

Thanks

 

[*hic*]

If your instructor has suggested a stronger bit and martingale and you feel the need to doubt your instructor and consider a change other than that then I'd suggest a change of instructor .

 

[Shay]

A lot of show jumpers use martingales as standard practice - if only becuase it can give you something to grab onto!

Personally I'm not a fan of a Market harborough - particularly not in inexperienced hands and certainly not as more than a quick fix whilst other issues are addressed. You can only use them with a snaffle bit so that may make the decicion for you. Although there are strong snaffles you can't go further than that and have a market harborough too.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Stronger bit and martingale is one solution although this can be the start of a slippery downward slope (not always). My prefered approach is to get to the bottom of why the horse is difficult to jump and eal with the root cause rather than treat a symptom.

 

[debsg]

I would suggest more pole work and grid work to bring his head down and look at what he is doing more (or he will fall on his arse )
I agree that the wind can make an already excitable horse more liable to rush. I don't necessarily agree with your instructor that a martingale and/or a stronger bit is the answer.

 

[Quartz]

If your instructor has suggested a stronger bit and martingale and you feel the need to doubt your instructor and consider a change other than that then I'd suggest a change of instructor .

Change of instructor has been suggested before, and i am in the process of looking for an independant instructor that can come to me (as no horse box). Anyway am in rural France so not the easiest task in fact.

The reason I doubt instructor is because when I have suggested this to her over a year ago now, she said do not get a stronger bit as this will just essentially make him harder in the mouth. I agree with this and have stuck with a snaffle. I have been saying I should try him in a martingale to stop him from putting his head up, to which she said 'no no no, absolutely no need'. As I said it is only now someone more experienced is also having difficulty with him that they are starting to take notice. So I am all for a martingale, but just thought maybe a market harborough would be better, although have read a lot of conflicting articles on this as some people say you can jump in them and and others say no you can't jump in them.

 

[Quartz]

Stronger bit and martingale is one solution although this can be the start of a slippery downward slope (not always). My prefered approach is to get to the bottom of why the horse is difficult to jump and eal with the root cause rather than treat a symptom.

I have been trying to find out the root cause, have had the usual checks done. Although he is just due for the dentist next month. Have gone back to basics with him of pole work and he is fine. We were progressing, but needed to get him more confident so he was less tense and panicky about it all. But Saturday was like taking 10 steps back.

 

[debsg]

You can jump in them. Like anything that is a strong piece of kit, it is dependent on the hands that use it.

 

[Shay]

You can jump in a MH. But only on a snaffle. Or at least you can under British Showjumping rules. I don't know about France!

 

[LiveryList]

I schooled a mare like this for a client who bought a cob from Ireland whos only experience of jumping was the hunt field. She had a fab jump but would rush at the jump, duck out at the last minute at combinations or completely bugger off unstoppably after the fence irrelevant of what bit she had in! We tried a market harborough on her and she just fought it all the way. We jumped her in draw reins (ahem not quite the correct thing to do but hey it worked as a last resort!) only on two or three occasions and it changed her forever- no more tanking off and she almost changed overnight from flying round the jumps as if her tail was on fire to really sitting back and letting the jump come to her.

 

[olop]

If you search for rushing in the search key above there are loads of really useful threads with exercises on how to control it

My boy rushes his fences & I am just being really patient with him as there really is no quick fix. Grids, grids & more grids!

My boy rushes through lack of confidence & in some occasions he will rush & put the anchors on (que me going over the top!!) its a chicken & egg situation with me as I have to ride more confidently but not so much that I am pushing him on faster if you see what I mean??

I suspect yours may be a confidence issue too, in which case a harborough / stronger bit combination will not work for you.

Take it all back to basics, pole work, introducing grids & trying to get a good rythm around fences, it will take time but you will feel an enourmous amount of pride knowing you have cured the issues without having to resort to gadgets.

Good luck!

 

[Quartz]

I schooled a mare like this for a client who bought a cob from Ireland whos only experience of jumping was the hunt field. She had a fab jump but would rush at the jump, duck out at the last minute at combinations or completely bugger off unstoppably after the fence irrelevant of what bit she had in! We tried a market harborough on her and she just fought it all the way. We jumped her in draw reins (ahem not quite the correct thing to do but hey it worked as a last resort!) only on two or three occasions and it changed her forever- no more tanking off and she almost changed overnight from flying round the jumps as if her tail was on fire to really sitting back and letting the jump come to her.

Thats really interesting. She sounds exactly like my horse!!! May get my instructor to try the draw reins if a martingale doesn't work.