Napping at first xc fence?

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liliro1

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This is my horses first season competing and during the spring hunter trials we had a few stops at some point over the first 3 fences, i put this down to lack of concetaition as he was very looky at every thing going on. But once on his way he flys round.
Now the autumn xc have started at my first 2 events he has been very nappy. Last week he left the start box got about 10m from the first jump he stopped dead, went to spin but i wouldnt let him so he proceeded to reverse back to the start box and straight out the other side. I tried the nice approached then i resorted to breaking my whip on his behind, eventually someone came past an we took a lead, after a couple of fence the horse infront stopped and we sailed on past no problems going clear.
Yesterday once again, 10ft from first fence couldnt get him any where near it, wouldnt even take a lead from one of his stable mates, so in the end i had to give in, rode him up to the next fence flew it fine and went like a machine round the rest of the course clear not even looking at them?
What do i do how do i stop this nappy behaviour at fence 1?
 
what has helped mine:

french blinkers
different spurs
jumping lower than normal
asking steward to go through start box not round and round in it.
teaching a word that makes him shoot forwards (ie for when he is ignoring all other aids) for this I use 'out' in a growly voice- I taught him by taking him on a long canter stretch and a pair of schooling whips as he is quite lazy off the leg and used simultaneously they are the one thing that really sends him forward

schooling with friends and making a pretend start and going away from them, with a schooling whip to back up leg but still able to keep him straight with hand.

He is another one that once the first three are out the way he loves it but to start he is nappy and worrying about blonde girlfriend!

hope some of that helps
 
Only tiddly 2'6 fences wench and always inviting logs or little palisaide fences nothing scary he's just nappy not scared!
In every other respect he is very off the leg, generally too much. However he becomes oblivious to legs or any artifucial aids when he does theses naps. He can be abit nappy in other walks of life (howeve fine to hack on own) but can always be ridden through them. Drives me crazy as he seems to really enjoy his xc once he's out on course!
 
the obliviousness to other aids is where I find the voice has helped, pointless smacking him more than once as it just increases franks stress level so he shuts down even more.
 
I had this problem with my youngster, he would stop dead spin, rear, walk backwards and it got so bad I just couldn't ride him through it. He is very talented and I just didn't want this to become a habit. I had tried everything and after a bad fall at the second fence at an event I got my instructor to compete him for me, he had his work cut out but fingers crossed he seems to be getting the hang of it, he has been placed at his last two events. A lot of friends took a dim view on me getting proffesional help but I didn't want to ruin my talented horse and after just 4-5 runs he seems to have stopped napping and at the weekend he was positively excited in the start box and went out like a rocket. I hope you mangage to sort out this problem as I know how frustrating it is, good luck and let us know how you get on.
 
I was due to compete him next weekend but I have to have an op on my shoulder after my fall off him a couple of months ago which is only 3 days before the event so my instructor is going to ride him which will be his last event of the season. I am interested to see how he will be with me but after napping badly with my instructor initially he has really changed and I am confident he has learnt his job and gained confidence. He would only nap at the start and if I could get him going he was fine but this behaviour became worse and worse. He has now had 3 runs with not a hint of napping. Next year will be an interesting one!!!
 
we had same problem with daughters horse and couldnt get passed fence 2.totally frustrating as like your horse once shes going loves it and flies round.we have hired a course so daughter can practice and gain confidence and out again next weekend.she was a bit nappy hacking when we got her but that is now cured.i wondered wether it was a combination of anxiety and excitement and am hoping the more she does the better.interested in any words of advice too.
 
re the other rider.

if our latest outing didn't go very well ie no improvement then my instructor (who events/rides pro) was going to take him round. as it is she is doing this for me on sunday as I have broken my arm and he will have forgotten it all if he doesn't go again before spring.
 
mine is a nappy so and so at times, mainly as he is lazy and cant be bothered to go round, and has learnt that napping/refusals = elimination.

I would suggest firstly practising start boxes at home/xc course if not poss at home if horse is baby/very green.

When at comp, get horse nicely rounded, in a springy powerful canter, on a nice short contact and plenty of leg.

Make a good start out of the start box, using above nice springy canter. I was at a 2ft6 HT at the weekend, the ones that we slopping out in a strung out trot - they all stopped 10 strides away or literally ran into the jump.

Another tip, try and choose places where the first three or so jumps are smallish, so you can get over them, even if it goes a bit wrong.
 
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