Nearly hit the deck at BS on Sunday! Any CC? *Vids*

BYR

BYR

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Had a near miss in the 1m qualifier at vale view on Sunday when due to my misdirection we locked onto the wrong fence and then had a justified stop when I tried to redirect him, just about managed to recover!

http://youtu.be/ZJ-3bxH1kUs

He then jumped a nice round in the 1.10 but just had the 2nd fence which was unlucky and probably rider error again not getting totally straight!

http://youtu.be/nKbCa96f878

Any cc ? I know he is looking out round his corners, he had got over this problem over the summer jumping outdoors, but its come back now we are indoors. Any ideas on solving it? I try to use lots of inside leg to push his shoulders out and create inside bend, but he tends to ignore me!
 
OK, this is my PERSONAL opinion and what I would offer as advice.
Firstly, I think you ride very stylishly, and I think if you relaxed a little more the whole picture including the horse would look tip top.
I think you need to let go of your horses head over the fences he is landing short and with his head up and you look like you fix your hands a little. It looks like he might be quite strong/or you are worried he is going to shoot off with you. So at home I would set up a grid and jump him through it a few times, as you jump the first fence the stride before "drop him" (just put your hands forwards) and leave him to jump through the rest of the grid and work it out himself. If you keep holding him on too tight a contact he will never get to stretch over his fences and will become reliant on you setting him up. You want to be schooling him at home so he can get you out of trouble when you need it (we ALL make the odd silly mistake) I thought that stop was quite dirty and he is more than capable of jumping it from a standstill. He also should not lock on to fences, he should be jumping what you want to jump. Maybe also be a little lighter in your seat and if I am being super criticle you tip forwards before your fences but your hands stay where the are. Your arms and legs and seat and body can all move independantly! As for outside bend on corners, while you are still getting that sorted, flex his neck left and right just before your corner and flex again if you need it, I find it easier on both arms and it gets them back listening to you a bit more. His outside bend may be his way of evading your tight contact before and over fences. At home let him run down to fences (if you have a heavy pole that would work even better to get him to back off the fences a bit more, but don't scare him and encourage stops)
Thats what I would say. Im sorry if it comes across as pulling your riding to pieces-I am not I do think you look great but from those videos that is what I would suggest because you asked for CC so you're getting it! I hope it makes sense and works out for you if you try it!
 
Wow thank you, thats just what I was looking for. I can totally see your point about releasing him more over the fences, he does have the back rail sometimes over oxers, looking now at the video in a new light I can see what you mean and that explains it! I will try letting him go, I have been trying to hold him back and make him wait for the fence as he tends to see a long stride and go for it so I think that’s maybe why I am tight, but obviously I need to be quicker with my release when he does get to the correct point to allow him over the fence as you say.
Would you say my stirrups need to go up a hole? This was only our 2nd time out this year over the 1,10s and I did feel that my stirrups were maybe a little long?
The flexi left and right is what I was told last winter by my trainer, you have just reminded me, thank you ! I remembered the give and retake to soften his neck but id forgotten about the flexing, I shall try that next time we jump. I would prefer for you to criticise me as I want to learn (this is only my 2nd year of showjumping) so every piece of advice is precious! Thanks :D
 
Well you are both doing brilliantly. I like to give my opinion as I find it improves my riding and I learn more (if that makes sense?!) Just try out your stirrups at a longer length and see how you feel, I can't see it making a huge difference unless your holes are really far apart (that sounds well dodgy-hee hee) I have CWD leathers and the holes are quite close together so I can pick where is most comfortable, but I do what alot of people frown upon and change the length of my stirrups on different horses and different days depending on how I am feeling! Some days it just doesn't feel right!! With the give and re-take, even though your slowing down remember to have your leg there as back up because sometimes they back right off and then you end up booting them because you poop yourself that they aren't going anywhere and thats just messy. The other thing you might want to consider is trying different tack, maybe scool in a gag now and then to round him off, or a bit with a curb. My mare will go great in a bit for a while and then suddenly decide she doesn't like it, her teeth are fine shes just difficult in many ways so I now have a nice selection that I play around with, but when she starts locking her neck I put her in a rubber pelham, the curb chain doesn't need to be tight but i find it just inlocks her neck a bit so I have a bit more to play with. Glad to have helped this has made my day! Also glad your trainer said the same thing!
 
You both look lovely. Do you find he can get a bit forward going? He looks as though he can get quite long between fences and maybe that's why you are riging on quite a tight contact?

My boy is very similar and can be rather speedy, he also throws his head up to avoid the contact if it's too strong. Do you have similar problem? I notice the sheepskin noseband and I was thinking of trying this on mine to try and get his head carriage down a bit?

My solution has been to try and work on hos flatwork, getting the canter balanced and getting him to 'come back' in canter when I sit deeper and slightly back in the saddle, the idea being that he comes back to me better between fences from the seat rather than my hands so much. It's getting there when we are just doing flat but at the moment he can be a bit forgetful when the jumps are there but it's a work in progress.

Ditto with the flexing already suggested.

Hope that may be of some use if your situation is similar to mine?
 
Both look like confidently ridden rounds, other than that I can't offer much CC. I would comment on whip use- you said the stop was justified, but I heard a loud whack when you were out of shot- I'm not really into the whole notion of whip as punishment. Same goes for after he knocked down the pole in your second round. However I'm really not trying to pick a fight, just offering my opinion.

Other than that I thought they were both decent rounds, he clearly has good ability jumping, and I wish I had the guts to do a 1m / 1.10m class!
 
Suzi - he used to be very "fast" and used to get away from me and run to the fences and jump on a long stride often ending up on the back rail, we have slowed down a lot since we started, but agree it still needs more what I would say is bounce and impulsion rather than the speed we have at the moment, he tends to sit back and listen more over the bigger fences whereas in the 1m he just still tends to flatten and hollow over them I think.

He did used to chuck his head, hence the noseband, but we also use the sheepskin as he has a very sensitive nose and the leather used to rub him and make him bald! I would give it a try with your horse, I think it helps to lower the head and I cant see that it would do any harm.

We have been building up the half halts in trot and he is getting the hang of them now, so we will move on to them in canter which will hopefully help between fences as well. :)

Pedantic - thank you, i`m proud of him :) I really thought I was a gonner though!

Sheep - I don`t agree with overuse of the whip either - we moved trainers last year as I thought we were being told to use the whip to much! However I don't feel I was using it aggressively, more as a reminder or a little wake up , he reacts better to a little tap down his shoulder with the stick than he does to a kick so that's why I use it like that.
 
Nice pony :) I thought you perhaps need a bit more impulsion, and keep him a tiny bit more in front of your leg and into the contact in front of the fence. I think he's a smart little fella, made 1m 10 look easy peasy :)
 
Thank you bubbles, will work on the impulsion, I did lots of half halts last night and it really got him sitting and forward off my leg, so hopefully it will improve :)
 
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