Need help from all you showjumpers....

livvyc_ria

livvyc_ria

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Right after years of saying "I was not put on this earth to showjump", ive decided i need to up my game.

My mare is a very bold horse xc but not the most courageous horse when fillers are around!

She has plenty of scope but has the classic issue of getting a bit long and strung out as the course goes on. She is currently jumping 1m 05 comfortably but has a tendancy to as get stronger and stronger, get long and then have a cheeky stop.

She's very strong anyway and despite only being 16hh she rides very big

So does anyone have any good exercises to help keep the canter bouncy and keeping her more together as the course goes on? Would appreciate jump and flat exercises.

Thanks everyone!
 
Having a long line of canter poles (or a canter pole 2/3 strides away) in front of the jump helps with regulating the canter
Also do lots of flatwork and transitions from trot to halt and canter to halt then back from halt to trot then halt to canter
Have you tried draw reins? They could also help with getting the canter bouncy and help her to sit back on her hocks
 
It may be an idea to sacrifice a few rounds just to install some discipline- if she gets strong, pull her up, wait, pat her and quietly go on again. Or turn a circle if she's running and take the time to re-balance the canter.
 
deaville said:
Having a long line of canter poles (or a canter pole 2/3 strides away) in front of the jump helps with regulating the canter
Also do lots of flatwork and transitions from trot to halt and canter to halt then back from halt to trot then halt to canter
Have you tried draw reins? They could also help with getting the canter bouncy and help her to sit back on her hocks
Click to expand...

i have a showjumper and as talented as she is, at doing the big tracks she does this, so i do this exercise and the difference it has made. this is because we have a rhythm round th ewhole course rather than being long and flat and just any old stride:)
 
Like somebody just said, don't care about your rounds individually at competitions as on the scale of things they don't matter, its more important sorting out the issue for the long term. Once she starts to lean and speed up, pull her up (sharply if need be) re-engage the brain and then continue once you have her attention. I find the flatter and faster horses get the number they get to your pleas for their attention, you can pull and nag and do whatever but often you need to just go "STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. NOW GO."

I find with horses that get more and more long and strung out and strong, doing canter walk canter (say canter for 3-5 strides then walk for a few seconds then canter strike off again) is a good excercise for sitting them on their hocks and engaging their brain and bottoms :p
 
deaville said:
Having a long line of canter poles (or a canter pole 2/3 strides away) in front of the jump helps with regulating the canter
Also do lots of flatwork and transitions from trot to halt and canter to halt then back from halt to trot then halt to canter
Have you tried draw reins? They could also help with getting the canter bouncy and help her to sit back on her hocks
Click to expand...

Another thumbs up for this excercise, i do it a lot with my own showjumpers and it not only helps them , but also stops you from having the urge to ride too hard in to a fence :) is working wonders with my new very sharp little yongster.
 
So does she run on as the course goes on, with you having less and less control? My advice for during a round would be to use your corners as much as possible - courses can be hard when they are straighforward with 3-4 fences in a line, followed by a corner, followed by another straight line of fences, horses can tend to bowl on too much.

Half halt on the corners, get your horse back paying attention to you and back on its hocks. I have seen someone pull their horse to a standstill in a 6 stride related distance as they were fed up with being run off with - they did the next fence without getting a stop (course was 1.10+). Showjumping isn't about being pretty (although its ncie if you can be!), so if you need to take a pull, then take one :)

Of course to look like a proper showjumper, do a walk to canter on the way in, bell rings then halt, rein back and straight back into canter ;)
 
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