One stop - itis

FreyaB

FreyaB

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Hi everyone,
So had a lesson today and we seem to be suffering from one stop-itis. It's a recent thing as he didn't stop when we first bought him a few months ago and now we have at least two run outs every time I jump...! It's really getting me down and not exactly giving me any confidence. The fences I'm asking him to jump aren't exactly huge, nor scary (about 80cm, no fillers) and he's competed to 1.10 and over working hunter fences to 1.00 so I feel and so does my trainer that he's just taking the Mickey!

He also jumps it the second time when I ride much more aggressively but when I first bought him I was very quiet and he would still jump!
 
I hate to parrot the normal stuff, but has everything been checked (back/ tack/ trots up sound)?

What's he like with your instructor/ someone more experienced on board? What was his previous rider like in comparison to you?
 
Not overly then. My initial thought was if you were jumping a lot he might just be bored of it.

I suggest a vet check/ physiotherapist check and maybe a month of no jumping just to see?
 
Lolo - he trots up sound, recently had his saddle fitted, probably needs to see a physio as hasn't been seen for a while! His previous rider was more experienced than me so maybe that's why but my long term instructor doesn't jump and the instructor I'm having lessons with thinks that he's just being naughty!

Allyj - Ah, no we don't jump overly often and he seems to enjoy it, just chicken out at the last minute! Will talk to YO about having physio out, then vet?
 
FreyaB said:
Allyj - Ah, no we don't jump overly often and he seems to enjoy it, just chicken out at the last minute! Will talk to YO about having physio out, then vet?
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You'll need a vet referral for a physio - a good physio won't treat without a vet referral anyway, goes against the legislation surrounding them.
 
I wonder if he feels like he's done with taking a joke? I think it can happen quite easily with horses when they get a new, less experienced rider- they suddenly decide they aren't as willing to help out. Maybe step down a level or so and really focus on you, and see how that then impacts his stopping?

It doesn't mean you're a bad rider btw, I saw your CC thread and you're not. You just don't have as much experience as his old rider and he might be telling you to drop it down a bit to help you get to that level :)
 
allyj - Oh, ok. Will get our vet out first!

Lolo - that's kinda what we were supposed to be doing today, we're not competing or anything just at home! Maybe we could try jumping smaller fences? He is better when the fences are TINY :eek:
 
I think it might also be a bit psychological, as you know he's going to stop! so without meaning to you are probably just tensing up and he picks up on that and goes never mind I wont jump!

I agree, just drop the height down so it is tiny and get the flow back, until he is jumping small with no silly stopping don't put them back up again. also if he does put in cheeky stops you can even push him over from practically a stand still.

do you do lots of schooling around the jumping? other than just warming up, it might be useful to really get him listening to you on the flat before and during jumping
 
For a while I would only jump when there is someone to help, they need to work on getting you working as a partnership, setting up grids that can be fairly complicated but easy enough that he wants to jump and is able to jump first time, they do need correct striding so be careful when building them, once everything starts to flow it should get better.
Work on the canter, getting him really in front of your leg, loads of transitions will help this, canter poles will be good for working on your stride, using a ground pole to put him right for his fences can really help.

If your instructor is not doing all the above it may be worth changing as you need the right help to move forward not coming out of a lesson feeling that it all went wrong, a few lessons with no stops can make all the difference.
 
Pippixox - okay! And yes, most of the time we tend to school for a while but he becomes very lazy and usually we have a stop then! And I agree as he's quite young and I'm not extremely experienced!

Be positive - my new instructor is doing all of that and she's been great so far, helping me get him in front of my leg etc and that's our new aim!!
 
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