book_lover
Well-Known Member
Most of my posts to date have been about my daughter and her pony, but they're now getting on super.
As we've been putting more work in with her pony, we've naturally been putting more in with my horse too - now being ridden 5 or 6 days a week, and lots of variety - flat/jump/hack/poles/le trec style obstacles/road hack etc etc.
Sebastian (in my profile pic) is 18 years old, and I've had him nearly a year. If I'm honest up until perhaps two months ago I was not getting the full benefit from him, plodding about a bit really and doing the odd jumping but not much. But in the last two months we've been XC training, out in the box for a loch hack, etc. Am keen to get him to the beach. He's a lovely lad - quite steady until something spooks him, good fun - likes a gallop in an open field. Flatwork - will do anything you ask. Jumping a totally different matter though He's always been prone to refuse which has always put me off. I don't get enough lessons especially at the mo as the instructor who comes to us is an venter and its the season now. She has helped me in the past before and shown me that he's just taking the mick. But I've been getting more positive and trying to make him go over with no refusals and he'll now pop over smaller jumps (50cm or so) without a fuss - usually. But the other day our friend who owns the livery was putting the jumps up for us and we did 75cm without even knowing it. Refusals setting in. She then put it up to 80cm and Sebastian kept running out - then charging round the arena very strong and silly. Eventually though we did a few good goes over it and I felt really proud. But today (livery daughter away), we were doing a bit of jumping and when I put it up from 70 to 75 he suddenly was not happy. Determined to make sure he did as told, I kept trying and he got really stubborn - TONS of refusals and me nearly coming off. He was actually acting quite naughty which he never does. I was riding as positively as I could, but wow I really do not like the feeling of a refusal at the last moment. Eventually we got two goes over it (but really frog-jumpy) and I had to end. It didn't feel like I'd ended on a good note.
Just a few days ago I was adding some nice bits and pieces to my basket online to get him out to his first show (but I'd be in with the children in the 50cm!!). Now I'm not sure any more. I know we all have bad days. But the things I have to go through just to get him over a 70cm straight... I would have no issues jumping higher if I thought my horse would not refuse every time. As it is I'm feared to approach anything in a fast canter in case I come off. I rarely come off but it has happened.
I ended today a quivering wreck. I can't help wondering how different it would be with a horse that didn't refuse so much. Livery owner assures me he's not too old at 18... but is he too old to break this habit? His career when younger was in XC apparently. At age 39 I don't have the nerves of steel I once had. My confidence goes up and down each day. I would work on my OWN confidence as the issue but it's not just me (sometimes I'm sure it is my nerves that he picks up on) - but it's him too. Even when I am steering like hell, leg on, tap with the whip and firm snarly voice, he can still manage to run out or just stop at the last moment.
Any ideas? He actually belongs to my boss and was a field ornament for a while before coming to me - I've carefully brought him back into work but wondering if I'm just expecting too much of him.
As we've been putting more work in with her pony, we've naturally been putting more in with my horse too - now being ridden 5 or 6 days a week, and lots of variety - flat/jump/hack/poles/le trec style obstacles/road hack etc etc.
Sebastian (in my profile pic) is 18 years old, and I've had him nearly a year. If I'm honest up until perhaps two months ago I was not getting the full benefit from him, plodding about a bit really and doing the odd jumping but not much. But in the last two months we've been XC training, out in the box for a loch hack, etc. Am keen to get him to the beach. He's a lovely lad - quite steady until something spooks him, good fun - likes a gallop in an open field. Flatwork - will do anything you ask. Jumping a totally different matter though He's always been prone to refuse which has always put me off. I don't get enough lessons especially at the mo as the instructor who comes to us is an venter and its the season now. She has helped me in the past before and shown me that he's just taking the mick. But I've been getting more positive and trying to make him go over with no refusals and he'll now pop over smaller jumps (50cm or so) without a fuss - usually. But the other day our friend who owns the livery was putting the jumps up for us and we did 75cm without even knowing it. Refusals setting in. She then put it up to 80cm and Sebastian kept running out - then charging round the arena very strong and silly. Eventually though we did a few good goes over it and I felt really proud. But today (livery daughter away), we were doing a bit of jumping and when I put it up from 70 to 75 he suddenly was not happy. Determined to make sure he did as told, I kept trying and he got really stubborn - TONS of refusals and me nearly coming off. He was actually acting quite naughty which he never does. I was riding as positively as I could, but wow I really do not like the feeling of a refusal at the last moment. Eventually we got two goes over it (but really frog-jumpy) and I had to end. It didn't feel like I'd ended on a good note.
Just a few days ago I was adding some nice bits and pieces to my basket online to get him out to his first show (but I'd be in with the children in the 50cm!!). Now I'm not sure any more. I know we all have bad days. But the things I have to go through just to get him over a 70cm straight... I would have no issues jumping higher if I thought my horse would not refuse every time. As it is I'm feared to approach anything in a fast canter in case I come off. I rarely come off but it has happened.
I ended today a quivering wreck. I can't help wondering how different it would be with a horse that didn't refuse so much. Livery owner assures me he's not too old at 18... but is he too old to break this habit? His career when younger was in XC apparently. At age 39 I don't have the nerves of steel I once had. My confidence goes up and down each day. I would work on my OWN confidence as the issue but it's not just me (sometimes I'm sure it is my nerves that he picks up on) - but it's him too. Even when I am steering like hell, leg on, tap with the whip and firm snarly voice, he can still manage to run out or just stop at the last moment.
Any ideas? He actually belongs to my boss and was a field ornament for a while before coming to me - I've carefully brought him back into work but wondering if I'm just expecting too much of him.