Refusing jumps because they’re “too small”?

[dolloe]

So, I’ve been riding a friend’s horse who is regularly competed and schooled at 80/90cm both cross country and show jumps. I took her out for a clinic at a local cross country place where we were in the 70cm group. The fences were more like 60cm and we had a couple of stops/run outs.

The instructor thinks it’s because the horse isn’t used to jumping that small, so didn’t see them until the last minute and scared himself. What are people’s thoughts on this?

I personally think it’s a load of rubbish and looking at the videos, I can see where I could’ve ridden better - e.g., straighter or looked up so he didn’t stare into the bottom of the ditch of the trakehner.

I came away feeling disheartened and that I’d not really been taught how to correct mine/his mistakes (definitely 99.9999% mine!) and just been basically told to jump bigger.

Oh, and needless to say, I won’t be using this instructor again.

Thoughts?

 

[Sossigpoker]

I agree that's utter bullocks.
If the horse can't see a 60 cm jump it needs to go to SpecSavers !

 

[Annagain]

I think you sound like a vey sensible, self-aware and thoughtful rider. Find the right instructor and I'm sure you'll be flying soon.

 

[eggs]

I'm not sure what planet the 'instructor' is on but quite agree with not using them again.

 

[Birker2020]

So, I’ve been riding a friend’s horse who is regularly competed and schooled at 80/90cm both cross country and show jumps. I took her out for a clinic at a local cross country place where we were in the 70cm group. The fences were more like 60cm and we had a couple of stops/run outs.

The instructor thinks it’s because the horse isn’t used to jumping that small, so didn’t see them until the last minute and scared himself. What are people’s thoughts on this?

I personally think it’s a load of rubbish and looking at the videos, I can see where I could’ve ridden better - e.g., straighter or looked up so he didn’t stare into the bottom of the ditch of the trakehner.

I came away feeling disheartened and that I’d not really been taught how to correct mine/his mistakes (definitely 99.9999% mine!) and just been basically told to jump bigger.

Oh, and needless to say, I won’t be using this instructor again.

Thoughts?

In 1995 I bought a Grade B SJ used to doing 1.30 and 1.40 speed derby's abroad. I tracked down his previous groom who came from Surrey to visit him!

When I bought him I was very much novicey (he was my first real horse). I used to jump 2ft 6 tracks on him and he used to destroy them! But when I jumped single fences at 4ft he'd jump beautifully and even jumped 5ft 9" on a Chase Me Charlie competition with me once! I just felt too nervous jumping tracks - it was probably down to me he used to knock everything down as he flew them so fast! Whereas a higher jump naturally slows a horse down more.

So I do agree that horses lose respect for smaller fences but I don't think stopping is anything to do with not having respect.

 

[Cowpony]

Yes I agree. I've seen plenty of (usually bigger) horses destroy small fences because they just couldn't be bothered to pick up their feet, then fly over when the fences were raised. But they never refused or ran out.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I agree that's utter bullocks.
If the horse can't see a 60 cm jump it needs to go to SpecSavers !

too funny

 

[Xtra]

I have a good jumping horse than is way better than me. she trashes or "hops" small jumps but she wouldnt stop. That sounds like nonsense

 

[dolloe]

I fully understand not respecting smaller fences and destroying them/having them down. I feel that’s pretty common. It just felt weird that the instructor was blaming the height of the fences for the horse stopping rather than telling me how to fix it

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Mine doesn't run out at the smaller fences he just doesn't jump them as nicely!! Could it be that as he normally jumps higher you expected him to just do it rather than riding them? Just a thought. It's definitely something I need to be aware of.