related distance help...

MandyMoo

MandyMoo

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took dani to a hired arena today to pop a course of fences after sundays disaster at markfield...so popped a few warmup fences, he was jumping lovely - and when i was doing my flatwork he was even doing flying changes accross X when i asked him to
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(he has NEVER done that before...his flatwork must really be coming along!)

well anyhoo, popped a course of about 90cm, and then again, the same course at about 95cm/1m...he went lovely - a few sticky moments..but totally rider error... BUT i did notice that coming off corners into a fence he stayed on his hocks, balanced and basculed over the fence...but i found it REALLY difficult to bring him back during a related distance and he tended to 'run on' away from me, get on the forhand a bit and then i would get a poor stride at the next fence due to loss of rhythm and proper canter...

i know its mainly more schooling and flatwork that aid this problem...but are there any particular exercises you guys can give me to work on this?

ETA: he's not a strong horse, so he doesnt 'pull' me through the related distance...he just kindof 'loses' the canter a bit...if that makes sense?
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**oh, one last question, i felt really awful.... poor dani - but after today he had sore patches where my spurs had been
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is this normal? (he is a thin skinned TB...and is chestnut) but this has never happened before...his fur has worn away a bit before, but never gone red raw
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i feel really mean! but i didnt use my spurs any more than normal...any ideas to help with this atall? :S

thanks in advance guys...sorry this turned into a bit of a novel! was meant to be a quick one...glass of vino if you get this far! xxx
 
Don't know about how to bring him back to you (struggle with this myself), but putting Witch Hazel on his sides where you're spurs go (once sores heal) as it seems to harden/toughen the skin, therefore making it less likely to rub. At least, it worked for one of my friends who's rug was rubbing the horse's withers
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Actually, just thinking. You may be able to put it on right away, even on the sores, as I'm sure the stuff you put on your ears when they're pierced is Witch Hazel, or has basically the same ingredients, so is sort of like a disinfectant too. I'm not 100% sure, but when I ran out of the ear stuff they give you to clean your ears, I just bought some of that and used it, worked exactly the same.
 
if hes at all spooky i would try putting fillers, tyres etc etc under the 2nd fence to try and back him off the 2nd fence. Also you could put a landing pole after the 1st fence so that he learns to land short which should give you a better canter, and it will also then make the distance a bit shorter
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try putting v poles onto the 2nd jump, it might make him think and back off enough for you to drive him forwards and engage him again. This worked with mine whi occasionaly gallops for the 2nd part of a related distance.
 
V poles worked for Danny the other day, he likes to land and run on to the next jump (and if the distance is long enough, try to deposit me in the jump wing in the process!
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) but instructor says that it'll only work once for us....
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she spends a lot of time trying to think of ways to make him back off apparently!
 
Ditto to bigboyrocky’s suggestion. You can also add a pole aprox 3m before, and one aprox 3m after the 2nd fence. That will make the horse think and be careful. It works.
Planks are better than poles; less risk of injuries if horse touches them.
Lots of transitions on flatwork: canter walk, canter halt with lots of impulsion; you will have an obedient and attentive horse. It works.

Check your spurs for sharp edges.
Sometimes it’s not the spurs, but the boots that make sore patches. Check them as well; it happened to me once with new boots; rough seam.
 
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