Reluctant jumper - help please

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gable

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My horse will jump fine at home and will jump logs and such when hacking alone but when he is somewhere he doesn't know he is really nappy and won't jump unless he follows another horse over a jump.

Went on a funride today and he just backs up and won't go forward unless his mates go first.

Any ideas please. Its really getting me down.

I'm guessing he is not confident and I just presume he is going to bail out unless he follows another horse So I probably don't fill him with any confidence
 
Just take him out loads so he gets used to jumping out of his comfort zone and eventually he'll be so used to going out places he will be fine. There is no quick fix to this problem you just gotta go out a lot do fun rides, take him to shows and do a clear round or hire out a venue and course of jumps and bring your instructor. Good luck it will get better :)
 
A lot of us ride differently when at an event, like a show, lesson, fun ride whatever. Sometimes I think just being somewhere different with lots of other horsey people can make us feel a bit pressured, even if it's not a comp. This, understandably, causes a change in our horses.

Now it may have started off that he is just a bit insecure in this different situation, problem is now you expect it, as you probably rightly suspect, and the vicious cirle is set up.

You may not feel that you do this, so it is hard train yourself to change a little. Maybe go and do your fun rides and just don't jump on them for a while, really take the pressure of both of you. I assume he is ok on the flat on the ride, so just enjoy that for a bit. Then maybe build on going alone, so he can't follow friends and work with him, like a schooling session. Maybe hire a xc course and do your work out there? some near us let you go round in your own time for 15 quid a horse.
 
Thanks for your quick replies - thats why I love this forum

I'm on another fun ride next week so I will try going off in front for parts of it. Just half a field and see what he is like.

I hope he gets better.

Thanks again for the advice
 
Do I sit quiet and let him think about having a strop and napping back to his feinds or growl and give him a boot? - sounds harsh I know, but not sure what the best line of attack is.

He is not naughty in that he will rear or buck if told off but I need to either build his confidence or make him do it

Thanks
 
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