AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
Those are some serious ears. Large ears = intelligence, well that is what an old nagsman will tell us.
Running out of ideas... Suggestions please
- Thread starter Abi90
- Start date
FfionWinnie
Well-Known Member
I think if things are improving just keep plugging on. Take him over poles every day even if you are going hacking after.
gunnergundog
Well-Known Member
Firstly, don't assume that all irish horses have been rapped or taped.
The way (without being rude) that the lower level horses are produced is quite different to how we would produce them over here. By lower level I mean IDxTB hunter types; ones that are blatantly NOT going to be GP dressage horses, 4* eventers or grade A show-jumpers. The majority of them are jumped on and educated in the hunting field. They are not schooled and they do not see coloured poles.
I bought a 5 year old IDxTB last year that had just hacked and hunted - never been even ridden on a contact - and was a less extreme version of yours. Over a hedge or something rustic he looked quite scopey and inspiring; over a coloured cross pole he looked like a sour backward thinking dog.
He does however have a great attitude to life in general and is a real trier. He won at BE 90 at his first attempt and is SJing double clear at 1m and will be going BE100 at the end of the month.
You need constant exposure to coloured poles; you need to build his confidence in you (or whoever his regular jockey is) over rustic/natural fences and introduce coloureds a pole at a time.....in other words, jump a rustic fence and then replace ONE of the rustic poles with a coloured one and build on it. You will probably be able rely on him to take you over rustics, but YOU have to have the confidence to take him over coloureds!
It is do-able and this is not the first horse I have had with this background by any means.
Good luck!
The way (without being rude) that the lower level horses are produced is quite different to how we would produce them over here. By lower level I mean IDxTB hunter types; ones that are blatantly NOT going to be GP dressage horses, 4* eventers or grade A show-jumpers. The majority of them are jumped on and educated in the hunting field. They are not schooled and they do not see coloured poles.
I bought a 5 year old IDxTB last year that had just hacked and hunted - never been even ridden on a contact - and was a less extreme version of yours. Over a hedge or something rustic he looked quite scopey and inspiring; over a coloured cross pole he looked like a sour backward thinking dog.
He does however have a great attitude to life in general and is a real trier. He won at BE 90 at his first attempt and is SJing double clear at 1m and will be going BE100 at the end of the month.
You need constant exposure to coloured poles; you need to build his confidence in you (or whoever his regular jockey is) over rustic/natural fences and introduce coloureds a pole at a time.....in other words, jump a rustic fence and then replace ONE of the rustic poles with a coloured one and build on it. You will probably be able rely on him to take you over rustics, but YOU have to have the confidence to take him over coloureds!
It is do-able and this is not the first horse I have had with this background by any means.
Good luck!
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mirage
Well-Known Member
We had a section A that wouldn't jump. He wouldn't cross anything on the ground, poles,electric tape and even the painted lines on the road. We used to make a box shape in his field, out of poles and put his tea in it. He'd walk over it to get his tea,and by the time he left us, would walk over tape and road markings,but he never would jump.
Abi90
Well-Known Member
Thank you all for your suggestions. I will try them all and see what happens. I will just keep plugging away and try and make poles part of his life every day in some way or another... But keep it varied so he doesn't get bored!
samlf
Well-Known Member
Sorry I dont have any suggestions for your horse, looks like you have had some really good advice.
I am interested, however, in the claim that horses can be 'taped' with electric fencing when jumping. It's not scientifically possible to give an electric shock when you arent earthed (eg if the horse is jumping), so I dont understand how this could be achieved?
I am interested, however, in the claim that horses can be 'taped' with electric fencing when jumping. It's not scientifically possible to give an electric shock when you arent earthed (eg if the horse is jumping), so I dont understand how this could be achieved?
DiamondMartella
Member
Its is not a claim. Its a fact, one which I have seen on numerous occasions with my own eyes. The same way in which an electric fence works. There is more too it than just allowing the horse to hit its front legs on the pole and the tape, special boots are used so a shock is felt and a number of other things. Its built in a special arena designed for this for young horses. It is not common practice over here, hence the fact it is not common knowledge in the UK.
Abi90
Well-Known Member
Today we had a mooch around the outdoor where some jumps were up and he even followed me over a few (they were diddy cross poles). Then I let him have a mooch around by himself and he had a bit of a fling and out of nowhere came this most amazing trot... I didn't know he had it in him... Maybe he does want to be a dressage pony
FfionWinnie
Well-Known Member
If you stand on one leg and hold an electric fence with two hands you don't get a shock so I too cannot see how it's possible to shock a horse in the manner described in any sort of productive way. If the horse is off the ground, how can it get a shock, whatever boots it's wearing.
Abi90
Well-Known Member
I have no idea how it works so this is just a musing but if the tape is touching the fence and the horse catches the fence then for the amount of time it is in contact with the fence then it is earthed through the fence so would still get a shock.
Also if you're stood on one leg then you would still get a shock as you're still earthed... Unless you have rubber soles which would insulate you preventing the shock.
Abi90
Well-Known Member
Some good news!
Today we jumped a very little course. It was little enough for him to be able to walk up to but by the end of our lesson he was taking himself in trot up to them.
He also seemed to find jumps with proper wings easier to understand than the block type ones.
We took the second fence from the combination that was set up down. Jumped the first and went through the wings. Not only did he happily canter through he also jumped the shadow on the floor!
We've turned a real corner and I'm so happy.
We're trying to keep everything calm and relaxed so keeping everything very small and bringing him back to a walk after every jump so he knows to be relaxed and not to rush.
Today we jumped a very little course. It was little enough for him to be able to walk up to but by the end of our lesson he was taking himself in trot up to them.
He also seemed to find jumps with proper wings easier to understand than the block type ones.
We took the second fence from the combination that was set up down. Jumped the first and went through the wings. Not only did he happily canter through he also jumped the shadow on the floor!
We've turned a real corner and I'm so happy.
We're trying to keep everything calm and relaxed so keeping everything very small and bringing him back to a walk after every jump so he knows to be relaxed and not to rush.
gunnergundog
Well-Known Member
Well done! Slowly, slowly, catch the monkey as they say!
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
I'd also put poles literally everywhere - in his field, a line of them in the gateway, one lying across his stable entrance, have them dotted around so you are always schooling over and round them etc. so he gets bored to death of them.
Abi90
Well-Known Member
So after last weekend we discovered he will happily jump a course of fences with coloured wings and we're not bothered in the slightest and looked like he enjoyed it.
Took him into the school and he had the same scaredy cat reaction to a jump with block wings.
It makes me wonder, maybe he was rapped over block fences at home and associated fences with proper wings with competitions where they couldn't rap him.
Would he be able to differentiate like that? He's not the brightest but it is weird that wings are fine and blocks are terrifying.
Took him into the school and he had the same scaredy cat reaction to a jump with block wings.
It makes me wonder, maybe he was rapped over block fences at home and associated fences with proper wings with competitions where they couldn't rap him.
Would he be able to differentiate like that? He's not the brightest but it is weird that wings are fine and blocks are terrifying.
Abi90
Well-Known Member
Update:
Well patience and consistency has paid off. He'll now happily trot and canter over multiple poles and is no longer hesitant into a jump! Is jumping baby grids! And gets rather over excited and starts looking for the next fence... Which is an entirely different problem and looks like his confidence has improved. We're still keeping everything small so his confidence can continue to improve.
I did some research from the info on his passport and it looks like he originally came off a showjumping yard and was not primarily a hunter before he came to the uk (I'm sure he's been!).
So some pics of him looking handsome (although Not actually jumping):
The poles on the floor in this picture would have had him shooting to the other side of the arena when I posted this thread, he will now happily walk, trot and canter over them.
I apologise for my ugly riding but I'm so pleased with him! He's turning into a very nice little horse
Well patience and consistency has paid off. He'll now happily trot and canter over multiple poles and is no longer hesitant into a jump! Is jumping baby grids! And gets rather over excited and starts looking for the next fence... Which is an entirely different problem and looks like his confidence has improved. We're still keeping everything small so his confidence can continue to improve.
I did some research from the info on his passport and it looks like he originally came off a showjumping yard and was not primarily a hunter before he came to the uk (I'm sure he's been!).
So some pics of him looking handsome (although Not actually jumping):
The poles on the floor in this picture would have had him shooting to the other side of the arena when I posted this thread, he will now happily walk, trot and canter over them.
I apologise for my ugly riding but I'm so pleased with him! He's turning into a very nice little horse
Regandal
Well-Known Member
Well done! Patience will always pay off. He looks like a lovely boy.