Show jumps v cross country jumps - am I the only one?

[Bea332]

I am currently really struggling with mine and my horse's confidence with show jumps. We've had a few eliminations recently and a few trips out where he's just stopped at a few show jumps (some are tiny cross poles). It does seem to be ones with fillers - although this is not always the case as he's recently jumped fences with fillers no issue and stopped at fences that are just built up with poles.

However, we have no problems with cross country jumps. He will jump them all day long, as long as I ride positively and forward to them. We've had a few stops recently but I am 100% aware that they are because of me just not riding.

I'm guessing the reason he's stopping with show jumps and not cross country jumps is my own riding and confidence. But I will be doing all the necessary checks with saddle and back. He's always been a bit wary of fillers, but got his confidence up and then we had one bogey time out and now it seems like that's it for us.

Going back to tiny fences that he can step over is not really an option as he just completely flies around not giving them any care or consideration. It's only when they're about 75/80cm that he actually realises we are jumping and doesn't just crash through everything.

Any tips/tricks/handy advice?

 

[ycbm]

This used to be a very well known thing with event riders. I never did crack why I could jump a seven foot hedge but not a four foot show jump!
.

 

[muddybay]

We have the opposite will happily jump any fillers water trays etc but will stop at 50cm jumps out xc and I really can't crack why

 

[Bernster]

Hah not the same league as ycbm but I am def more comfortable over xc fences than sj. I think it’s the ‘gaps’ that put me off but also with xc you tend to be flowing, in a straight line, looking and riding forward into the distance, which I think all helps too.

Not v helpful in terms of how to address it though. I generally intend to practice sj more but never seem to get round to it!

 

[quiteniceforacob]

I was going to ask whether they were too low - is he stopping at the 70s too?

 

[Bea332]

I'm glad it's not just me. My aim with him is to event so maybe he's got the memo that show jumping is the scarier of the two!

quiteniceforacob - i've never actually taken him to a competition at anything under than 70cm. at that height he will stop and at home anything underneath he just doesn't respect and will just knock so, in my head, it wasn't worth even contemplating competing at that height. perhaps i am wrong and should take him out at that height, but he probably will have every single one down.

 

[Bea332]

Hah not the same league as ycbm but I am def more comfortable over xc fences than sj. I think it’s the ‘gaps’ that put me off but also with xc you tend to be flowing, in a straight line, looking and riding forward into the distance, which I think all helps too.

Not v helpful in terms of how to address it though. I generally intend to practice sj more but never seem to get round to it!

I think it's the riding forward and having my leg on a lot more that makes cross country so much better for us. I try that in the show jumping but he ends up getting very flat and too fast - which obviously also ends in stops! I need to work on getting him sitting on his hocks a lot more so I can have my leg on (and maybe even a tap on the shoulder at 'scarier'/brighter fences) without him running off. He's naturally built downhill so not a natural show jumper by any means.

I know none of you know us or have seen him, but could that sound like a reason as to why he's stopping? With also added fear/worry that he's going to stop?

 

[RachelFerd]

So at 70/80 they can jump from a trot and shouldn't need any speed to get over. Sounds like a confidence issue for me, and (hard to judge without seeing) you might be getting away with it XC because speed is carrying you both over, rather than confidence. If he has things down that are smaller than 80, for me that's usually a sign of a horse who hasn't actually worked out how to jump properly and what to do with their feet.

I'd slow it all down, stop competing until you're confidently going out to arena hires and jumping around courses away from home in a balanced canter without any stopping. You shouldn't need to ride that hard at anything - you should be able to keep the canter, keep your leg wrapped around and pop away - being ready to use more leg and potentially back up with a tap if he's backed off. He needs to know that stopping is the *wrong* option, but have the confidence to take more responsibility for doing the jumping.

If you've got any videos i'm sure people would be happy to take a look.

 

[Green Bean]

I am with Muddybay, mine will jump big bright jumps, but give her a suspicious looking wooden jump no higher than 30cm and she freaks out, can't for the life of me figure it out. She was bred as a showjumper which may have some bearing on this, but honestly, it baffles me

 

[Roxylola]

I'd be competing/training at a lower height and ensuring you go over them. You can train better technique etc to make them more careful but they've got to get over the fence in the first place

 

[Ambers Echo]

If he is crashing through smaller fences and stopping at bigger ones, that really points to tension and a gap in his understanding of what he is supposed to do with coloured poles, fillers etc. Every horse, no matter what height they compete at, should be able to work calmly and effectively over cavaletti, or practice technical lines over small fences and poles.

I'd build a 'course' of poles on the ground and jump them as if you were jumping a round - focusing on rhythm, balance, line. Then once that feels great, put them up to x-poles and repeat. He can jump the heights. It's his mind that needs work! Good luck x

 

[Carrottom]

I find the only way to build confidence is with a good instructor to tell me what to do. They will be able to see if it is me not riding enough or doing too much, or if the horse is having a problem with something in particular.
If I'm on my own or just with a helper I tend to over analyse.