SJ help

I_A_P

I_A_P

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29 March 2005
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well as some of you may know i had a few issues, based on control.

i have now been havih clinics for a few months( bit of a pain as they are 2 weeks apart and some have been cancelled) so i think iv probably had about 5.

Right from the start i said i need to find a bit that gives me that little bit extra so that if i see a stride and ask her to WOAH then she would, that was my problem although she wouldnt tank off she wasnt listenin and thought she knew best!! (dont all mares lol). anyway nothing was said about this so iv struggled on and when out oon my own tryed out a couple of bits to no success really (hates gag action) as we found out at keysoe.

Anyway last time and today we tried the waterford and she was better, shes still strongish but manageable and when i do check her she thinks about it! I dont know how she will be like around a whole course but we shall see!

the only thing we fund really with her and always has beena bit of a problem is even when she gets a dead perfect stride like we did today into a fence about 3ft6 she knocks them, even if they are smaller then she does, not all the time but its like she cant b bothered to pick up her front feet.

i cant really practise at home so i would have to rely on hiring etc but i was wondering if there are any exercises or suggestions? we do the v like poles up aaist the fence etc.

Also she is 9, my instructor said today, that with her if she wont respect a wooden pole( which she ha\snt previously-shes even knocked one so hard its made her hop for a minute-then she did exactly the same again); then shes just careless and it might just be her and would be hard/impossible to change that as some horses are just like it and dont learn.

she can jump and xc she is fab and it more careful.

Any siggestions would be very interesting to read. I dont think i have missed anything!!
cool.gif
 
i apologise for my dreadful spelling, it was too late to edit, and was written in a rush!!
 
describe your last few strides into a fence.. If I check mine in any way as we approach a jump he will tense and drop his shoulders. I have to make any striding adjustments around the course as a whole, not before a jump if that makes sense.
 
well as i am riding around and then into a fence i am trying to make sure she is fairly collected rather than speeding along at her won pace and that i have a nice rhythm; i dont suddenly check her say 3 strides away, if you see what i mean:)
thing is my problem without the ciontrol is, that i can see a stride and i wanted to say woah, she didnt listen so she had to chip a tiny one in, normally resulting in a not very ncie jump, as she was to far underneath.
if that makes sense! even if she is going to a perfect canter and stride into the fence, shown today she does sometimes still knock them, othertimes she wil clear them easily like the one shown in my siggy; it jst seems that shes not too bothered by pickin her front feet up!
 
I know this isn't very helpful but if you're finding she's not the horse for what you want to do, then maybe it's time to assess where you want to go and maybe think about selling. Depends what your ultimate goal is.
 
Id say that it isnt a case of not being careful as she is ok XC its more a case of her having no respect!
Unfortunately tho other than going for the tough love approach there isnt much else u can do
 
What does she do if you don't check? It might feel faster than you feel comfortable with but perhaps this is her preferred way of going. Our first instinct is to add a stronger bit, but for some horses this is counterproductive as they lose the confidence to go on a good stride and can learn to chip short ones in jump hollow. Just a thought. I remember WFP saying some time ago that when riding Tamarillo he just has to let him get on with it as if he starts to adjust him he just knocks them down. Also (I think it was Stunning? but might be wrong) started to have stops XC because he had a stronger bit to aid control. W changed the bit to a softer one and the horse was happy - he said sometime we have to forgoe what makes us feel comfortable for the sake of the horse - he was bolder and braver in a snaffle - albeit a bit strong and a bit fast!
 
What happens if you don't look for the stride but allow her to jump as she is, so to speak.

If you set a grid, that you approach in trot, something like pole to x pole, 1 stride with pole on the ground to oxer. Approach in trot on both reins. She has to figure out for herself where to take off and because you approach in trot there's no stride issue.

How is she over bounce grids? Anything to make her stop and think
 
if i jst let her go on, then she chips a tiny one in and jumps awkwardly, as i say sometimes she will clear them well, othertimes she doesnt pick her fett up, yet xc shes fab and jumps novice |BE jumps easily, so she has the ability!! now i have my control sorted *(hopefully) im gonna just test it out, and go from there.
we shall see how it goes, it just one of those niggling little things which isnt always a problem but wd be nice to sort out, i shall keep you updated:)
 
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