Spooking at fillers?

[nomini]

Is it possible for a horse that was completely happy with fillers 8 months ago to be scared of them now? When I bought Alisha she would jump anything, with anything underneath it, however I started competing her and she started stopping at fillers (probably my fault). I started to regularly jump her over the fillers at home and she became a lot better, but at shows she is still really spooky! Her old owner said she has always been a bit cheeky, but never spooky in the ring which she is with me. She has not had any bad experiences whilst i've had her either. Just feel like I have ruined her... Am I likely to be doing something wrong? Or could it be that she has suddenly taken a dislike to fillers?

 

[samp]

It sounds like she has lost her confidence when she goes out to shows. I would take her right back down again to a small height that she can happily pop over from a standstill. Also always ,ake sure you are sending her forwards in to the fence and looking up

 

[Always_late]

Oh dear, poor thing! don't blame yourself and dont start to get a complex about it. Its just a phase. What type of fillers is she spooking at. If they're solid then she is just going through a phase "I can't see whats behind that and ther is something lurking behind it who could jump up and eat me!". Make sure you are not looking at the filler either - you'll be dropping your head and your hands and she'll be think "oh, what is she looking at - cant be good so I'll just stop here"! Is she propping or backing off. Really, you'll have to take the whole thing apart in your mind and work it out step by step. Helps to have someone to watch you jumping, and even better still camcording it. Then you can sit there and analyis it. We went through a phase where I was just slightly pitching forward about 3 strides out. Put my mare right off. I'm sure you'll get lots of advise for this thread!

 

[nomini]

Thanks, I have only been jumping her round the 75cm and 85cm classes even though she can jump discovery and poss newcomers, so height is not challenging for her. Just find her quite tricky to ride. She is only in very light work at the moment (no jumping) due to an injury, so think I will put some fillers etc in the arena to ride her round so she gets used to them without actually having to jump them. Thanks again for your help

 

[nomini]

Thanks, I think I lean forward quite a lot which probably doesn't help, and I have a negative attitude where I come out of the arena from walking the course telling myself that she will not jump the 'bright colourful filler' in there and hey presto she doesnt't!! Haven't got many videos of me jumping her, have got one from January http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae1jhg6_pAU which shows what she does. Fillers really worry me on her now, which I also don't think helps as it passes through to her that there is something to worry about. However, i have never been phased by fillers when riding Jigsaw!

 

[charlie76]

My horse went through the exact same thing with fillers. He would jump anything for 2 years then suddenly decided he was terrified of them, he would stop, rear and refuse to go near them. He would jump any fence without them however which was a pain!
I took him right back to basics, had fillers all around the school and rode on the flat around them, then progressed to poles with fillers next to them. I then slowley re introduced them to him under fences that were so small he could jump them from walk if need be.
I also had the vet look at him.He had back and hock pain so we treated this as well. He is now happily jumping fillers at any height again.

 

[nomini]

Thanks, that sounds encouraging, I have another 6 weeks of flat work before I can progress onto jumping again (due to an injury) so think I will get the fillers into the school and work around them and progress to a bit of pole work with them there, hopefully then by the time she is happy doing that we will be able to jump again and then can practise over fillers and fences

 

[samp]

I would also advise you get some lessons with a proper SJ trainer. I have done and it has made a huge difference. I am petrified of XC fences and we went XC schooling this weekend and I was suprisd by what we could jump by being positive, riding forward and looking up and beyond your fence. Also she normally stops once at new fillers. But if I ride her as above we do not even look!

 

[dixie]

Hi, don't get in a tizz. I think the fillers are just an excuse. My horse when I first got him did the same sort of run out and I would fall off over his shoulder.

That was until I learnt to sit up a bit and keep my leg on. Without being too critical you are rocking from the waist up and this unbalancing is givng her a perfect excuse to not bother.

I'm sure with a few lessons you will get the hang of her and it's just a learning curve you are going through.

Best of luck.

 

[sallyg84]

My advice from watching your round is that you need to keep her mind switched on, if she's capable of jumping higher you need something more than the fences to engage her, when you're trotting her round before starting, ask for transitions, changes of direction, keep her constantly switched on to you, and again through the course, ask slightly more of her, half halts and slight lengthening of the stride should keep the pair of you more in tune and her paying attention to you not to fillers!
She's not scared and you haven't ruined her but she's not occupied enough so is paying more attention to misbehaving than working.

 

[RachelFerd]

From the video it doesn't look as if she's particularly focused.

Her frame is quite strung out and there isn't much power contained between your leg and hand - neither of you looked committed to the fence. Your position is a tiny bit too forwards, you do not look ready to sit and push when required.

Overall it looks nice - calm, controlled and relaxed - but possibly too relaxed, not enough power energy and commitment!

 

[nomini]

Thanks everyone, I can't jump her for another 6 weeks due to an injury but wanted some advice for when I get back to jumping. I have regular lessons with a BHSI who is training to be a BSJA accredited coach, but obviously haven't had them for a while due to her injury. Thanks again for everyones advice, will take it all on board and let you know how we get on over the summer

 

[Mbronze]

In brief, all you need to do is -
*Sit up
*Don't look down, look ahead
*Keep the contact in your reins
*Aim for the middle of each fence
*Keep a steady rythm
*Keep your leg on
*And finally expect her to go over every one, don't doubt her otherwise she'll know (horses are pyschic)

Easy..hee hee. Thats my mantra every time I go in a sj ring. You know your horse can do it and I bet you can too!!

 

[nomini]

Thanks, it sounds so easy written down like that lol!! Shame it's not that easy when actually doing it!!

I'm sure it'll get better though

 

[Peanot]

Hi, IMO it looks like she was a little unbalanced coming into the fence after the double. I could guarantee that it you were more upright on the approach and had her more underneath you and in the middle of the fence, she wouldn`t have run out. She wasn`t spooking at the filler, she just saw an opportunity to escape through her left shoulder. It proved this when she didn`t even look at it the next time, they always try it on.
You did well to stop on. I went through the same with my horse and talked myself into thinking that it was fillers, but it was just my excuse.
As said above, sit up on the approach, and be determined to jump it whatever, by using your legs on her sides.
Have a couple of lessons with a good instructor to get your confidence up and stop worrying about the fillers or it will be another excuse for your horse. She has the confidence to do it and the ability, so don`t be fooled into thinking that she is scared of the fillers.

It is also a good idea to school her around the fillers as it will be good for you also.
Good Luck.

 

[sw123]

I'd say she needs to be concentrating on you a bit more as it looks more a "take the piss" scared of fillers than scared of fillers!

We had one who hated them and made a hay bar in the stable out of one. Put it across the corner and hay behind it. He actually didn't eat for about 24hrs but then stomach got the better of him!