spooky, green horse and jumping...

[electric_circus]

I would love some advice about my spooky, sensitive, horse! He seems to like his jumping and has a good jump on him, but can be quite spooky both in jumping and in general. I bought him knowing that despite his age (10) he was incredibly green and the little that had been done had been done badly. I don't think he's being naughty, he is too dim and he does seem to be genuinely afraid, though with patience and taking steps back (lowering jumps, moving fillers to the sides, giving him a lead) he seems to gain confidence. It doesn't seem to stick though and progress is very slow!! I have lessons with a good instructor and have been taking him out to arena hires and where we have had repeat visits to the same arena he is settling more quickly and jumping more confidently more quickly. I decided to step it up this week and take him to a couple of clear rounds, keeping it small height wise so he could hopefully have a positive experience. One was at a local BS venue known for its scary fillers and fence dressing, and the other one was indoor SJ (he has been in an indoor arena twice before, and never to jump). At the BS venue, which was really quiet (perfect!) he was very on edge and initially not very rideable, though he did settle in the warm up. In the ring he was quite worried, so I trotted him around a bit until he settled then popped him round quietly, deliberately trotting him into the first few and then encouraging the canter when he offered it. He was very babyish, squirming around and backing off, breaking into trot, though he would go when I insisted and didn't actually refuse anything. We did three rounds and by the last one he was cantering round the entire course confidently, so I was pleased with this. I took him out again today and his eyes were out on stalks when we went in the indoor warm up (mirrors! inside!), and he really hesitated at the first warm up x-pole though he did jump it without what I'd call a proper refusal. We went into the ring and while he didn't refuse anything he was extremely hesitant and we ended up trotting around most of the the course. I went back in and he did, as previously, get more confident and by the third round was cantering round the whole thing quite happily.

I am by no means a show jumper, but my previous horse was very confident and experienced jumping and while you had to ride him positively, it would be rare for him to look at a filler. In fact, the bigger and more buzzy the venue, the better he jumped! I guess I am wondering if this is just a phase that this horse will go through and if I am doing the right thing by taking him to lots of places, keeping the jumps small so he can step over if he has to, and approaching in trot? I worry that I am babying him, but taking a tougher approach just seems to make him scared.

 

[be positive]

I would certainly keep to the slow steady approach, jumping out of trot and not over facing him by trying to crack on too quickly, once the penny drops and he becomes truly confident he should come on more quickly than if you try to hassle him at this stage.
I have started a lot of young, not so young and horses of unknown history, the tricky ones really benefit from going at their own pace which may seem slow but they do usually get there in the end, it is far easier with a young innocent one that knows nothing than one that is older and has had a bad start, keep going it will get better.