Strong mare when jumping

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EJ87

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Need some tips on how to keep my mare in control when jumping. My girl loves jumping and the min she even sees a jump in the arena shes on her toes. The thing is she gets very strong and rushes in and out of jumps even in trot at a 40cm jump! its like a magnetic connection she sees it and bam were away. I have been having lessons on her which is helping and the exercise yesterday was to use the long side of the arena with one cross pole to start with jump over in trot clear jump back to walk turn (to the right into the wall) and jump again and do same on the other side. I was told to shorten my reins and lean back as soon as shes jumped. eventually we added another jump so jumped the two (trying to maintain control between the two). Although we had one or two controlled jumped the majority of the time she was very strong and I just feel im pulling so tight by making no head she just pulls against me the more and ignores me. just want some tips on how to control her. Im would love to do a round on her and my instructor have set a goal to do a round of 60cm by christmas do you think this is possible? or is she just strong cause she loves it and only gets to jump once a week just flat work the rest of the time?

P.S she ridden in a full cheek snaffle. and she 12 years old been jumping all her days and can jump a full round of 1.20 with no hesitation.
 
I think your last paragraph may explain it. If a horse is a good, experienced jumper, sometimes they just take the mick with small stuff. Mine is the same. Big or tricky stuff she's fine, & good as gold nannying a child/teen round small stuff. But with me, & one or two others, she is stupid with small fences. Can gallop a small course, jump strides out or bury herself, jumps with 3' to spare & will change direction last minute & jump low wings. However what does work if jumping low is anything that requires her to think. Eg a varied grid, with me giving absolutely no help so she has to sort herself out. Or very narrow jumps, or jumping at an angle.
 
Now I'm certainly not saying that you try this method yourself as it can be quite dangerous! However at my old yard which was owned by a big named showjumper, he had a horse which was very strong to fences. So he put a fence up a few strides away from the wall and let the horse run into the wall after it jumped.
Obviously the horse stopped before hitting the wall and there was no actual collision however after a few times he certainly calmed down and stopped pulling!

Now I'm not saying to do this as it is tricky and it won't work for every horse, but what I am saying is that using blunt force isn't the way forward. You and your instructor need to sit down and have a good chat about how to approach this, sadly if you use any sort of force the horse is bound to win as they are so much stronger.

I own a very fizzy horse and since breaking him I have always said "Good boy" when asking for a downward transition, this started just as a method of praise as he had cantering issues so after each canter he'd get praised when going back down into trot.
He has now associated this particular phrase with slowing down, he once took off up a field and instead of pulling and fighting I just leaned forward and said "Good boy" and it brought him straight back!
So maybe try and associate a phrase with a downward, relaxing transition which might help? That way as she starts to get strong just drop all contact (don't fight!) and say "Good girl" or whatever, with all three of my horses (family cob, big dressage horse and fiery youngster) it works so maybe it will work for your mare?

Could be worth a try?

But definatley have a discussion with your instructor about how is best to approach the situation!
 
Now before anyone shouts at me, I am NOT AN EXPERT JUMPER as I have only returned to it in the last year and am training my "new to it" horse BUT:

My instructor makes us, when we get a little fizzy / adrenalin fuelled to walk toward each jump and only go into trot a couple of strides, or if not high, a stride away, trot over it then HALT directly after it. Hold, Walk again and refocus on the next jump and do the same.

The trouble I had after doing all this was my horse would insist on stopping after each jump so getting a smooth flow between 2 jumps was hard, we are now doing a course of about 8/9 jumps and they are low but we are progressing so it might be worth trying?

OR.....try a stronger bit just for jumping? Some say you need to keep the same bit for all aspects of riding for consistency but I have been reassured not, the top show jumpers / eventers have different bits for every thing they do (this was back up by Carl Hester on his show this week)...

I reiterate, I am no expert (by far) but every little helps in the way of advice if you try different things.

It is about her having respect for you and you having control and the confidence to continue.

Good luck x
 
The thing for me though is that different ways of slowing down & regaining control are all well & good on less experienced horses. But if a horse jumps a nice controlled 1.20 round stopping it taking the mick with low fences is a different thing entirely. If at this stage someone sat me on a schoolmaster & told me to go large endlessly in working trot, on a loose contact, using no aids & not being allowed to make any attempt to improve the horse or do anything else, I'd get bored & silly too. After the first lap, I'd be doing all around the world, or trotting backwards etc through boredom. Whereas a novice may concentrate. So I can fully understand a horse that has the same attitude.
 
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