Stuggle to get my pony out of the start box - help!

[katie_and_toto]

I would really appriciate some help, so if anyone could give me some tips, I'd be very grateful

The last time I took Toto to a hunter trial, like 2 years ago , the start box and first jump were facing away from the warm up area, and where everyone was standing. I could not get him to go forwards at all, and he refused the first fence. He was napping, but also seemed very spooky. Once he got going round the course, he was fine. As I'm only 5ft 1 and slight, and he's 14hh of manly tank pony, when he doesn't want to go, he ain't gonna go!
We don't really have this problem out hacking, he can be quite tense and spooky when hacking alone, but he will go forward out the yard and does not nap. It seems odd for him to want to stay with the other ponies when he naps at events, because he's such a mardy pants at home and tends to scowl at most other ponies, except for his special selection of pony friends
I'm planning on taking him to a hunter trial at some point, so I need to get this sorted out. It's not his fault but I'm not sure how best to help him see that the first fence will not eat him? I think part of the problem too was that I was very nervous, so I struggled to be in charge, I was using vocal encouragement and my legs, but he wouldn't budge. How can I get him moving forwards, he should be fine after the first fence, because he gains confidence after he's got going

Thanks for looking

 

[MagicMelon]

Practice it. Try to make a "pretend" start box at home (with jump poles on wings or something) and if you can get some friends to mill about on their horses behind it (so you have to canter away from them out of it). You can try counting down as horses soon learn what that means, we practiced it when my horse was a bit lazy leaving, he soon got the idea. Otherwise, if its an open start box (ie. enter it from the back/side) then don't go anywhere near it until about 10 seconds. Try to time it so you can start a strong canter from far behind and go straight through the box and out.

 

[ester]

I'm still working on this issue but since Frank has now started fine with someone else much better than me (at the second time of asking so its not completely me ) and hoping to crack it this year

so I can only tell you what I have done which might help as its pony brains

If poss I try to tell the starter that he is a bad starter so can I trot through the start box from a long way back (so he doesnt really know he is starting) otherwise he will do a fabulous jump out the box then slowly die on me before stopping at the first fence... the handbrake goes on eyeing up judges car etc.

I have also taught him a word to make him jump forwards while cantering.... we did this on a long grassy track and a couple of schooling whips used simultaneously as we have used this method ages ago for the flatwork as he can be quite dead to the leg. Its now become a 'trigger word' that is different to everything else. I also save my roller spurs for the occasion as they seem to get a different reaction to.

also try practicing with a group of friends acting as the start.

 

[kerilli]

most schooling places have a start box you can practice in... but tbh it sounds more like "not wanting to leave my friends" than fear of the start box. in this case, make really sure you get him truly in front of the leg in the warm-up (it should feel as though 2/3 of him is in front of you, that a light leg aid sends him forward immediately) and then wander in and out of start box a few times, then start really calmly but positively.
he's older now, and if you've been hacking out alone, and he's used to leaving his mates, he should be a lot more mature about it now. good luck!

 

[only_me]

going to get totally jumped on, but the way my old pony learnt to "go" from the start box was this.
I halted along a hedge with a jump (tiny, x pole log), stimulating a start box.
Person stands with lunge whip, and counts down.
when horse refuses to go (pain ruled out etc.) it gets hit by whip - and goes forward.

Not conventional I know, but it worked and only took one tap. Pony flew start box from then on!

 

[BronsonNutter]

Pony I used to ride for someone used to do exactly the same thing - if there was anything she was going to stop at it would always be the first fence (which then led to further stops!). What I used to have to do was tell them I was ready to go, canter round the warm up ring, pop over a warm up jump so she was in the jumping frame of mind, then gallop her straight through the start - not give her chance to nap. I'm only 5'2 ish and pony was a 14.2hh chunky opinionated welshie, so it is possible!
Only time this didn't work was because there was a mega scary second jump (red pipe type thing, jumping from a field into darkness of woods, not a good 2nd fence at all!), but it might be more difficult if it was 'proper' start box I guess.