Suggestions please :D

[Grey_Showjumper]

basically, i WILL try and keep this short.... LOL
my horse is an ISH, 14 years old, 15.3hh, showjumper turned eventer.
my horse lost his confidence jumping some time this year... he started stopping at doubles, this was at about 1.05m/1.10m. it was very varied at what he stopped at, and when he would do it... one day he would jump round clear in appauling conditions, the next he would be eliminated.
we decided that it was the distance of the doubles, and he worries about making the distance, so instead of knocking it down, he stops.
We think he was rapped when he was a baby, he was jumped every weekend from the age of 4, brought to the UK, won £500 in 5 months and then was sold on to his previous owner.. she didn't do a great deal with him, i bought him, evented him- he LOVES XC, never done it before, but is great at it, but now we are having this issue with the showjumping.
i have taken him right back down to 2.6ft/2.9ft which he is finding easy, always clear... and i think hes ready to do 2.9ft/3ft now.
but i was wandering what sort of exercises at home could i do with him? grids etc?
he never stops at home, unless on a really really bad stride to a big fence- 1.20m, but we don't think its the competition atmosphere as he is very chilled out etc.
so grids, exercises that could help him to re-gain confidence and increase his stride length when jumping.
He naturally likes to get in deeper than take a flyer and has a short stride. he is well schooled, starting to do flying changes etc. and collects well.
suggestions would be great

 

[KatB]

Is he infront of the leg? Sometimes the worrying about making distances is because they drop behind the leg, and so don't travel forwards? I would do lots of grids with 1 stride distances starting at 7yrds, with a ground rail to the first element to make sure you hit the right spot everytime, and then slowly increase the distance until it is ring distance

This should build up his confidence in making the distance

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

it varies:
sometimes he goes back to his old habits of just charging at the fence, which i think is when he stops more- when hes on a more forward stride- maybe he panics about taking off on the right spot as he can't adjust so much, not sure! but sometimes he goes in really bouncy, but can then drop behind my leg...
will def. do lots of 1 strided grids and build it up from there...
i think because he hadn't done so much SJing for a long time, i then did a lot on him, it just brought back memories of being rapped etc. i have noticed at comps. he hates jumping when people are beside the fences, as in will go in wonky, charge forwards etc. etc.
Thanks

 

[KatB]

The charging at fences means he is likely to get there on his forehand, so will struggle still to make the distance. Poor boy re. the rapping though

 

[Golden_Match_II]

What I do is put poles out on the floor, and put 8-ish people strides between two. This is like a double of poles. Then, I get my pony to shorten or lengthen her stride, depending on what I ask her.

She used to stop if she couldn't see a strid to a double, and this is what we used to dsort it out. Bascially, it makes the horse trust you to help it out of a situation, by riding like you do to the poles. Do you understand what I mean? Sometimes I will put out a 9 people striding double of poles, and sometimes I will put out a 6 people striding double of poles. It helps them learn to trust you, your riding, and your judgement.

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

G_M- will try that aswell...hes the type of horse who thinks he knows best, and normally does! but sometimes he panics and it all goes wrong and i can't get him back in time. when he listens to me, it goes so well! but when he takes matters into his own, then it goes all over the place!
KatB, yeah i should think so...
stupid people for rapping

he picks his legs up so high now, bless him..