Tips for getting a young horse to tuck in when jumping

georgiegirl

georgiegirl

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Hi all,

My 5yos jumping is going great guns, shes really confident and we have been out competing in a few byeh and 1.05 classes. However.....as much as she doesnt like to touch a pole she still is a bit dangly with her front legs and tends to jump MASSIVE to make up for it.

here are a couple of examples......

http://www.chrislax.co.uk/2010/BRC ...umping Intermediate/04pm/slides/CLAX1523.html

ok this one taken prob a fraction too late.....

http://www.chrislax.co.uk/2010/BRC ...umping Intermediate/04pm/slides/CLAX1524.html

However, there are other times when she really does tuck up well

http://www.esphotography.co.uk/events/2010/day26/5/pages/D24_0416.php

http://www.esphotography.co.uk/events/2010/day26/5/pages/D24_0413.php

so, is this a tecnique isssue or simply something she'll stop doing given more mileage/experience?

Ive thought about trying some v poles on fences and maybe a diagonal pole on spread fences to see if that makes any difference? I dont really want to start putting placing opoles in deep yet as although shes jumping pretty decent track i dont want to tighten things up to much and frighten her off. Any tips folks?? :-)
 
I really can't help you but my boy does the same he either dangles his legs or balloons 3 feet to high! Its such a pain as it wastes time, so I thought I'd bump your post and see what other people put :)
 
My 9 year old does exactly the same and he is normally super careful. I wouldn't worry unless it is causing her a problem and making her have fences down. Just keep her confident and then when she is more experienced some horses don't do it as much.

But other than that grips with steep x-pole bounces, oxers with a diagonal pole across the top, v poles, descending oxers, sweedish oxers are good to
 
Is she having poles down?
If not I probably would not worry, she is getting her knees plenty high enough and due to the size of the fence she doesn't need to fold her lower limbs to make a clean jump, you may find if she is a careful horse when the fences are bigger she will automatically tuck tighter.
V poles I find useful to get front legs snapping tightly but can tend to cause some horses to balloon the fence at least initially which might serve to worry her a bit if she is careful. Steep cross poles with a low rail behind I find are quite good for encouraging snappy front legs with a good bascule.
 
If she is leaving the fences up, i wouldn't worry - but if she is having poles.. then there are a few exercises;

-gridwork including bounces and placing poles etc.
-raised trotting/canter poles
-v poles in front of a fence (like this : /\ )
-pole accross an oxer (like this...birds eye view: |\| )
-realy develop the flatwork as it is the base for jumping

BUT maybe, (not that i've ever had a young horse, so not sure if im talking rubbish), but some people on here talk about youngsters tucking up nicely to sart with, but then just starting to dangle, and its because they're going through their 'gangly youngster' stage and just need to grow into themselves a bit?
 
Although I'm not into the jumping much these days. If you look at the pics again the first two are with single fences or not very filled in from the front. The ones that are making him tuck up more have a lot more filling at the front from take off. Just a thought:)
 
if its not having poles dont worry about it, its easy to dent their confidence or surprise them with too many tricky exercises too soon which can be detrimental, save them for when it starts having 4 faults!
they need a bit of time to learn and establish themselves anyway, keep an eye on it, but otherwise i'd leave it alone.
 
Looking at the photos I don't think you have much to worry about. I would do some grid work with a good instructor which will make him pick up in front quicker. I agree with the other suggestions re. x poles etc and sometimes a pole on the ground a stride after landing helps, but as I said I think it will all come as he becomes more established and developed.
 
we are having the odd pole down although a think a lot of that is still the fact she is quite green in canter and not very balanced yet - were only just twigging on how to land on correct lead/or not be disunited yet!

were certainly not aiming for bigger for a long time yet so shes going to get plenty more mileage - were aiming for intro event classes (90cm) so the sj bit is sorted - just not done any xc yet as was aiming to consolidate her over sj's before moving on to xc.

I'll give the v poles a try over some small fences first in case she does balloon and see where we go from there
 
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