Training my Ex Racehorse to Showjump

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RocknRoller

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Just wondered if anybody has any tips on training horses to jump. He is not very bold and not very forward thinking. His flatwork is going brilliant but he is really backing off the pole work. Sometimes he will even go over poles fine and then decide hes had enough and just go backwards the next time I ask him. I know there is nothing physical wrong with him as he is quite capable when he does go forward. He is just really testing me out as perhaps I am not confident enough to get him forward enough. I am unsure whether to get someone else to school him a couple times to get his confidence up. Anybody know of anyone? Thanks
 
I have found my OTTB has a really short fuse. If I push him too hard, his brain just explodes and he freaks out.
I have to introduce him to new things quite slowly compared to my other horse as he is not bold or forward (in any sense of the word).

I have done a lot of work with trot poles on the lunge and ridden. I use alot of cavalletti and have recently gotten him confidently going over 60cms.

My advice is to take your time, do it gradually, get help from a trainer and then you won't find yourself having to fix things down the track :)
 
Thanks for your response. I think i just find it frustrating as he will sometimes go forward and then you might change the colour of the pole and he will just slam the brakes on and then throw the towel in. When he decides hes not going forward he will just back up continuously.I am just not sure if I need someone tougher than me to nip it in the bed now. Does anyone know anybody in Northamptonshire area which may be able to assist?
 
Which sort of racing did your horse used to compete in? and how long have you owned your horse?
The thing is with ex NH racehorses, they are used to jumping at speed, following others. They don't really think about it, and they fit the jump into their gallop stride. If your boy used to NH then he's probably now able to think about it going so much slower into a contact, and now is on his own not following anything, and it's a totally different object to what he's used to jumping.
It definitely is something that needs to start slowly, and build up to different things. My friend had an old chaser that would jump a cross pole beautifully over and over again... but change that same cross pole in the same place into an upright and he'd spook and stop because it was different! She had to be extremely patient and confident for Him, until he had the courage to trust her decision to jump the new scary looking jump!
If you're not confident, and want another rider to do it, I think you may be missing pout on the chance to build up a relationship with him from scratch. I personally would get a good, trusted instructor to take you both back to scratch and grid work and give your relationship a good chance. If you're nervous, another rider might be able to get him jumping but when they give him back to you then your nerves are just going to be picked up on by your horse again. TB's are extra sensitive.
If your lad used to flat race, it truly will be a whole new ball game for him, and possibley getting his confidence up free schooling could be a way forward to begin with, so he has no interference of a person on his back to begin with.
 
Our old ex racer jumped up to novice BE and still freaked out at trot poles until retirement so don't get down, he'll get it in the end!
 
I'm going to disagree with GoldenOrlaith. If you're not confident to do it, find someone else to who will also teach you as they help. Struggling on alone is utterly pointless and wastes considerable amounts of time.

reg was very similar to your boy- he just didn't get it and so would worry and then lose it. It took lots of very simple repetition, trotting around the arena just meeting fences and letting him jump them with no extra fuss, until he relaxed a bit.
 
I'm having this same problem with the ex racer I share.

Friday he jumped everything I pointed him at. Saturday he was refusing left right and centre. We had him going confidently over a couple of crosses but change one cross to an upright and that made him slam on the brakes and shoot off away from it!

It's frustrating because he has the ability and a lovely jump when he does it. He just believes he can't. He was a jump racer so we thought we'd get him to follow another horse over who is a confident jumper but this made him refuse even the little cross!

I think it will take a lot of patience getting him used to jumps looking different! We just have to keep doing it over and over.
 
He used to do both flat and hurdling and was a good racer. I only bought him before Christmas and he has only been in full work for 3 months. He is a lovely boy and a very chilled character hes just very unsure jumping. One day I feel like were moving forward and hes starting to trust me and will go into a cross pole with no question and then the next I can point him towards a pole on the ground and he will just throw his toys out and the more i ask him to go forward the more he goes backwards. I also believe that now I am expecting him to stop that I am not riding him into the fences with enough conviction. I just dont know how I am supposed to build up his confidence when actually I dont really feel all that confident myself. I am normally a confident jumper but I guess I am not trusting him at the moment.
 
Time, patience and practice :D

After 8 years, my boy can still throw a hissy fit when coming across something he hasn't seen before and he has evented at pre-novice level :rolleyes:



The above was a plank on the floor painted with scary fishes :rolleyes:

I always leave some kind of jump up in the school and incorporated a jump of some sort into every schooling session even if just poles on the ground. I also find that I believe he's going to jump he usually will, if I have even the slightest doubt, it transfers to him and the brakes are slammed on. Confidence in your horse is key.
 
Lolo, I agree she shouldn't do it alone and thought I suggested a good instructor, but I think someone else riding the horse (that OP says can jump and does jump well when he wants to) will just prove what she already knows. She needs help from someone on the ground building confidence in her, and their partnership.
Nicnac... Awesome piccie with his legs doing the splits! Haha. Classic :).
 
It's interesting reading this, I'm going through the same with my boy at the moment. He is super athletic and very able, is not a spooky type yet is so wary! Spreads are our issue, have tried loose schooling even over 75cm he refuses if I'm not on board! I'm very confident jumping and definitely am not giving him bad vibes but when I see a nice stride 4 away and he backs off we meet it all wrong which reinforces his worry about it. Going back to grids tomorrow to try and get him thinking forwards! Hope you get your issues sorted, think if you're at all negative you need someone there to give you reassurance as he'll instantly pick up on it. Good luck!
 
Thank you for your comments. I have an instructor helping me tonight and hes a very positive instructor who can always jump on if I get really stuck so fingers crossed. I may have to take a step back. I think I have been really lucky with all the flatwork as he has picked all of this up super quick and he just loves his work but jumping is clearly not something he is picking up so well. I also think self preservation kicks in as occassionally he comes accross quite confident and will canter at a small cross pole and then slam the brakes on last second, so I think I am expecting this to happen. Normally as soon as hes decided he wont go forward thats it and I struggle to get anything out of him at all. Thanks again and I will keep you updated :)
 
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