Unpredictable jumper

[showjumper25]

I love my horse to bits and he is a dream to ride on the flat, but I have been having some trouble with him when jumping. He has always been prone to refusals but at first this didn't phase me too much as I assumed he was just slightly nervous as he hadn't really been jumped in a while and brought the height we were jumping right down to about 50-60cm so he could gain some confidence. He stopped refusing after a short while but then went slightly lame and so was off work for a few months (which we later discovered was the cause of hoof bruising after X-rays on all his legs/feet). He then came back into full work slowly, was kept fit over the winter, then came back into full work again around march time. He'd been jumped very occasionally over the winter in an outdoor school when the surfacing was ok to jump on and had been going quite well bar the odd refusal if a jump was a little spooky/challenging but I was not too frustrated about this as I realise that sometimes refusals are just something that happens sometimes whether its the riders fault or the horse is just not keen to jump a particular fence. We have now been jumping around 70cm-1metre courses both at home and at shows for a few months and some days he will go brilliantly whilst others he will just completely suddenly stop right at the base of the jump after seemingly approaching it with confidence. He has had his back and teeth done recently,his tack all fits him well and he's been completely sound since his hoof problem so I don't think its a health issue nor a boredom issue as I don't ever jump him more than once a week at the very most and have tried giving him significant time off jumping as well to solve the problem. I jump/ride a variety of different horses regularly and don't seem to have this problem with them although I am starting to feel more nervous at the prospect of jumping any horse due to the unpredictability of my own horse's jumping. I sometimes wonder if I am over facing him but as I've mentioned previously he is very capable and scopey and regularly places well in his classes at shows,although we either seem to do very well or end up eliminated and there is no in between. He's a very good natured horse and I love riding him but I am terrified that he is going to injure himself badly if this keeps up as he has crashed straight into jumps before at speed due to how late in the approach he will refuse and fear we may both be injured severely at some point.

 

[dixie]

I've had a similar issue, horse great at home and in lessons but a bit hit and miss I the ring. He was sound and had tack etc checked. The last show was the last resort and I decided to sell him. However Ive always had a niggle he wasn't right somewhere but as seemingly sound and could jump a 1.10 track at home and marches out on hacks I've never had him checked. However this time I chose a full soundness work up. The niggle I had is that he trips behind quite often.
The vet was great and was very thorough. Turns out he had inflammation in the neck and has had this for a number of years. The prognosis is very good in that he can be medicated
So what I'm saying is don't rule out any soundness problems.
Before this I tried someone else jumping him to see if it was me. It might be worth trying this?

 

[showjumper25]

Thank you I will definitely have him checked as I'm willing to try anything to solve this problem! I have had a few people ride him on the flat but not over fences so I will definitely try and find someone.

 

[stilltrying]

This reminds me so much of the chestnut (in my pic). He used to love his jumping, we evented (90) briefly but then he started stopping. And I dont mean running out, but stopping at the very last minute, as you describe crashing into the fence. He did this XC a couple of times and it really started to worry me as i didn't want him coming over the fence and landing on me. We had a veterinary work up initially (showed nothing), then i got a new saddle - big improvement, then the shoes came off and we did a barefoot rehab, but I never really got to the bottom of anything.

I had several attempts at getting back into jumping with him, just poles on a surface, and each time we'd get so far then he'd do a hideous dirty stop and crash into the fence / knuckle over. Each time it would eat a little at my confidence in him. These were never big fences, 2f6 ish? Sometimes he would do this at a cross pole. I felt it was only a matter of time before one of us got seriously hurt, so he was 'retired' from jumping, other than the odd bit of playing over logs, and the odd cross pole once in a blue moon.

To satisfy my jumping bug i got another horse at the beginning of the year, a lovely 4yo little dun mare. Only once i started jumping her did i realise how much his antics have affected my riding. If you look at my last thread from an XC clinic you can see how defensive I've become.

I still have him, and for all intents and purposes he is a fit, well, sound horse, however i wont jump him now. For reasons only known to him (probably pain related but never diagnosed) he just doesn't want to do it.

Not overly helpful I'm afraid but having been in your situation i felt it best to quit while i was ahead.

 

[siennamum]

I think it's almost impossible to pinpoint the reasons sometimes. At the root of the stops will be a good reason, either remembered pain, poor riding, existing pain....
and I do dislike people saying a horse is being dishonest or naughty - which they do, when at the very least they are just a product of their management or training.

My gelding will stop & is pretty inconsistent, and the reasons are that he has had pain, poor riding on my part, (being nervous really doesn't help) and I think he may be in pain again.

He is having a vet work up next week, and I will see if we find a clear issue - he may need his hocks injecting again. I think it's critical that they enjoy their jumping so I will do lots of fun stuff to ensure he is enthusiastic.

Beyond that, once it is a habit or they really lose confidence I don't think there is much you can do. I wouldn't enjoy making them do a job if their heart isn't in it & another job may suit.