Very random refusing? How to address...

[Shadowdancing]

My mare has a habit that's very annoying. She refuses at random and it's driving us crazy. To try and explain... took her to a friendly low key show the other day. Had some time off so just building confidence. She jumped a double clear 75cm. Encouraged we entered her 95 cm. She jumped a beautiful round spooking slightly at the one fence where a new filler was in, only to refuse at the last fence which had an extra pole...?! We put her in the 1m 05 and she jumped clear.
We're struggling to figure this out. At home we jump 1m 15- 1m 25 so she's more than capable. Saddle check teeth etc up.to date and all good. Travels willingly to shows. Confortable when tacked up. Jumps beautifully most of a course just takes odd dislikes to fences for no reason. Fillers often spook her. This is improving a bit but every show we have a spook- stop somewhere...!
She jumps approx 2x p/wk usually just once a wk. Suggestions welcome as she's so talented but quirky!

 

[SusannaF]

She caught sight of something? Or inadvertent rider error? http://epona.tv/how-riders-cause-horses-to-refuse

 

[be positive]

All horses can have the odd stop, there may appear to be no reason to you but to her there will be and to get over it you need to get inside her head to fathom out why, it is not random if it is due to a new pole or different filler or if it is due to her being on a bad stride at times, I would take her out a bit more frequently and jump as many different courses with fillers as possible but staying within her real comfort zone, that may be 75 or a bit bigger until she is really confident, not spooky at anything and only move on to the next height when she has jumped a really bold round over the smaller course.

It may seem like a step backwards when she is comfortable over 1m plus but until you know she is totally confident with everything else there is little point moving up, you can work on it at home in the same way, build small fences to jump then add bits and bobs to make them more spooky without putting them up, really use you imagination as to what you put under them and keep the fences small enough so she jumps rather than stops for a look when she comes round and sees the scary thing on or under the jump.
I have used everything I can collect around the yard with spooky horses, buckets, bits of haylage wrap weighed down, an old coat over the pole, a rug, painted a few poles new bright colours and also move the fillers about the arena so they are not always jumping them but have to pass them on the way and still focus on the fence in front of them.

 

[Equestrienne]

Can you have someone on the ground when you ride at home? And mimic what happens at the shows i.e have a jump around, then alter the jumps, then jump again. This way she's more comfortable as in her home environment so maybe braver but also lets her know that it's ok when the fences change.

Are the refusals on the same leg? Or going on one turn or the other? Possibly do some raised pole work to help her be more tricky with her feet and build confidence. If it's the same direction out of a turn, I think it would be worth checking that side for any tightness or pain also.

 

[[59668]]

If I was in a 75cm class, and saw someone in it also jumping 95cm and 1m05, I'd be pretty annoyed that they were pot hunting....

 

[SEL]

Get someone to video you. If it's rider error then you're more likely to spot it when you can play back.