What would cause a horse to start refusing to the right?

[micra]

I have a very honest horse who would jump anything you put in from of her usually. I took her to her first indoor showjumping hire and it blew her brains, was terrified of everything and when I attempted some low jumps she started refusing them and running out to the right. I put it down to needing more time to practise in indoor environments and a week later took her to a sponsored ride where she was brilliant and jumped everyrhing.

Jumped her in the school today and she’s back to running out sideways. I can use reins, leg, voice and she doesn’t care she wants to run right. She’s too sensitive for anything more than a snaffle it upsets her. That was gridwork which she usually loves.

Saddle, teeth, feet, back are fine. Perhaps there’s something else bothering her but I can’t put my finger on it I have a jump lesson soon so have a chance to sort it then but rapidly losing confidence as I bought her when I was a nervous wreck of a rider so o could confodently jump a small course. Would anyone have any suggestions or any things I may be missing thanks

 

[Bob notacob]

Find a good instructor . We can only guess from here.

 

[wkiwi]

Find a good instructor . We can only guess from here.

This. ^^^^^
But on the guessing, i would best-guess that when she blew her brains she just couldn't cope with jumps as well. It was too much for her and now she has the memory of it embedded because her it was very traumatic (adrenaline fuelled fear goes straight into long-term memory, whether or not we think the horse should have coped).

Stop thinking of physical and start thinking psychological.
Take her back to the indoor school (ideally without jumps) and DO NOT JUMP HER. Lead her round in circles until she is calm (and i mean calm as in comfortable in her surroundings and ideally bored).
Then lead her round the school until she is ditto.
Then do it on the other rein.
Then, when she will stand 'at peace' get on and walk a circle until she is calm.
Then walk her round the school until she is calm. Then change the rein.
Then do some short trots on a circle until she is calm.
Then try trotting round the school. EVERY time she gets upset and loses the calmness go back a stage or more (even if it is back to walking a circle).
Make progress slowly and only as fast as your horse can cope (if you are a good rider then you will feel when your horse is starting to tense up, even if she 'looks' ok).
When your horse can canter happily and on a long rein around the arena, put a pole down and walk over it. Keep walking over it until she is calm.
Repeat in trot and canter.
put more single poles out. walk, then trot, then canter over them making sure she is calm at each stage before progressing to the next.
THEN put up a cross pole and trot over it.
etc. etc. etc. One step at a time and make sure you have a happy horse before progessing to the next step.

This will take you MULTIPLE visits to the indoor school.
You will find this VERY BORING (take headphones or a radio or learn poetry).
You will think MY HORSE CAN DO THIS - SHE'S JUST BEING SILLY and want to skip some steps or rush the process.
Someone is bound to say to you JUST PUSH HER THROUGH IT but this is the wrong approach for a horse that has lost its confidence.

If you DON'T HURRY THE STEPS then it is highly probable that you will have solved the problem. BUT if you don't solve the problem then you will have a horse that has that memory resurface whenever you jump indoors and she feels under pressure.

From her point of view, you have dropped her on an alien world and asked her to do calculus at the same time. Going back to re-do the calculus will not make it any better for her until she gets tused to the alien environment.
Think back to when you were a nervous wreck - you needed multiple happy experiences to overcome it. So does your horse now she has lost her confidence.
But you can help her, because you know exactly how she feels about this.

 

[Cecile]

What she like on the lunge?

One of mine was causing me niggling thoughts at Christmas time, I wasn't sure if he was just being a pain or there was something going on, odd things which didn't that much sense, I just kept watching, feeling and checking, it made far more sense once I watched him being lunged

Probably not applicable to your situation really but when I have niggles with one of my animals it drives me nuts so I always go with it, even if it means just watching them in the field, stable or being worked, they usually let me know and I enjoy watching them anyway - if I am wrong and they are just being a pain I haven't lost anything

 

[micra]

Thank you very much that’s really helpful wkiwi I will try this!!
Cecile she’s good on the lunge and fine schooling too. I took her on a hack today hoping it would be nice and relaxing for her and she was very ‘looky’ and spooked by jumping up and then bolting sideways, she’s always been a bit like this but I could push her past it, now scared to even trot her out as I tried today and almost came off when she spooked to the side

 

[Red-1]

I used to help people with loss of confidence, and that meant often horses who had lost confidence too. I found when I went to them that often they *thought their schooling was fine, but in reality it was only *fine when they were in their comfort zone. The horses who lost confidence were usually not really responsive and clear about the aids and how to respond.

Your responses make me guess (as we can only guess without seeing) that this is the case with your horse. Most horses are not too sensitive to change bit (not that I would suggest changing the bit, but not being able to is a sign that the horse is not confident and relaxed with the bit).

Similarly, the fact that she has always been looky and reactive is another sign that she is not happy in her skin and confident in her responses. You says she is "fine" schooling, but this is not necessarily that she truly understands and is responsive, it is that she can come with her current level of schooling n a familiar situation.

I would have a look at the work of Andrew McLean or one of his associates for help in recognising when the horse is truly responsive to the aids. With understanding and consistent riding comes confidence.

Once the aids are confirmed so the horse is confident and calm, relaxed and responsive on your own school (so you could indeed swap bit if you should so wish as just one sign, but the test is that the horse is in the zone and not reactive), then go to a slightly more challenging environment.

I do like the reply from Wiki, but would take it back further and check out her responsiveness and confidence with the aids, and then go do what Wiki says.