XC help

My daughter has taken Toto XC schooling a few times and each time he's gone he's got over excited and silly to a point that nearly every jump he does on landing he tanks off! he's fine going into the jump but just has this knack of speeding off on landing, we know he can do a XC course perfectly because he was lovely at the PC one day event and for the three days before at camp , he had his back , teeth and tack checked , all fine, and he's ridden in a cheltenham gag and drop noseband , any suggestions ??
 
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Pick a relatively straightforward jump and jump it on a circle again and again until he does it calmly. Then jump it on straight line and if he goes to tank off again, put him back onto the circle.
 
also when jumping a fence aim to stlop 3 strides after it - this helps the rider sit up after a fence and hopefully stops the tanking off!
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[ QUOTE ]
Pick a relatively straightforward jump and jump it on a circle again and again until he does it calmly. Then jump it on straight line and if he goes to tank off again, put him back onto the circle.

[/ QUOTE ] Trouble is he wont stop ! he kind of speeds off on landing as if he's scared of the jump ( if that makes any sense) would you suggest a change of bit ?
 
The circle exercise will help, trust me!! You've just got to persevere with it.

Does he put his head down and run or is it head up?
 
Is it a confidence crisis? Toto may be trying to say he is frightened or is it naughtiness?

If it is confidence then re-schooling and taking it back to basics will be the only answer, by bitting him up, you are only confirming that it is scary.
 
He leans on her hands and has been know to have a crafty bronc as well ! , the gag stops the leaning but he still gets strong
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it's frustrating because he's as good as gold untill we get to the XC schooling then he turns into a looney !!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Is it a confidence crisis? Toto may be trying to say he is frightened or is it naughtiness?

If it is confidence then re-schooling and taking it back to basics will be the only answer, by bitting him up, you are only confirming that it is scary.

[/ QUOTE ] We think it's naughtiness , at a PC rally he would jump all the jumps but run off away from the other ponies ( very embarresing ) !
 
Does he only do it when you're xc schooling? But is ok doing a competition? My chap is much stronger and gets progressively worse if we go schooling than jumping a course at a competition, more so in a group and if you keep stopping and starting. I think it's also that they get more confident in their surroundings when you're schooling whereas out on a course they don't know where you're taking them so bit more reliant and tend to listen more. If he was better at a competition try going schooling as the only horse and jump groups of fences as little courses. Keep going.
Different things will work for different horses but I know circling over the same fence would make mine worse and worse till he was tanking into the fence as well as away from it!
 
Try flat schooling on a XC course. I do that with Charlie do de-sensitise him to the whole exciting experience.
 
Thank you all for your advice , we will take him when the ground improves and try out the different ideas , its a shame because he's got a lovely jump and my daughter loves XC but he saps her confidence (and ours)! , Im also going to get her instructor to come with us to help out
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[ QUOTE ]
also when jumping a fence aim to stlop 3 strides after it - this helps the rider sit up after a fence and hopefully stops the tanking off!
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Just what I was going to say! Come back to halt after the fence - the horse must be listening to the rider. Good luck!
 
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