Young horse and jump Potential

Mo MO

hi all,
Happy new year to all and to your steeds!! Just a general question that maybe someone might help me with. I have recentley purchased a 5year old Errigal Flight mare. she was only broken in August and is a very honest quiet mare. I have been putting serious work into her now the last month and although her flat work has improved her jump is shocking. she throws herself over it, very bad on the left rein. I have had a few lessons with my instructor and we have done alot of canter poles and various exercises to help her improve but she is showing none. He has advised that she isnt showing any signs of being any sort of a jumper. however when I purchased her, on the lunge and loose jumping she was amazing. Does she just need more time?? I dont want to give up on her, I am in no panic to start competiting and am willing to do whatever she needs. Or do i cut my losses and take my instructors advice??

many thanks,

Mo

convert

Have you tried loose jumping her recently? And if so, does she jump well or throw herself over it?

Given that she's only broken four months, I'd be inclined to give her more time. She's still only a 'baby' and getting to terms with being ridden. Some horses take longer to get used to carrying a rider over fences than others, and given that she's only been riding four months (and you've probably lost time with the snow?) she has plenty of time to improve.

I've found that it's better to use barrels lying on their side (with a ground pole in front of them) or some other inviting type of fence with no 'space' under it as there's less for the horse to think about. You'll also need to try and sit as still as possible while jumping so that she's not having to balance you as well as herself when learning to jump with you on her.

Forget about trying to have a proper shape when approaching the fence, just sit and balance her, and let her do it for herself. Starting with something tiny that your mare can literally step over will help with her confidence. Even if you want to walk over it first, and then a slow trot, it will help her and give her time to learn how to pick her feet and jump without feeling that she has to throw herself over it. Only when she has 'mastered' the art of jumping from a trot would I think about cantering her, though you may find that she'll canter the last stride or two on her on when she gets more confident/the hang of it.

From your description it seems that she's still only getting to grips with you riding her, and if you have the time (and patience) to take things slowly with her, then do so. It's far too early to give up on her, and trying to rush her along will only hamper her progress.

Mo MO

thanks Convert. I havent loose schooled her recently. she was broken professionally and when i took her home was jumping around a metre track, although she was jumping around it was with no technique at all. So I have spent more time on her flat and balance and reduced her jumping to trotting poles and small verticles with my instructors supervision.

will try loose schooling her over weekend and give her some more time and see how see goes. she seems to learn very quickly and is very willing to please.

thank you

shanagarry

I wouldn't be writing her off at all at this stage, she's still very young and if she can jump loose/on lunge, then she can jump. I think your instructor is being rather impatient tbh. Canter poles are probably way too much for her at this early stage - she's more likely to try and jump them and get herself wrong for the jump than benefit from them.

Convert has given lots of good advice above. Have you had a chance to loose school her yet? If not, I would make that a priority. If that has disimproved, then I would start looking at her back etc, all the usual eliminations. If she's jumping well on the loose, then it's a balance issue. The fact that you say she's worse on the left points to that (despite it being more common to be weaker on the right).

If it is a balance issue, I would forget about jumping completely for the moment. 95% of jumping is flat work. If you try and jump without the flat work being right then you are going nowhere. Spend hours and hours schooling her on the lunge and on the flat - transitions, circles, leg yielding etc - and I would bet that you will see a completely different horse when you go back jumping.

And when you do go back jumping, take it slowly, like Convert described. There is no need to be jumping big fences (and 1m is pretty big for a baby) when training. The height will come quickly if you establish the basics properly. So I would go back to working over low fences, and perhaps consider introducing some small grids (with your instructor as it's critical to get the distances right) which will set her take off points for her and teach her to pick her feet up.

Good luck, with patience and lots of schooling I'm confident you will get her going nicely.

Esroh

She has not lost her jump.
You have to remember Loose schooling rings are set up to give a horse the best possible chance.
I know my eye for stride with a horse on the lunge is better 99% of the time than it is when riding:D


Give her time and keep working on the flat work.
When your ready ride her thru the same little grid setup as you would use if Loose schooling in a light seat . You must be prepared to do nothing but stay in balance if she takes it on.(a little leg if needed). She will look after herself and learn to carry you.


Just be ready for her to use herself like you have seen not as you have felt.;)

elusiveguy

Could the problem be that the horse hasn't corrected its balance to account for you on her back? Maybe she's a bit on the forehand coming into the jump causing her to struggle and panic? Does she work through from behind properly?

simplyirish

check that nothing is hurting her, start with her mouth, teeth and ulsers are a common cause of mouth pain, as are hacks at the side of the mouth.
Then check the rest of the tack fits properly and not causing discomfort, including the saddle that it is a proper fit.
Once a jumper she will always be a jumper, but she needs to be comfortable in body and mind.

rstax

I'm a big preacher of flatwork and polework personally..
But when it comes to jumping her, i'd suggest some gridwork-both loose and with a rider! Keep them small, cos it's hard work, and so long as you stay in balance, don't interfere.. they're able to knock over the fences if they make a mess of it, and they learn from their mistakes-not from us holding them every step of the way..A horse needs to figure its own legs out-its our job to get them to the fence but its them who need to do the jumping!
Don't give up on her-I know an amazing Errigal flight geilding up here, Superb jumper!
Wish you all the best in the future with her

Leahos

I am currently trying to start back horseriding. I've been riding my whole life, i've previously owned two horses but due to college commitments I had to sell my last horse a few months ago. If anyone needs help riding their horse once or twice (or as much as required) a week i would be more than happy to help out. I am an experienced rider and can drive so location is not an issue. I would appreciate the chance! I have a passion for horses and am very caring. Please feel free to contact me by email or calling me!

finbarrk

Mo mo, if you were jumping her around a 1m track as you say so, when you got her, she has definatley gone backwards.
Or has the rider gone backwards?
Or else she is hurt somewhere, back, shoulder maybe?