Advice?! - softening and slowing down

[acejumper]

HI!

I have a horse that I have just started working with for jumpers and slightly green. He’s very slow to start off with (think western pleasure) and I warm up on a loose rein to allow him to stretch out. When I go to shorten him up and collect him he tries to push through the bit and rushes. It gets worse as we jump. I am never afraid he’s going to refuse or take off with me he just goes faster than i would like. Obviously hes great for jumpers because he is fast but i want to get him to listen to me more and respond to the bit. During our warm up i have really been focusing on downward transitions and leg aids. I try to guide with my seat more and use my reins as a last resort. I ride him a broken o ring snaffle because my trainer believes that we should only use stronger bits at shows. Are there any suggestions to make him listen more effectively and to slow down?

[tinah]

you’re hanging on his mouth. think “soft elbows, soft elbows, soft elbows”. take lunge lessons.

[rockonxox]

Make the jumping boring and make it seem like work. Walk over them (go over, immediately turn back and walk over the other way), trot over them, do small gymnastics, get him using his brain and changing things up. As for position, make sure you aren’t trying to strong arm him to be slow. Utilize your half halts (first with your seat like you said you do and then hands as a last resort but don’t pull and hold, there has to be a release) and check to make sure that you aren’t in a driving seat and thus causing him to go quicker.

Also, does he get very on his forehand over jumps? If he is, you may feel like he is going faster because he is unbalanced.

[acejumper]

Yes he does get really strong. He likes to forge down a lot when trying to collect after a jump and on the flat as well

[Sport]

I think your long and low to get him moving is fine, but it sounds like he then needs some really solid flat work learning to carry himself. If he drops onto the forehand he will rush. He needs to be moving uphill consistently before jumping anything of any size.

[rockonxox]

I agree with Sport. Focus on good flatwork (arena, hill work, cavalleti/ground poles - I also lunge over ground/cavalleti) and then start working jumps in. If you aren’t able to communicate with him on the flat and he isn’t able to carry himself on the flat then adding in jumps will not make the situation any better.

[Edre]

My thoughts are in line with the above posts.

What about his way of going changes when he’s long and low vs shorter and more uphill? I suspect that the odds are decent there’s tension being introduced (poll/throat latch region a good culprit to start with) and he’s leaning on your hand.

now if that’s the case then I would spend time figuring out why it’s happening. It could be your hand is too unyielding/the contact is too much for him. It could also be he’s just not physically strong enough to carry himself that way yet.

I would look at some incremental work: instead of thinking “we stretch now” and “we package now” play with them both concurrently. 3-4 steps of packaging, then stretch again. This will help both with relaxation and muscle building. Working over poles/cavaletti with this in mind (set trot poles for a slightly more packaged stride on the top loop of a shallow loop serpentine - stretch coming out of the corner but package as you get forwards the top of the loop, go over poles, then stretch gradually again in the second half of the figure).

Personally I wouldn’t jump until you’ve made headway with this on the flat. Fences will only compound issues at this point.

[jetsmom]

Learn to do correct half halts with him (which means using leg, ), to help him balance without you holding him up.
I always think, "sit,set (hands),squeeze(legs), soften hands. All done in one stride.
An easy way to teach them is to ride a circle that is not too small, but comfortable size at the trot. Halt in the same place each time, making sure you use leg, in the downward transition to get them to halt square. Then on about the 5th circle, do a half halt in that same spot, instead of halting. You will need leg, and a good softening of hands, but you should get the feeling of him rocking back onto his hind end, and stepping under with his hind end. Repeat exercise at canter.
(Don’t use a spot near in gate for your stopping point, as you don’t want him to be inclined to stop there)

[SuzieQNutter]

You need to fix on the flat befire you think about jumping.

[ParadoxFarm]

How old is your horse? Is he older? If so, consider possible soreness. Hock-sore horses often act this way; rushing and/or pulling after fences.

[acejumper]

He is 7 so he is younger. He has been vet checked and I have been told he is fine.

[merrygoround]

The fact that he is forging should tell you that he is not coming through behind. You are focusing on the bit while it is your body that you should be using.

The initial stretch ride to get him going is good. What you call “collecting him up” is dropping him on his forehand, leaving his hind end trailing behind, and unbalanced. To keep his balance he goes faster.

You need some longe time, without reins, and an instructor who can teach you to use your seat and legs to regulate his pace.