First jump itis and adhd horse

[TB_hunters]

I have a green ottb hunter. He has reached the point of showing at 2’3 hunters at our local shows. He does have spooky moments but it is generally due to getting distracted by things outside of the ring.
But the one problem we keep running into and I’m running out of ideas for is the first jump on the first day of the show.
He schools fine on Friday, warms up in the schooling area great, and then stops at the first jump. Second try he pops right over it like that never happened. It isn’t even a spooky stop……it is almost like an oh my who put this in my way.
He then jumps around the rest of the course like he has showed all his life. It doesn’t happen on the Sunday of the show even when the jumps are changed.

Anyone have any ideas? Any ADD meds or supplements?

We have tried jumped a schooling jump and walking immediately into the ring. We have tried really packaging him to the first jump, trotting the first jump… I am out of ideas.
Thanks for any help!!!
Edit: I forgot to mention that his vision has been checked.

[Demerara_Stables]

Does this happen with other riders or just you?

[MHM]

Are you planning your entrance in the show ring so that you walk right by the first jump before you actually pick up the canter and head towards it?

As in, trot in so that your circle takes you near the first jump, come back to the walk, walk right up next to it parallel to the front side of the first jump so he gets a good look at it, and then pick up your canter and head for the jump?

If you stop at the jump and let him stare at it, there are some judges who will count that as a refusal. But if you just walk close by it and then canter, you should be fine.

Good luck!

[TB_hunters]

Other riders as well.

[TB_hunters]

We tried this approach and he still is surprised that we put a jump in front of him. And jumps 2-8 of the course are great.

[MHM]

Huh.

Have you checked his eyesight? I knew one many years ago that had a major vision problem, but nobody realized it for quite a while.

Although that would not explain the other seven jumps being good in your horse’s case.

[TB_hunters]

Yep. The vet does not see any issues with his vision.
It really seems like he forgets to pay attention.

[trubandloki]

@TB_hunters

It really seems like he forgets to pay attention.

I doubt he forgets to pay attention. He is just looking at other things and then, oops, a jump.

Add, at this point I am sure his rider is nervous about that first jump so he is looking around about where the horse eating monster might be and then, oops, first jump is there.

Are the other riders professionals who have experience with this type of situation?

I feel like some confident first day rides that simply get him over the first jump might help this whole problem go away.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Does your flatwork incorporate dressage techniques? You should be able to get him on the aids in your circle, perhaps in shoulder fore, with his poll slightly lower than ideal and then straighten out and drive him forward on the approach and give with your hands.

If you repeat this enough in schooling, it will serve as a cue so that he anticipates the first fence.

[TB_hunters]

Thanks for commenting!
I don’t think it is a rider confidence issue as it happens with multiple riders. Yes, all of his riders are either pros or very experienced in starting a green horse show career.

This is what led me to ask for any other ideas from the online multitude…
He is really a great little show horse minus jump one on day one of the show.

[fivestrideline]

Maybe he just needs a warmup class that you can say “ho hum whatever” to? Just accepting that he may stop? It’s strange that he does it for everyone, and is fine otherwise. It may trick the rider into being confident and get him over it since you don’t care if he stops…

Alternatively, have you tried just warming up on the flat and then going straight in to a class? Seems counterintuitive, but maybe

[trubandloki]

Thank you for clarifying!

[enjoytheride]

Are you trotting or cantering to the first jump? If cantering, I’d try trotting in to the first fence.

[NaturallyHappy]

Me, too! I was going to suggest this.

[TB_hunters]

We tried that and he was just as suprised. It gave more time to try and really get his focus but he still didn’t notice it till the last minute.

[EmilyM]

I have a horse like this. Busy staring out of the ring any chance he gets. I have to ride him pretty round on the ends of the ring and use a boatload of leg that isn’t for speed or even impulsion but to keep him round and keep his attention. He gets better as he jumps around.

Hope that helps

[Demerara_Stables]

At 2’3, he can maybe jump from a standstill. What about just legging him over it after he stops? No circling, just jump the jump. Eventually work up to jumping it from the walk then the trot. If 2’3 is too big for him then go down in height. Stopping and circling should not be an option (that doesn’t mean get after him, just after he stops have him jump it while standing there).

[2DogsFarm]

Any chance your anticipation of the 1st Fence Stop is feeding the problem?
Are the other riders aware of this quirk?
Once he’s over, you/they relax & the next fences don’t generate any tension.
They are soooooo sensitive to what we’re doing, could be enough to generate the stop.
I’m not discounting the distractions, but maybe focus on & mentally jump #1 right out of your courtesy circle.

[StormyDay]

From working with horses like this;

1. teach him a que to say ‘we are going to pay attention and jump now’. Mine was a tap with a crop and lift the head up 3 strides out.

2. drop down in height so that he can step over the jumps if need be and go to a few shows where he doesn’t get to stop. Even if he stops, he has to step over it.

3. start the day off showing at a lower height, then go up in height. Some horses just have a weird quirk where they need a lower height first. I met someone once doing the 1.40 but she was showing in the ring at .65 (unscored) because her horse was weird and did best like that. Not all shows will allow it, but you can always just pick the ones that do.

[RAyers]

Is he a TRUE OTTB? What is his history? To me your OP sounds like a normal OTTB but you are missing part of how to communicate with him. Also, are you riding to protect the first fence? Trying to be accurate/tense? Not riding like you do once the first mistake is made?

The way OTTBs are trained they need a signal that tells them “it’s time to work!” On the track they use walking through the start gate as part of the warm up that they are there to compete and this isn’t a school or exercise. That being the case, the first class I use a very light tap with the whip at the in-gate to “wake” them up. “Time to work!”