Horse overjumps

[lmccor88]

Need advice.

Horse is hot and very athletic. However every once in awhile he will way the heck over jump something (e.g the smallest crosspole that we have jumped many times)… usually ends up with me being launched to the moon. I am not sure why he does it, as it seems very random. I would expect it for new fences or decorated fences that look “scary” but not a plain boring Jane crosspole or vertical.

Any advice? It would be nice to know when he’s going to pull that so I can prepare myself for it, he has quite the powerful jump so it doesn’t take much to get unseated and go splat.

I’ll admit I am a tad rusty. Took a long horse break and then ended up buying a fancy hot warmblood

[trubandloki]

@lmccor88

Need advice.

Horse is hot and very athletic. However every once in awhile he will way the heck over jump something (e.g the smallest crosspole that we have jumped many times)… usually ends up with me being launched to the moon. I am not sure why he does it, as it seems very random. I would expect it for new fences or decorated fences that look “scary” but not a plain boring Jane crosspole or vertical.

Any advice? It would be nice to know when he’s going to pull that so I can prepare myself for it, he has quite the powerful jump so it doesn’t take much to get unseated and go splat.

I’ll admit I am a tad rusty. Took a long horse break and then ended up buying a fancy hot warmblood

To get the best answer I think you need eyes on the ground while you are riding. A good trainer can help you see what is happening on those jumps where the horse is over jumping. Are you getting the horse too close to the base? Are you dropping the horse at the last minute causing the horse to hesitate and then leap? So many things can be going on.

[McGurk]

It may be that when he’s not sure of his take off spot or stride, he overjumps out of an abundance of caution. I’d rather have a horse that overjumps than one who doesn’t respect his fences or jumps by Braille, but I get the not wanting to get jumped out of the tack.

Teach him to regulate his stride, the stride and balance will dictate the size of the jumping effort.

First order of business is lots of flat work on regulating his stride and shortening and lengthening, then cantering over poles set at a 12’ stride until he meets them calmly and in stride. Then play around with shortening and lengthening the striding for the canter poles.

Lots of simple low gymnastics, a mix of one strides and bounces, ideally with trot poles or placement rails in front. (and the back, too, if he tends to land and rush)

Once he gains some confidence about managing the take off, you’ll find he’ll jump more conservatively.

I would not jump single fences on this horse for a while, and when I started again, I’d have a placement rail on the take off and landing to help.

[BrownDerby]

As stated above, horses often rush or pull you over a jump when they are unsure of what to do with their feet. A rush is the same as a refusal in such cases. They will also resort to this behavior if they have been bumped in the mouth. Use a stirrup leather as a grab strap and use it. Squeeze release, squeeze release the reins to help regulate the rhythm. Squeeze means like a sponge or hot potato, never a pull. A pull will guarantee a rusher.

I would work on stabilizing. Three speeds at the trot, lots of shortening and lengthening every five or six strides, vary it once the pattern has been established and he is relaxed. No mindless circles and lines without half-halts. If you cannot get the half-half on the flat you surely won’t get it approaching the jumps. Build on this to regulate your canters

Lunging to further stabilize his gaits and enforce voice commands. A soft “whoa” or “easy” is so helpful but meaningless if they don’t know what it means.

Scatter poles on the ground and trot them at random until he is ho-hum. Eventually to x-rails. Eventually trot in to grid starting with x-rail and take off pole.

Green horses do tend to jump round (until we ruin them) and will also experiment (I call it the smorgasbord in babies) so don’t get left behind and DO use your grab strap.

Eyes on the ground always. Congratulations on your new guy. He sounds like a bit of fun.

[lmccor88]

The last scenerio he did it, it was in a grid. It was just a simple cross pole one stride crosspole. Three strides to another crosspole.

It was the second crosspole that when awry.

I am struggling with remaining “calm” and not throwing myself at him incase he does his jump to the moon deal.

We do use ground poles before fences.

[lmccor88]

With the neck strap, if you are going to a fence, do you keep your hand on if? Or just when he goes to jump? I’ve never been in the scenerio where I felt like I needed one but I just might for this case.

[BrownDerby]

Just practice with it, especially in jumping position until you find a happy medium. You can hold it while holding the reins, even in a pelham. Some people hook their pinkies on it, I don’t. Some riders only hold the outside line.

[McGurk]

Practice cantering poles on the ground without drama, and work on centering the stride over the pole, keeping the length of stride the same before and after the pole.

Then play with an 11’ stride and a 13’ stride, still centering the stride over the pole. The “Circle of Death” exercise is good too.

When you go back to your simple gymnastics, add a placement rail smack in the middle of the one stride, so the horse centers his stride over that pole.

A one stride to a three stride is not a gymnastic I would do with a horse that gets quick; they are ALWAYS going to rush the three stride segment.

My favorites are three - four trot poles in front of a crossrail, 18’ to a little vertical, progressing to trot poles to three bounces to a one stride, THEN trot poles to a one stride to three bounces. Bounces are particularly good about making a horse think where he puts his feet and snap his front end. And if the horse lands really forward after the last element, I add a canter placement rail one stride after the last element.

ETA: I love Brown Derby’s answer above. She saved me a lot of typing by saying exactly what I would have said.

[CHT]

The horse might be over jumping because of what happened at a previous effort. A careful horse might over jump if it feels its head will be restricted or its jumping arc otherwise interfered upon.

[MadTrotter]

Lots of great pointers. I have one like this and I work it out to a mixture of being green and getting bored. When I feel like she’s not approaching gymnastics with proportionate effort I put up a ground pole course. With gymnastics, I try to let her sort out using her body without interference.

With the ground pole course, it’s almost the opposite…I will push to lengthen and shorten strides and even squeeze to get a “big” jump over the ground pole so she knows to listen to what I’m asking.

So two skill sets, learning to path find on their own, and trusting your judgment when you decisively ask.

[McGurk]

Also, I always encourage riders not to try to “help” the horse, and to do as little as possible.

I want the exercise to teach the horse, I don’t want the horse to rely on the rider to “place” them.

If they step on a placement rail, great! Ignore it and come back again, see if they’re smarter the second time. Get in wrong and make a really big or awkward effort? Praise them for going anyway, come back and do it again until they figure it out.

I literally want riders to hold the mane or strap, and just add some supporting leg through these exercises.

Often, it’s the rider trying to micromanage the horse that causes the horse to be tense and worried.

[lmccor88]

I like the cantering over poles without drama.

He brings a lot of drama, everywhere. Lol.

[lmccor88]

I think previous riders tended to constrain him. (He puts on some shenanigans)

[MadTrotter]

If he’s bringing drama, then do the poles until he/you are bored! Don’t drill him for hours…maybe bored is the wrong word for the horse. Almost like it’s a meditation.

[punchy]

@lmccor88

I think previous riders tended to constrain him. (He puts on some shenanigans)

Don’t go too far in the opposite direction and not constrain him enough—a horse with Ideas and too much freedom will also over jump. You’re looking for a nice balance. You want him engaged and listening, which takes active riding on your part. A hot horse needs leg on, not leg off, which in turn means having educated hands. Y’all might just need a bit more flatwork while you get your riding legs back and you two can learn each other a bit more.

[NaturallyHappy]

@punchy

A hot horse needs leg on, not leg off, which in turn means having educated hands. Y’all might just need a bit more flatwork while you get your riding legs back and you two can learn each other a bit more.

This is so important. They must accept leg.

[Angel_Undercover]

The circle of death is a fabulous exercise.

[Jenerationx]

@McGurk

jumps by Braille

I’m dying laughing at that one. I rode one of those. She tapped everything. Everything.

[findeight]

Just a thought. Are you over riding the very low jumps and feeling anxious approaching them?

I get it, riders and their trainers often want the rider to over do the big release and two point to perfect the position. Good idea. BUT it can confuse the more ambitious horse into thinking they need a big jump. Seen it often. If rider is also anxious, it can get horse anxious…kind of a “You mean you are scared too ” kind of feeding off each others anxiety. If rider gets jumped loose or off it gets worse.

Made the same mistake myself when I first switched from Western (for 20 years) to Jumping. First trainer put me on an older lease horse, former 3’6” Eq veteran. She had me staying off his back giving a big release and had me successfully showing 3’ Adult Hunters in a year. That horse was slab sided with a flat jump, as are most Eq horses. Auto leads. Easy to stay with. Just needed to steer and tell him when to stop hunting the next fence. Very polite.

Moved and found new trainer and fancy, ambitious lease horse. Trainer told me he had a big round jump, we went to a simple 2’6” fence, I went into two point, gave a big release and he rewarded me with the big, round jump I asked for. After trainer rounded up the horse and I spit the dirt out of my teeth, trainer sentenced me to correctly executed flatwork, flatwork, flatwork and more flatwork including no stirrup work ( I was 50ish). I needed to seriously strengthen my position so I could stay in the tack. Actually enjoy flatwork (weirdo) and am good at it. Got to know and trust that horse.

Trainer also put me on some schoolies and sale horses for jumping and taught me how to just sit still and lope over 2’ fences, poles and cross rails with no change in position or rein. After about a month, got to jump my lease horse again and voila, no over jumping. Because I learned not to ask for it, was strong enough to stay in the tack and was not communicating anxiety.

OP might want to ask her trainer about how to strengthen her position, not be afraid to drop stirrups even if just at the walk. Would just suggest just trotting over poles. Flatwork, flatwork etc. Get to trust each other and get stronger in the tack before jumping again.

Have heard many well respected clinicians up to and including International level veterans say that novice riders tend to over ride and over release over tiny fences and that a full two point and big release is not really necessary jumping very low fences. We do these things to allow the horse to reach out in front, push off behind and use its back over a jump. They are not needed when the horse merely canters over with no actual jump. Yes beginners need to learn the positions and releases but that needs to happen before they see any jump requiring actual air time.

Ask your trainer about this…maybe some dressage lessons? Good HJ trainers should have a pretty good understanding of basic dressage and the basic, correct flatwork foundation needed to get horse and rider safely around a course of jumps.

My advice is based in over 50 years of mistake after mistake after mistake in two disciplines with various breeds and types of horses. Not miracle turn arounds.

In the case of my lease horse with the big round jump? I needed a basic transportation model but leased a Ferrari. I did learn to drive that Ferrari but every horse since has been the basic model moving up to a Cadillac. A Cadillac with a FLAT jump- cute knees but no crack back.

OP might be happier with a more conventional jump style she can be comfortable jumping it and not need hours and hours of strengthening saddle time and practice to learn to drive her Ferrari.

Its possible you bought a Ferrari for a sensible small car’s job.

[MadTrotter]

@findeight

Its possible you bought a Ferrari for a sensible small car’s job.

I love this analogy! My father had a fun little convertible roadster and while it was great fun to gallop it around a twisty road or open it up on a freeway, good gods was it horrible to crawl along in traffic, or shift up a slow steep street with many stop signs.

I feel like some horses will “throttle down” eventually and learn smooth, lower gears. But if you’ve been at this for months, and the horse wants to overjump, you may just have the heart of a Ferrari jumper, OP! And that’s ok.