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Pulling out of a combination?

Was recently watching a lesson at a friend’s barn. The rider got a very short distance into a one stride and pulled the horse out of the combination. The trainer immediately said to the rider that she should NEVER pull out of a combination, no matter how bad her distance in was. Just wondering what everyone’s thoughts were on this.

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The one time I ever fell off my horse in a lesson it was from doing this and I got the same lecture. On the plus side, he turned on a dime when asked him to! But it wasn’t a good idea, there isn’t enough room to maneuver.

Just be like… who was it, Richard Spooner? The old video where the first fence goes wrong and he just drops the reins and balances and the horse gets him out of trouble.

… found it https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/tbt-no-hands-no-problem-spooner

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Nope. Sit back, slip the reins and hold on.

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Never, ever, ever! What I’ve always been told that sticks with me is “you find the in, they find the out”—and that means even if you bury the in, maybe they pat the ground on the out, but that’s not your problem to worry about! Steer and kick!

not only that , you teach the horse there is an exit side door option.

If you dont get out smartly , your kneecaps might suffer or worse you might crash and stumble in the standards

it is a situation the horse must figure out; for jumpers the difference between 2 clean fences or a refusal.

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Never do it, it teaches the horse to run out of them. I’ve done it twice, been told off twice and and to ride my horse so she actually goes straight and not out of the combination the next time…

Never.

I remember, many years ago, in a lesson- we had an awkward jump in, and I ended halfway out her neck. She kept going and jumped the out, and I managed to get back into the saddle.

I don’t think I COULD have pulled her out, but if I had, it would only have made it worse.

Mclain ward and oh de ole ring a bell? Never pull out of a combo

The one time in life where pulling out is a bad thing.

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I have done it on my current jumper, but he is the least complicated horse I’ve ever been on. If I tell him to do something weird he will do it, but he isn’t going to get ideas about it and decide on his own to do it next time. A few years ago we got in horribly to a big in and out so I just zipped him out the side after the in and came back to jump the whole thing perfectly.

I don’t think I would ever do it on another horse, but this one is just not a self-starter and has never been one under saddle. He likes to be told what to do, and doesn’t really make his own decisions so long as his rider is confident. There are no cards up his sleeve!

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Pull out of a a ONE stride? Never, ever, not no how not no way. Keeping in mind I rarely say “never” or “always” about anything to do with horses.

Forget the training/untraining issues- its dangerous for horse and rider and could result in horse going really crooked through the out fence or trying to jump it anyway. Not only seen that but actually seen somebody trying to pull up in a bounce resulting in the same kind of ugly, avoidable fall.

Just dont do it.

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I have seen this video probably a hundred times and I am still just blown away by how elegantly he handles it. Just an instantaneous switch to “good passenger mode” and still able to pick his reins up before the landing of the last fence.

Richard Spooner is a gem.

But yep - let them figure it out. There is not a single thing you can do in those situations that will actually help your horse besides sit back and let them handle damage control. Anything else is about as helpful as having someone in the passenger seat grabbing you and screaming when you realize you’re driving too fast in heavy rain, can’t see anything and are at high risk for hydroplaning.

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I was taught to never ever ever pull out of even a line, much less a combination. It does teach horses that running out is a option.

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Omg that was amazing!

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The golden rule of in and outs and triples: “the only way out is over.”

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Over, under or through. Never go around.