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My horse jumps like a racehorse!!!HELP

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My horse jumps like a racehorse!!!HELP
  • I recently started showjumping again this summer after months of mostly cross country. I wanted to do eventing. My horse used to showjump quite well before but she has gotten to a couple of bad habits lately. She jumps all her fences like a racehorse would, like through them. She does this cross country which doesn't get any faults but she bangs her legs of the bigger fences(1 metre-ish) a lot. I'm afraid she is going to injure herself one of these days. Now she is doing the same thing in the showjumping arena, knocking the top pole off 50% of the jumps. She not just clipping them either, she's hitting them with her legs sometimes above her knee. She just doesn't lift her legs high at all. She won't jump up if you know what I mean, more flat out. Another thing is I have to let her go quite fast to jump them, like cross country pace. If I try to make her come in at a nice steady canter she always refuses. She is a 9yr old part-bred 15.2hh mare and I love her to bits, but she can be a real brat sometimes.
  • Just from what I've read here, it sounds like you need to take your horse back to basics for a little while.  I'm reading that she's got into a few bad habits from eventing, and you need to take a bit of time to school her back into doing what /you/ want and not what she /feels/ like.
    I'd suggest things like trotting poles to begin with, this will encourage her to think about where her legs are going.  Do you jump her in brushing boots or bandages? If so, i suggest removing these and using either nothing, or some open fronted tendon boots.  A few times knocking her bare shins on a poll might discourage her.  
    Another thing to try are small cavaletties.  Things like bounces and one strides should make her pause for thought and hopefully use her brain to figure out that she can't simply rush through them.  
    Just some ideas...hope they help you some':)'
  • Even in eventing you want your horse to be a very careful jumper, especially in cross-country.
    It sounds like she needs to rock back, engage her haunches and use herself to actually jump.
    Like luck said, gymnastics, cavaletti's, ground poles. Do not let her take off at the fences, keep your pace and keep the impulsion. Do this for a while and use open front jumping boots. If she gets better and becomes more scopey, set up a rather large jump and make her TROT to it, trotting your fences will help a lot even if it is more difficult.
    I'd also suggest doing a lot of flat work, basic dressage, strengthening.
    I had to do this with my guy. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
  • I hope these suggestions work for you.  I was wondering where you're located so COME BACK!!!  [':)']