my horse is knocking over jumps?

Question

everytime i make him jump, he knocks the jumps down!
its like he is being to lazy, and leaving his back/front feet to low, but i have tried jumping from 18" to 3'3", and it is the same problem. have tried EVERYTHING i can think of; I've held him back, I've let the reins loose,and sitting towards the jump and going in my 2-point towards it, I've tried not releasing over the jump, and i have tried different things over and over again, but he keeps hitting the jumps, the only way he doesn't knock it over every time is if i practically gallop him over the jump, but i don't want to do that in shows because i wont get my striding. It is getting me VERY frustrated. Can i do anything about it? (oh and i have tried not putting boots on him and putting boots on him but with the same result)
he has front shoes and hes an appendix (QH thoughrobred cross)

im an experienced rider and i have a trainer, but i need to keep my horse in shape during the week when im not having a lesson!
i have PVC poles, and im working on getting the wooden poles.
it isnt my position, i have a very stable, well maintaned postion with a strong leg. my trainer is really good, and i have asked her about this problem, but its just that she is ALWAYS busy, and sometimes she doesnt reply me back.

Answer 1

i love horses

Answer 2

Where is your trainer? Jumping without a trainer is poor judgement.

After you have a vet check your horses back and legs you need to schedule a jumping lesson.

If the horse vets fine, then it may be your postion over fences, which if you don't have a trainer, then you could be all over the place. If you come back to early he'll drag his rear end behind him and knock the jump down. If you're jumping ahead you will make his job harder over the fences which may result in his sub par performance with dragging his rear legs. It could be various position flaws that without a trainer to point out and correct you'd never know they were there.

Also consider, what are the jumps made of? If it's light and easy PVC, go to a thick wooden pole. The next time he hits it (don't put boots on him), it'll smart and maybe even sting, but he'll think better of it next time and clear his legs over the pole. I'd rather the horse have a quick sting, then continue the dangerous behavior that could put you in the hospital.

Good luck, but I strongly suggest you consult a trainer for this issue. More often than not, jumping faults are a result of poor riding.

Answer 3

Is this something new he developed? If so, maybe you should get your vet to check him out to make sure he is sound. Try using a brace like Bigoil or EquiFlex before you work him to loosen up his muscles. Try working him over jumps on a lunge line. Make sure you are giving him the right ques. Start with smaller jumps again and when he performs properly, reward him, then increase the height of the jumps. Don't get frustrated because he will pick up on that and do even worse. If you are trying everything, he could be confused. So many things...aren't horses wonderful? Good luck.

Answer 4

I'd say stop trying to JUMP him on days you are not in class, you are burning him out because hes tired of jumping. If you give him time to be riden where he isn't expected to jump. it will allow him to feel less pressured into jumping making him lazy because thats his only recourse. Once he realises what you are doing he will be more willing to jump in class thus picking himself up more over the jumps. A horse does not have to be exercised everyday. Give him a break and watch the difference.

Answer 5

back to the basics-its possible that he is just bored by the whole thing, or that he has forgotten the basics. Ground work, and cavalettis on the ground to get him to pick up those feet and be aware of where they are. Or vary his routine entirely, and get him out of the ring. Try a trail ride, and put him to some jumps in a different setting. He's not having any fun, and neither are you!

Answer 6

Your horse might be having pain in his legs. You might want to get a vet to do some x-rays or something.

Answer 7

start off small when they do that give them a treat then go alittle higher give a treat just go slow with it maybe there not a jumper, you never know if they knock it down dont give a treat lower the jump & keep doing that till they get it..................GOOD LUCK

Answer 8

do small jumps my horse does that to so i do small jumps

Answer 9

u can get very smalljumps or HHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUGEEEEEEEEEE jumps

:) )

Answer 10

Here are some of my tips for making our show horse training safer. I start each training day with a plan in mind. I’ll keep a written record of every horse I am training, and I review my notes often as I plan out that horse's training routine. I consider what the horse has been doing and what I have planned for this horse's future. I always ask myself if I am putting too much pressure on a horse and if so, what can I do to take the pressure off? Some horses will train a lot slower than others. A smart horseman will always consider the horse's personality and physical abilities as well as age, experience, fitness, and other factors to customize the training routine.

One of the first things to consider in working safely alone with a hunter/jumper is the experience level of the horse and rider. If you are a green horseman , you need to have a well trained horse to ride and work with. A young or green horse should only be handled by an experienced horseman. There are simply too many dangers for the situation to be safe. As horseman, we need to assess the safety net we install around us. I work alone quite often with horses in a fairly isolated area. My safety net is adequate, as my husband works next door and we carry cell phones. But I still tell someone when I am going to ride or work horses here by myself -- and they will check on me if I do not call back to let them know I am done. I never jump alone and do not recommend it, as it is counter productive to proper training ! The risk is not worth the supposed benefit. When you do not have a ground person to set the jumps for you, it is too easy to ride poorly and take shortcuts. This will result in horses that are not properly prepared to jump softly and in rhythm. Jumping alone tends to create horses that jump flat or rush their jumps. I have friends I can pay a ‘babysitting fee’ to come and watch over me as I ride over fences and set a few jumps. But when I do not have anyone to watch over me as I jump, I lunge my horses over fences instead of my riding them over fences. I have been very happy with the results. The horse learns to jump with good form and with an idea of how to take care of me, as he develops ‘an eye’ (depth perception) for the take off distance. I get to see the horse and how he is jumping and this gives me food for thought too. When I finally do get someone here to watch over me as I ride …and set jumps for me , the horse's are well prepared to give me a nice ride! I also have a better idea how this horse looks and how he likes to jump naturally.

When I am going to do a ‘schooling session over fences,' I will dress for riding with cell phone, gloves, and a stick, and I’ll wear boots or chaps and an ASTM approved helmet with a harness. I always have the cell phone nearby and 'cued up’ for an emergency number! I will ride the horse as soon as I am finished lunging over jumps. I will then lunge my horse with his tack --saddled and bridled with martingale as well as leg and bell boots, for about 10 minutes at the trot -- both directions --and then over some ground poles for another 5 minutes. Then I will work him over some low 2’ jumps, just at the trot most of the time. I have some nice short 3’ standards that are perfect to lunge over--- as a lunge line can get caught on the side of the jump standard. It is better to just lunge over ground rails or a rail slanted against the side of the arena, until you learn to handle your lunge line correctly. You do not want to get it tangled up or jerk on your horses mouth when he is making his best jumping effort! If you do not know how to accomplish lunging smoothly and effectively, you need to have lunging lessons from a trainer to learn how to follow your horse, as well as safety procedures. Then by lunging correctly, you can exercise your horse, as well as teach him manners. This helps also to train him to stay in rhythm, and to travel well balanced in a circle.

I plan ahead and have the ground poles and jumps set up before I bring the horse out to the arena. I set several areas to work in, so if the horse does knock something down, I can just move to the next area without stopping. I find that four 12’ poles set 9 feet apart are the best. I ‘ fan ‘ the poles slightly so that the horse can follow a curved track on the lunge line. This distance setting will be a trial and error learning experience for you as the handler, you’ll need to re-adjust the distances as you see what your individual horse is comfortable with. I set the 4 ground poles on little blocks to hold them 4” to 6” off the ground. In a 9 foot distance a horse will walk 3 steps , and trot 2 steps… so the 9 foot distance works the best for me. If they canter it will be a ‘no-stride’ called a bounce. However, I do not recommend lounging a horse over little jumps in a canter much--as they will jump too fast. One or two canter jumps for every two dozen trot jumps is enough! I walk the horse on the lunge line for a few minutes to cool down a bit after he has jumped about 5 minutes. It is good to lunge the horse at a walk over ground rails to teach them to look at the jumps and step over them calmly.

After I have established a nice relaxed rhythm at the trot and the horse is warmed up and working well over the poles, I will move to another area in the arena set with low jumps. I am sure to have well defined ground lines for these jumps. A ground line must be about 8” in front of the jump. Some times I will hang a piece of astro- turf or carpet over some of the jumps for variety. I will trot the horse over the jumps and then raise them slowly -- a few inches at a time with walk breaks in between --- to about 3 feet. This is usually enough, even for an experienced horse.

I pay strict attention to the horse's rhythm, and his breathing. I will be sure not to overwork my horse or scare him. I will give the horse lots of walk breaks as this keeps him warmed up, but not too hot . I will not allow my horse to race around on the line just to work off his energy! If he is wanting to run, I will keep stopping him , and then calm him and then walk a bit, until he’ll stay in the trot at my voice command .

Trotting fences on the lunge line for 10 to 20 minutes is a very calming exercise . The horse will learn to use his body and mind quietly this way without getting fast and flat. A horse will learn to behave on the lunge line you must be patient as he learns control ! After I have had a nice lunge session over jumps, I will then ride my horse on the flat.

I will use this time to school him a little more, by doing lots of walking and bending and transitions—and practicing rhythm and straightness over the imaginary lines of an imaginary course.

I always check all of my tack before I ride. Be sure the saddle is straight on the horse and not slightly off to one side and that it has not slipped back. Check that the pad is straight and smooth. I always check that the girth is snug and that the stitching on my stirrup leathers, reins, bridle and girth billets is not frayed. I make sure my stirrup bars are in the ‘down’ position-- in case I get hung up - they will come loose. I use safety stirrups when I ride alone as well. I check my stirrups for proper length before I get on and I check that they are equal in length by looking at the horse from the front as the stirrups hang down. Check the bridle, reins, and bit, to be sure it is comfortable to the horse and that the stitching looks strong. After I have checked all of my equipment I can ride for another half an hour or so.

I some times will set an entire course with ground rails and practice keeping the horse in a relaxed rhythmical canter to the ‘jumps’ as well as practice simple changes in the corners . I will walk and settle my horses quite often as I practice cantering these mini-jumps as they usually want to go more forward than we would like them to. We need to teach them to go easy and to listen to us.

I make sure to walk my horses for at least 20 minutes to cool them out. I try to ride outside of the arena, if it is a safe place to ride. I always call my neighbor friends to let them know when I trail ride, where I went, and when I will be back. As I cool my horse out, I will make mental notes as to the health and condition of this particular horse and review anything I feel I may need to work on for the next ride. Then when I go into the house, I will write down how this training day went and what I need to remember for the next session.

I make sure to have the shoeing current as well as shots, worming, and teeth floated. I check my horses legs, feet and shoes everytime before I work him. I use 7% iodine in my horses frogs once a week as this helps make a stronger, healthier hoof. If my horses get too long in the toe , I will not jump them until they are shod again as this can strain their tendons. I try to wait a few days to jump a horse after they are re-shod as their feet can still be tender and this can cause bruising, this can affect the way a horse jumps, but will not appear as a lameness. I always put pads and wide web eventer shoes on my horses front feet to jump in the summer and I never jump a barefooted horse, as it just is too much concussion.

I hope these training tips are helpful and will help get you safely to the horse shows, ready to ride and have fun. See you there!