SHOWJUMPING – TROUBLE SHOOTING REFUSALS
Any rider that competes in show jumping has at one stage or another had the experience of a horse refusing to jump an obstacle. This can be extremely distressing and worrying, particularly if you are unsure as to the reason the refusal arose.
The reasons why horses refuse at jumps fit into two basic categories. These are:
1. Physical problems such as injury
2. Rider error.
Any incident of refusal will fit into one of these two categories if you analyse it carefully.
How can you tell whether it is a physical problem or rider error?
PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
Let’s start with injury, as it is important to rule this out before trying other avenues of approach. Back injuries are quite common in showjumpers, and may not reflect in lameness, or any obvious disability.
Ask yourself the following questions relating to the horse;
1. Is this a sudden change in behaviour.
2. Is it an isolated incident, or something that is happening with increasing frequency.
3. If it happens frequently, is there a consistent pattern e.g. always on the same rein.
4. Is my horse showing any other behavioural changes.
If you have a horse that was jumping boldly and with confidence, and he starts stopping without a precipitating incident, then I recommend a thorough check by your Vet, and, if available, Chiropractor.
Another potential physical problem that can exist, is your horse’s innate ability and conformation. Are you making demands that are physically beyond your horse’s scope? Sometimes this is relatively easy to determine, but not always. The horse has amazing courage and scope with the right rider as a partner.
RIDER ERROR
There are a number of possible errors and it is important to try to identify which is causing the problem. A brief description of the most common errors
1. Approach lacking impulsion – too much use of hand, and not enough leg. The rider must try to soften the hand and ride the horse forward.
2. Approach to fast and flat. The rider is sending the horse forward on to its’ forehand, without balancing the impulsion with body and a soft, but holding hand.
3. Approach on an incorrect line. Usually the rider has cut the corner and is unintentionally approaching the jump at an angle, resulting in the rider not seeing the take-off point correctly.
4. The rider unbalancing the horse by suddenly throwing his body forward in front of the jump. This completely upsets the horse’s balance and concentration.
5. Over facing the horse. If a horse is not ready for a particular level of jumping it can cause refusals, and a permanent loss in confidence to present the horse at obstacles beyond its’ present capability. This is often seen in over ambitious riders with young and talented horses.
6. Over taxing the horse physically. Continuing to jump when the horse is tired can force errors and loss of confidence. The golden rule in training horses to remember above all others “RATHER STOP TOO SOON, THAN NOT SOON ENOUGH”.
When problems present themselves, don’t panic. Try to analyse what happened in a dispassionate way. Ask an experienced instructor for assistance if possible. If the problem persists, it could well be undiagnosed injuries. Always consider the well being of your horse and seek the appropriate help.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Riding with Tai Chi
I am always striving to improve my riding. One of the biggest obstacles to good riding is tension. It is not always easy to identify where your body is holding tension however.
I recently bought James Shaw’s book “Riding from Within”. This book uses Tai Chi exercises and principles as a basis for improving your balance and feel for the horse. I have always felt that the martial arts would be ideal for riders for improving balance and poise. This book confirms my opinion exactly. The blend of physical and meditative techniques is perfect for the development of the ideal rider.
I read through the book in two days flat. I have started practicing the exercises, and have already felt an improvement. Obviously this is a long term programme, but the benefits are felt immediately.
The weekend after buying the book I rode in a show (my first show for nine months after an injury – the horse’s not mine). I used the starting exercise of standing meditation, prior to riding, and during my jumping rounds I focused on breathing in rhythm with my horse. I had only read about these and had not yet started practicing them. Well, I jumped three of the best rounds I have ever ridden. I reached every jump on a perfect stride and maintained a steady calm rhythm throughout.
I have subsequently incorporated some of the exercises into my daily workout at gym, and am gradually adding the mounted exercises into my riding. The results are fantastic.
I recently bought James Shaw’s book “Riding from Within”. This book uses Tai Chi exercises and principles as a basis for improving your balance and feel for the horse. I have always felt that the martial arts would be ideal for riders for improving balance and poise. This book confirms my opinion exactly. The blend of physical and meditative techniques is perfect for the development of the ideal rider.
I read through the book in two days flat. I have started practicing the exercises, and have already felt an improvement. Obviously this is a long term programme, but the benefits are felt immediately.
The weekend after buying the book I rode in a show (my first show for nine months after an injury – the horse’s not mine). I used the starting exercise of standing meditation, prior to riding, and during my jumping rounds I focused on breathing in rhythm with my horse. I had only read about these and had not yet started practicing them. Well, I jumped three of the best rounds I have ever ridden. I reached every jump on a perfect stride and maintained a steady calm rhythm throughout.
I have subsequently incorporated some of the exercises into my daily workout at gym, and am gradually adding the mounted exercises into my riding. The results are fantastic.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Problem Horses or Problem Handlers
To continue from My February post - I bought Kelly Marks book "Teach Your Horse Perfect Manners" which is an excellent book, and proceeded to attempt to implement the training programme and methods.
The problem with trying to learn from a book, is that you have no instructor to tell you when to stop or back off. I started with the technique she recommends for young horses, or horses that don't respect your space. Briefly, of course there is a lot more to it than this short description, by pressure and release you teach them to come towards you, and to back away from you on the lead. I started with Warrior, and managed to get two steps back, when he reared up and charged at me! I dived under the fence in disarray. Back to the book to try and work out what I had done wrong.
The most important part of the technique is RELEASE. I realised that I had simply continued with pressure, without the release. I had pushed back, and he had yielded - when you get a response, however slight you must respond with a release. What I was doing in horse language was yelling at my horse, who was already stressed and angry. Think of the kind of response you get from a disturbed, angry teenager when you shout at them. Now I had been working, successfully, with horses for years - but I hadn't properly grasped this most basic lesson.
The problem with trying to learn from a book, is that you have no instructor to tell you when to stop or back off. I started with the technique she recommends for young horses, or horses that don't respect your space. Briefly, of course there is a lot more to it than this short description, by pressure and release you teach them to come towards you, and to back away from you on the lead. I started with Warrior, and managed to get two steps back, when he reared up and charged at me! I dived under the fence in disarray. Back to the book to try and work out what I had done wrong.
The most important part of the technique is RELEASE. I realised that I had simply continued with pressure, without the release. I had pushed back, and he had yielded - when you get a response, however slight you must respond with a release. What I was doing in horse language was yelling at my horse, who was already stressed and angry. Think of the kind of response you get from a disturbed, angry teenager when you shout at them. Now I had been working, successfully, with horses for years - but I hadn't properly grasped this most basic lesson.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Learn to See a Stride Over Jumps
There is more mystique attached to this aspect of show jumping than almost anything else. It is almost as though there is a breed of super riders that “CAN SEE A STRIDE!” Gasp!!
In fact it is a skill like any other. Sure, there are people that naturally and easily see a stride. But, just as with any other sport, for those of us lesser mortals, practice and understanding the process is what we need in order to master the skill.
There are certain basic simple steps which, if followed, will develop this skill. I recommend that all practice and exercises be done over very small jumps so that you can concentrate on the techniques, and develop your skill without the added difficulty of a large jump to detract from your concentration. Small jumps also have the added benefit of saving your horses legs from the strain and concussion of jumping big jumps while you are trying to learn a skill.
The average distance of a horse’s stride is 4m. When calculating the strides between jumps you must allow 2m for landing and 2m for takeoff. So for example a distance of 20m between related jumps would result in 4 non-jumping strides.
STEP 1 – LOOK AT THE JUMP!
Sounds silly – but you will be amazed how many people don’t really look at the jump they are supposedly planning to go over until about two or three strides out. What they also tend to do is glance nervously at the jump, look away, glance back, look away again, and continue in this manner until they reach the jump, usually by now in totally the wrong stride.
It is also important to know what part of the jump to look at. The top front rail is where you need to focus. If you look at the base of the jump you will tend to get yourself too deep, and if you look at the back of the jump, in the case of an oxer, you will false yourself, as the takeoff point will then appear to be much further away from you than it really is. Select a place in the centre of the front rail and keep your focus on that point until you are two strides out from the jump. At two strides away it is too late to make any adjustments. In order to train your eye, and develop this habit, a good exercise is to tie a piece of cloth onto the pole and use this as your focal point.
If you can get a friend to help you, ask them to watch you and see where you are focusing during your approach to the jump. If you get them to “Beep” every time you look away from the jump you will probably be amazed at how often you do look away.
It is important to start looking at the jump early. If you do this you will find that you feel less rushed and flustered. There is time to make any adjustments needed to your rhythm.
STEP 2 – APPROACH THE JUMP IN A STRAIGHT LINE
This is extremely important. If you cut your corner, or overshoot the line and angle back to the jump, it will throw you off stride. Angling the jump to save time in a jump-off is a different issue, and once you have learnt to consistently see your stride, and have a good approach, then you will be ready to do this. But, until then, learn to approach the jump in a straight line.
The most common error is cutting the corner. When you cut the corner not only do you approach the jump at an angle, but you also shorten the distance of your approach, giving yourself less time to see the stride and make adjustments. A helpful exercise to train you to approach the jump correctly is to place two cones about three strides away from the jump. Riding between the cones will force you to approach the jump correctly. Don’t let your eye wander to the cones however! Keep focused on the jump.
In order to further increase your accuracy, you may place cones after the jump as well, in order to practice maintaining straightness after landing. Oddly enough, this makes the exercise much more demanding! I recommend that you only add the cones behind the jump after you have practiced the approach with the cones in front of the jump, and are feeling smooth and confident.
Consistent practice using the exercise will pay off, as you will start seeing the correct approach effortlessly. Anything can be used as a marker – my husband was giving me a lesson the other day, and he put his hat (not a riding helmet, a soft hat) and made me ride over it to the jump in order to correct my approach. It worked, although I have to say that at first I found it a bit disconcerting to ride over a hat. Another important point this raises – don’t let silly small stuff distract you. Usually we are far more bothered by this sort of thing than our horses are.
STEP 3 LEARN TO KEEP A RHYTHM
Maintaining a steady rhythm is vital for seeing a stride. If you constantly speed up and slow down and change rhythm it is almost impossible to judge your distance from the jump in terms of strides, as your length of stride keeps changing. An excellent exercise for establishing rhythm in the approach to a fence is to set up a series of canter poles on the approach to the fence. The poles will serve to establish the rhythm, and you can just sit and leave the horse to work it out. You will probably be amazed by how forward going the rhythm becomes with the use of the poles. We are all far more inclined to get too slow than too fast.
A very common error is to slow down too much around the corner, and then end up lengthening and flattening into the jump as the horse is lacking impulsion and is too much on his forehand.
There are numerous flat work exercises which assist in establishing balance and rhythm which are detailed in my Schooling for Jumping chapters.
Another very good exercise for establishing rhythm is to set up 4 jumps in a circle. Mark the centre point with a cone, or a hat or any suitable object. From the centre point measure 10 or 15 m and then lay 4 poles in each direction as per the diagram (the smaller the diameter of the circle, the more difficult the exercise becomes.)
Starting with poles on the ground, trot over a pole to start and then establish canter. Canter over the poles in a circle. Count the strides between each pole. You will probably find that at first the number of strides varies considerably. Try to always meet each pole in the centre. You should aim to have exactly the same number of strides between each pole, and the same length of stride for every stride. If you feel as though you are all over the place and off balance, don’t let it bother you. This is a great exercise for establishing balance and rhythm and with practice it will improve. Don’t do too many circles at a time. Two or three should be enough – then change the rein. Remember that at first it is difficult for your horse.
When you are smooth and confident over poles on the ground, then you can raise the poles to make small jumps. Again I want to emphasise not to do too much. With horses it is always better to stop too soon than not to stop in time.
In fact it is a skill like any other. Sure, there are people that naturally and easily see a stride. But, just as with any other sport, for those of us lesser mortals, practice and understanding the process is what we need in order to master the skill.
There are certain basic simple steps which, if followed, will develop this skill. I recommend that all practice and exercises be done over very small jumps so that you can concentrate on the techniques, and develop your skill without the added difficulty of a large jump to detract from your concentration. Small jumps also have the added benefit of saving your horses legs from the strain and concussion of jumping big jumps while you are trying to learn a skill.
The average distance of a horse’s stride is 4m. When calculating the strides between jumps you must allow 2m for landing and 2m for takeoff. So for example a distance of 20m between related jumps would result in 4 non-jumping strides.
STEP 1 – LOOK AT THE JUMP!
Sounds silly – but you will be amazed how many people don’t really look at the jump they are supposedly planning to go over until about two or three strides out. What they also tend to do is glance nervously at the jump, look away, glance back, look away again, and continue in this manner until they reach the jump, usually by now in totally the wrong stride.
It is also important to know what part of the jump to look at. The top front rail is where you need to focus. If you look at the base of the jump you will tend to get yourself too deep, and if you look at the back of the jump, in the case of an oxer, you will false yourself, as the takeoff point will then appear to be much further away from you than it really is. Select a place in the centre of the front rail and keep your focus on that point until you are two strides out from the jump. At two strides away it is too late to make any adjustments. In order to train your eye, and develop this habit, a good exercise is to tie a piece of cloth onto the pole and use this as your focal point.
If you can get a friend to help you, ask them to watch you and see where you are focusing during your approach to the jump. If you get them to “Beep” every time you look away from the jump you will probably be amazed at how often you do look away.
It is important to start looking at the jump early. If you do this you will find that you feel less rushed and flustered. There is time to make any adjustments needed to your rhythm.
STEP 2 – APPROACH THE JUMP IN A STRAIGHT LINE
This is extremely important. If you cut your corner, or overshoot the line and angle back to the jump, it will throw you off stride. Angling the jump to save time in a jump-off is a different issue, and once you have learnt to consistently see your stride, and have a good approach, then you will be ready to do this. But, until then, learn to approach the jump in a straight line.
The most common error is cutting the corner. When you cut the corner not only do you approach the jump at an angle, but you also shorten the distance of your approach, giving yourself less time to see the stride and make adjustments. A helpful exercise to train you to approach the jump correctly is to place two cones about three strides away from the jump. Riding between the cones will force you to approach the jump correctly. Don’t let your eye wander to the cones however! Keep focused on the jump.
In order to further increase your accuracy, you may place cones after the jump as well, in order to practice maintaining straightness after landing. Oddly enough, this makes the exercise much more demanding! I recommend that you only add the cones behind the jump after you have practiced the approach with the cones in front of the jump, and are feeling smooth and confident.
Consistent practice using the exercise will pay off, as you will start seeing the correct approach effortlessly. Anything can be used as a marker – my husband was giving me a lesson the other day, and he put his hat (not a riding helmet, a soft hat) and made me ride over it to the jump in order to correct my approach. It worked, although I have to say that at first I found it a bit disconcerting to ride over a hat. Another important point this raises – don’t let silly small stuff distract you. Usually we are far more bothered by this sort of thing than our horses are.
STEP 3 LEARN TO KEEP A RHYTHM
Maintaining a steady rhythm is vital for seeing a stride. If you constantly speed up and slow down and change rhythm it is almost impossible to judge your distance from the jump in terms of strides, as your length of stride keeps changing. An excellent exercise for establishing rhythm in the approach to a fence is to set up a series of canter poles on the approach to the fence. The poles will serve to establish the rhythm, and you can just sit and leave the horse to work it out. You will probably be amazed by how forward going the rhythm becomes with the use of the poles. We are all far more inclined to get too slow than too fast.
A very common error is to slow down too much around the corner, and then end up lengthening and flattening into the jump as the horse is lacking impulsion and is too much on his forehand.
There are numerous flat work exercises which assist in establishing balance and rhythm which are detailed in my Schooling for Jumping chapters.
Another very good exercise for establishing rhythm is to set up 4 jumps in a circle. Mark the centre point with a cone, or a hat or any suitable object. From the centre point measure 10 or 15 m and then lay 4 poles in each direction as per the diagram (the smaller the diameter of the circle, the more difficult the exercise becomes.)
Starting with poles on the ground, trot over a pole to start and then establish canter. Canter over the poles in a circle. Count the strides between each pole. You will probably find that at first the number of strides varies considerably. Try to always meet each pole in the centre. You should aim to have exactly the same number of strides between each pole, and the same length of stride for every stride. If you feel as though you are all over the place and off balance, don’t let it bother you. This is a great exercise for establishing balance and rhythm and with practice it will improve. Don’t do too many circles at a time. Two or three should be enough – then change the rein. Remember that at first it is difficult for your horse.
When you are smooth and confident over poles on the ground, then you can raise the poles to make small jumps. Again I want to emphasise not to do too much. With horses it is always better to stop too soon than not to stop in time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
