Post by Elaine on Dec 31, 2007 20:20:59 GMT
Right, this is a little story about the lovely Ozzie who taught me how to train a horse to stop rushing over fences (thanks Oz)..
First up, there can be a few reasons for this behaviour:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sore teeth pain etc. Horses will go faster to avoid pain - maybe he got pulled in mouth going over fences in the past, or gets pulled now - when did he last get dentist check?
Maybe horse always pulls like a mini tank, not just over fences but everywhere. So fix this first on the flat, and you'll have it fixed when you jump then as well - here's the link..
irishnhsociety.proboards41.com/index.cgi?board=usefulinformation&action=display&thread=1193912631
Horses also rush fences because the rider gets revved up if you get excited up in the saddle, (faster breaths, more squeezing, pull on reins, etc) your horse will pick this up and will increase speed.
Trained to go fast over fences (like my horse, and it was pretty bad), can be fixed as per below.
Trained to go fast over fences, but isnt too bad a case... (ie.. does it ok when you're not in saddle, just gets revved up when you approach jump when riding, fine on lunge and will keep consistent trot throughout)... then approach fence in saddle. When you feel horse start to speed up, even a little, circle horse away from fence. Now approach fence again. when you feel horses start to speed up, even a little, circle horse away from fence. Repeat using these rules, until that one time you feel horse soften, and not rush (as much) let horses jump fence, finish lesson, and let horse go. Your horse will think about this all night.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOW TO RETRAIN A HORSE WHO CANNOT MAINTAIN NICE EASY TROT OVER FENCE ON LEAD ROPE (a story)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I bought a 5 yo who also bolted over fences - of any height.
I started off with groundwork, just to see what he was like.
He walked nice and relaxed over a pole on the ground. Then I asked him to pick up a slow trot, and trot over pole on ground. He immediately got faster when approaching pole, got stressed, got faster, started to canter, panic, get even faster, etc. This was literally one pole flat on the ground, and with me on the ground holding his lead rope, I wasn't even in the saddle yet. So he needed complete retraining.
I had ruled out pain, leadership etc, cos i'd done a lot of groundwork with him for the previous 2 months and had never got a reaction like this.
What probably happened, is young horses often as preparation for the sales, will be made jump loosely, or on a long lunge rope, over very high fences at a flat out canter, usually with a man waving a stick at them.
So if you're got a horse who's been 'trained' like this (particularly a sensitive soul like mine), my horse was obviously never asked to walk over a fence, instead he was rushed over fences at a quick trot, then canter then flat out gallop. Thus he sees fence, starts to trot and thinks 'panic, I must gallop over before he comes with that bloody stick again'
Anyway, long story short, I had to retrain him completely. I followed these steps, never moving onto the next one until teh previous one was 110%. These steps are for seriously backwards cases, maybe yours isnt as bad But they'd be good to do with yours just as a schooling exercise, just to make sure you're horse has got the basics of approaching and leaving a jump in a nice balanced and relaxed manner, before you start to ride her over fences.
1. Horse to walk over pole on ground, with human on foot holding loose lead rope, horse to be relaxed and chilled out, showing no signs of rushing, worry or increase of speed. (for me, this my horse could do already)
2. Horse to trot over pole on ground, with human on foot holding loose lead rope, horse to be relaxed and chilled out, showing no signs of rushing, worry or increase of speed. Ideally a few steps of trot, trot over pole, a few steps of trot after pole (NO cantering at all) and then walk, halt. This took about 3 weekends of 5 and 10 minute lessons. It was the really hard part. I'd ask Oz to trot, he'd trot, then see pole coming towards him, then rush, rear, buck, canter hop, canter, worry, etc etc etc.
To start with I tried just asking him to trot, and then letting him go around me (and over pole) doing what he liked, with me waiting for him to slow down, but it was getting too dangerous as he kept getting faster so I needed a plan B.
Plan B was going back to the walk, asking him to walk over pole once, then ALWAYS stopping him about 4 or 5 steps after pole. When he figured I always wanted him to stop a bit after pole, then I went onto the trot again.
Asked him to trot.
He did
He saw pole.
He sped up.
Went over pole quickly (trot/canter)
I asked him to stop.
He did, flustered & worried.
I gave him a rub.
I kept doing this.
The key was that each time I saw a TINY improvement (didnt buck jump over pole, didnt break into canter QUITE as soon, looked a FRACTION more relaxed), I asked him into me, undid the halter, took it off and walked away from him, leacing him loose in his paddock, with a puzzled expresion on his face, about 6 seconds after he did the 'improved' jump over the pole on the ground.
It takes about a minute to walk in, and for the whole minute he'd stand where I left him, right beside the fence, head up in the air staring at me, as if to say....'huh? what just happened there? What did I do right?'
About 6 days later (with these 5 / 10 minute sessions, immediately over when my horse did a little improvement), my horse is perfect over poles and small fences. there is no pulling on the reins or rope, no increase in speed, whatever gait he is in approaching fence, he will use to go over fence and exit away from fence.
I started him after this, and have ridden him over a pole, and again no weight in my hands, he just goes over it like its not there. I just had to retrain his mind.
First up, there can be a few reasons for this behaviour:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sore teeth pain etc. Horses will go faster to avoid pain - maybe he got pulled in mouth going over fences in the past, or gets pulled now - when did he last get dentist check?
Maybe horse always pulls like a mini tank, not just over fences but everywhere. So fix this first on the flat, and you'll have it fixed when you jump then as well - here's the link..
irishnhsociety.proboards41.com/index.cgi?board=usefulinformation&action=display&thread=1193912631
Horses also rush fences because the rider gets revved up if you get excited up in the saddle, (faster breaths, more squeezing, pull on reins, etc) your horse will pick this up and will increase speed.
Trained to go fast over fences (like my horse, and it was pretty bad), can be fixed as per below.
Trained to go fast over fences, but isnt too bad a case... (ie.. does it ok when you're not in saddle, just gets revved up when you approach jump when riding, fine on lunge and will keep consistent trot throughout)... then approach fence in saddle. When you feel horse start to speed up, even a little, circle horse away from fence. Now approach fence again. when you feel horses start to speed up, even a little, circle horse away from fence. Repeat using these rules, until that one time you feel horse soften, and not rush (as much) let horses jump fence, finish lesson, and let horse go. Your horse will think about this all night.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOW TO RETRAIN A HORSE WHO CANNOT MAINTAIN NICE EASY TROT OVER FENCE ON LEAD ROPE (a story)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I bought a 5 yo who also bolted over fences - of any height.
I started off with groundwork, just to see what he was like.
He walked nice and relaxed over a pole on the ground. Then I asked him to pick up a slow trot, and trot over pole on ground. He immediately got faster when approaching pole, got stressed, got faster, started to canter, panic, get even faster, etc. This was literally one pole flat on the ground, and with me on the ground holding his lead rope, I wasn't even in the saddle yet. So he needed complete retraining.
I had ruled out pain, leadership etc, cos i'd done a lot of groundwork with him for the previous 2 months and had never got a reaction like this.
What probably happened, is young horses often as preparation for the sales, will be made jump loosely, or on a long lunge rope, over very high fences at a flat out canter, usually with a man waving a stick at them.
So if you're got a horse who's been 'trained' like this (particularly a sensitive soul like mine), my horse was obviously never asked to walk over a fence, instead he was rushed over fences at a quick trot, then canter then flat out gallop. Thus he sees fence, starts to trot and thinks 'panic, I must gallop over before he comes with that bloody stick again'
Anyway, long story short, I had to retrain him completely. I followed these steps, never moving onto the next one until teh previous one was 110%. These steps are for seriously backwards cases, maybe yours isnt as bad But they'd be good to do with yours just as a schooling exercise, just to make sure you're horse has got the basics of approaching and leaving a jump in a nice balanced and relaxed manner, before you start to ride her over fences.
1. Horse to walk over pole on ground, with human on foot holding loose lead rope, horse to be relaxed and chilled out, showing no signs of rushing, worry or increase of speed. (for me, this my horse could do already)
2. Horse to trot over pole on ground, with human on foot holding loose lead rope, horse to be relaxed and chilled out, showing no signs of rushing, worry or increase of speed. Ideally a few steps of trot, trot over pole, a few steps of trot after pole (NO cantering at all) and then walk, halt. This took about 3 weekends of 5 and 10 minute lessons. It was the really hard part. I'd ask Oz to trot, he'd trot, then see pole coming towards him, then rush, rear, buck, canter hop, canter, worry, etc etc etc.
To start with I tried just asking him to trot, and then letting him go around me (and over pole) doing what he liked, with me waiting for him to slow down, but it was getting too dangerous as he kept getting faster so I needed a plan B.
Plan B was going back to the walk, asking him to walk over pole once, then ALWAYS stopping him about 4 or 5 steps after pole. When he figured I always wanted him to stop a bit after pole, then I went onto the trot again.
Asked him to trot.
He did
He saw pole.
He sped up.
Went over pole quickly (trot/canter)
I asked him to stop.
He did, flustered & worried.
I gave him a rub.
I kept doing this.
The key was that each time I saw a TINY improvement (didnt buck jump over pole, didnt break into canter QUITE as soon, looked a FRACTION more relaxed), I asked him into me, undid the halter, took it off and walked away from him, leacing him loose in his paddock, with a puzzled expresion on his face, about 6 seconds after he did the 'improved' jump over the pole on the ground.
It takes about a minute to walk in, and for the whole minute he'd stand where I left him, right beside the fence, head up in the air staring at me, as if to say....'huh? what just happened there? What did I do right?'
About 6 days later (with these 5 / 10 minute sessions, immediately over when my horse did a little improvement), my horse is perfect over poles and small fences. there is no pulling on the reins or rope, no increase in speed, whatever gait he is in approaching fence, he will use to go over fence and exit away from fence.
I started him after this, and have ridden him over a pole, and again no weight in my hands, he just goes over it like its not there. I just had to retrain his mind.