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Post by lorddaxter on Apr 28, 2015 17:50:11 GMT
So the last few times I rode Dax Ive been doing some polework when we get back from our ride, he doesnt like poles, he kicks them around something awful, I loose jumped him a couple years ago and he showed no aptitude for it at all, I was surprised as hes a connemara and they are usually good jumpers lol!
Anyway last few trail rides if theres fallen logs I make him go over them, he wont jump he just kinda takes big high steps which he did again today!
On our return I popped him over a cross pole a couple times and he actually kinda jumped it!.....it wasnt huge maybe 10 inches high but its the best hes been so far, so Ive now set up the cross pole a bit higher and followed it up with a straight small jump as I dont have enough poles, if its nice tomorrow Ill do a bit more with him and have the video camera ready as I didnt today, sorry!
Im hoping to be able to jump him in competitions, I do realise hes small and Ill need to adopt a very short stirrup position so I dont kick the poles myself but Im sure Ill get used to it:)
Just to add I think Ill start using a running martingale on him, Im not a lover of them but he has almost caught me in the face a couple times when he spooks bad as his necks so short and he lifts his head when having a big spook, dont want yet another broken nose!
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749 
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Post by mistersmom on Apr 28, 2015 18:20:29 GMT
He may not be "jumping" as he sees no need to do more than step over the logs/poles. Can you lunge him (on line or free) and have him approach something a little bigger?
Definitely have the camera ready next time!
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Post by lorddaxter on Apr 28, 2015 18:29:39 GMT
He may not be "jumping" as he sees no need to do more than step over the logs/poles. Can you lunge him (on line or free) and have him approach something a little bigger? Definitely have the camera ready next time! Sadly the only level area I have is not wide enough to lunge and not fenced to free jump him, its just a 8 foot wide patch of flat area up the side of the kennels, nothings every easy is it?!
Im hoping once I put them a bit higher he will start to jump, as you said before better than him cat leaping huge over them! |
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Lipizzan
Junior Member
Europe, Croatia
Posts: 2,572
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Post by Lipizzan on Apr 28, 2015 21:09:51 GMT
I tried with Gaetana that also. She does the exact same thing. She won't jump , she just goes over it in a trot doing a high step over. She does not know how to jump, either do I though hhh :-) well that was just for fun. I know your expertise LD, so I know you will make him a real showjumping pony :-)
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Post by horselover4life on Apr 28, 2015 21:34:57 GMT
Try setting up higher cavaletti poles and making him do a working trot over them.
He needs to find a rhythm or cadence to get impulsion from behind to jump.
A horse on their forehand...not going to jump if they can't "push off".
So, once he has figured out some of what you want he needs a ground pole about 18" in front of the jump as a take-off point.
Also use any remaining poles to keep him using his motor in that working trot pace. Remember that as a working gait he will cover more ground so space them appropriately in distance in between and before that jump.
You might want to make yourself some "wings" with run-out poles so he has to go over not sidestep and avoid that jump.
No reason why he can't clear a 18" cross-bar or vertical....
You know this stuff already...you need to get back to his basics though for the result you want.
He can jump, he just doesn't want to...
All horses can jump...some just do it better than others. 
Right now he likes having the life of easy peasy work... little effort needed.
You want him to work???
So now he works....
Go get 'em!!! 
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Post by lorddaxter on Apr 28, 2015 22:12:58 GMT
Try setting up higher cavaletti poles and making him do a working trot over them.
He needs to find a rhythm or cadence to get impulsion from behind to jump.
A horse on their forehand...not going to jump if they can't "push off".
So, once he has figured out some of what you want he needs a ground pole about 18" in front of the jump as a take-off point.
Also use any remaining poles to keep him using his motor in that working trot pace. Remember that as a working gait he will cover more ground so space them appropriately in distance in between and before that jump.
You might want to make yourself some "wings" with run-out poles so he has to go over not sidestep and avoid that jump.
No reason why he can't clear a 18" cross-bar or vertical....
You know this stuff already...you need to get back to his basics though for the result you want.
He can jump, he just doesn't want to...
All horses can jump...some just do it better than others.
Right now he likes having the life of easy peasy work... little effort needed.
You want him to work???
So now he works....
Go get 'em!!!
Yeh, I think as much as anything its a case of me gaining my confidence back too, Im scared he overjumps and I fall off then thats me crippled for months! I have a friend coming round tomorrow who wants to watch and learn how to work with her first horse, I should be braver if I know someones there to call an ambulance! Im kinda short on poles so cant do placing poles, Ill have to get some more. |
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Post by horselover4life on Apr 29, 2015 9:57:18 GMT
I hear you about confidence... LOUD & CLEAR!!!
I use to jump 4' oxers, sometimes bigger fences...now I would look twice maybe three times at a 18" vertical.
Boy is that ever past tense!!
Will he be able to over-jump though if he is doing like "bounce" cavaletti poles before the jump...
His concentration will also be on those ground poles not just getting through that jump...might soften and round him some instead of the sharp squared up & over.
I don't bounce so well anymore either...kind of go splat or a BIG thump now-a-day with a dismount of unplanned abruptness. 
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2015 14:30:56 GMT
I am so excited that you are getting back into jumping. I know you have mentioned missing it a few times. Free jumping would normally be what I would suggest in this situation, but it does require a fenced area.  Maybe try a set of 'half raised' trot poles with a small vertical at the end. When I say half raised I mean with one end of the pole propped up slightly with the other on the ground sort of like half an x rail. I find horses tend to respect these a little more. If it works like it is supposed to he should be sitting a little more on his hind end and more willing to 'jump' if he has enough impulsion going through. So excited for you! Keep us posted! |
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Post by lorddaxter on Apr 29, 2015 21:28:43 GMT
Sigh, I need to find a spot to lunge him over a fence, a nice spread to get him rounding and jumping properly, Ill have a look around tomorrow, theres one spot I can maybe do it but it means moving the jump every time as Ira will destroy it if left in field!
My friends coming tomorrow instead, I had lots to do this morning.
This afternoon I took him a short hack then popped him over both jumps a few times, hes jumping now but its not pretty, one thing I will say is when I squawked after he cat leapt he stopped which is good!......I feel like hes not rounding properly, Ill know more once I have video, feels like hes jumping with the front but lifting his head too high then kinda not clearing properly with his back end, he gets the front over and almost forgets about the back and thats why hes hitting the poles, hes not knocking them over as they are heavy but hes kinda landing on them with his hinds!.....he feels like a fell pony I learned to jump on, it was a nightmare but did teach me to stay on!
Glad I didnt fall off although I admit there were a couple close calls, he almost bucked out in the back once and man his hind end was high, thought it was never coming down!
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Apr 30, 2015 2:20:15 GMT
All I can say is "better you than me" with that jumping business. Sure it seems exciting but watching horses land on those skinny front legs nearly gives me the shivers. Peaches has a tough time clearing poles laid on the ground, has no problem knocking the rails off, no sweat off her back LOL When I was a little girl I remember my horse Belita jumping over a little stick on the trail, it was so funny to me, I was totally relaxed because it never occurred to me that she'd jump. I think that's the first and last time for me. I'll enjoy your "jumping career" from here.
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Post by lorddaxter on Apr 30, 2015 23:30:21 GMT
Id forgotten how bad he was to lunge, he does get better over time and I guess that was the first time since september probably!
Dax thinks lunge means run around in a flat out gallop in as tight a circle as possible while kicking up as much dirt and dust at the same time!
From the few times I did manage to get him over the jumps he is carrying his head way way too high, he does canter even loose in the field with his head up, he has a huge muscle under his neck, when I ride him he flexes nice in walk but as soon as we go any faster his head comes up, Im working on it but he finds it hard and I only trail ride him as I have no arena, his high head carriage and inexperience is making him hollow out over the fence.
Tomorrow I am going to just ride him with a martingale to help a little over poles with a tiny tiny crosspole at the end that I know he wont leap just to get his head down make him relax and look at what hes doing, fingers crossed!
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Post by Shelly on May 1, 2015 14:22:16 GMT
Ahh!! that's so exciting  He will come around, practice practice practice! Keep us posted! Can't wait to see pictures |
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on May 3, 2015 21:55:06 GMT
Remember the pony cross that was on the US Olympic team? Sadly, he injured himself badly loose in a field or something and had to be put down but I hear they have another pony on the team now. If they can do it Dax can do it. Prince is a smaller horse and he used to jump five feet from a standstill. I think he's 14.3 or 15 hh at the wither and 14.2 at the butt. He'll also just stumble over small jumps instead of jumping. |
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Post by horselady on May 4, 2015 0:39:44 GMT
NHG that pony was just under 14.2 and he jumped with the big horses all the time and jumped just as high. sad they put him down. ld dax could jump he is just being careful not knowing what to do with his feet. when i start a jumping lesson i put some ground poles down like a wheel or pizza pie. and lunge them over the poles. both directions.
after that i put the one rail up and one down as was suggested by apollo. and also place one pole in front of the jump about one foot so that is a take off point. allow him to be calm and learn on his own speed. even if you lunge him a few times before riding him. just so he gets the feeling of lift in his legs and back.
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Post by lorddaxter on May 4, 2015 15:53:33 GMT
I need more poles, I only have 3, Ill try to get out and get some this week:)
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Post by horselady on May 4, 2015 17:09:18 GMT
pvc pipe is cheapest and if you get the ones with holes they are lighter and easily moved around. you will need at least 4-6 more
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Post by lorddaxter on May 4, 2015 18:15:13 GMT
Im worried he wont respect them, he already clunks and rolls the heavy poles, he was used for driving before I got him and seems to like to go with his head in the air and hollows his back out, even in the field, Ive never seen him running round with his head down!
I have the osteopath out later this week or next I forget lol!....but anyway Ill see if she can give me any exercises to help this.
Plus its windy here these days, it never used to be but seems almost every other day we have a lot of wind, my eyes were full of dust and grit the last time I worked him.
Farrier tomorrow I think, she was dues 3 weeks ago but due to my illness and then her vacation they are overdue, Iras are awful, Dax not quite so bad though.
Anyway, Ill update soon and thanks everyone for the advice:)
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 19:13:02 GMT
Sometimes you will see people selling old wooden poles second hand on kijiji and those horsey facebook buy and sell pages. I feel like I saw a set not that long ago, but cannot for the life of me remember where. Looking forward to future updates |
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Post by abpalis on May 10, 2015 5:03:26 GMT
What's the highest you've tried to jump him? Prince can jump like a bloody deer but if he doesn't think the jump is high enough to bother with he puts no effort in. He'll clamber over it, knock if flying and damn near fall on his face, but put the jump up a notch and he sails over it like a show jumper. And then I nearly bite the dirt because I'm not expecting such a big jump out of him but hey, his neck holds me up when I land on it lol.
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Post by lorddaxter on May 10, 2015 11:56:26 GMT
On his back prob just over a foot, lunge a bit higher but his shape is all wrong, I havent tried again since osteopaths been, Im hoping its helped, for sure hes working on an outline way more often now in trot, hes always been ok in walk but anything faster and that head comes way up, even loose in the field he runs with his head in the air, I found a martingale attachment so next time I do it from his back Ill use it, I dont want him to hit me in the face!
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He will come around, practice practice practice! Keep us posted! 
