[beauxdatious]

Grr. Running out. I hate It, you never know with him.

So my trainer has been telling me to collect him, or a smaller canter, and hold him, because he simply gets scared and runs out, or is just playing games. We are having him X-rayed next week to make sure nothing is going on, saddle fits, nothing is pinching, I have had him chiropracted, and massaged... so what else CAN I do. He is a good horse. He jumps it the majority of the time. But he can't decide to just run out. I mean in the show ring HE can't do that! Anytime he CANT do that. We have tried trotting, he doesn't do it. Cantering, he is alot less confident. EVEN with me with him, supporting him. helping him the whole way. Leg support, pushing, asking, picking a distance, everything I can do, I am trying to do.

But what else can I do? Exercises? Anything?

Help is well-appreciated

[jumper4life]

Well, I'll try to help you out the best I can =]

I used to have a mare than ran out of a lot of jumps and it got me really frustrated. But you learn overtime whats more comfortable for your horse, so stay patient.

Anyway, what your trainer says is right. Try to keep a nice collected canter. Keep him moving foward from your leg and have a nice feel of his mouth. If he trys to swerve, just keep pressing him forward with that leg. My trainer says to keep your horse in an imaginary box. You have both your hands, one flexing and bending your horse, and the other preventing him from popping his shoulder out and etc. Keep both your legs on him! Forward is the key!

If he is less confident at the canter, there are some great excersises that you can do. Have two cavaletties and make sure they are six strides apart. Have them on a rounded edge of your ring so you have to steer your horse around to get the correct amount of strides. Also, since the line is rounded, you can go wider, or cut to make the distance longer or shorter.

Do lots and lots of pole work! This will help build his confidence a little more. Then you can move onto jumping him again. Start at the trot and don't give him even a chance to think about swerving out. Keep his mind busy. Legs on him, flexing his head around the corner before the jump, things like that.

[JumpingBean]

Think of it as trying to keep him "between your hand and leg." That is really just a fresh spin on what Kathy is telling you (to keep him collected), but sometimes it helps to have new mental pictures of what you are trying to do.

[bay_blnd jmpr07]

Does he always run out, or if he "can't decide" does he just refuse and stop? What do you do? What is your position like?

My mare normally doesn't dare run out...but she'll just stop dead (and sometimes it is DIRTY!!). I ride her behind the motion so I'm really pushing her forward, but if she stops I'm behind enough I won't come flying off or lose my seat as easily and I can push her/kick her over the jump if she tries to stop.

Pole work is excellent. And using the jump standards too. Just make a course but keep the poles on the ground.