[Tallboots]

My barn has this horse that rushes at everything. It can be 1' or 3' and he rushes at it the same way each time. This horse is a VERY talented jumper and can trot up to 3'6 and pop up to it no problem. We don't know why he's rushing, but we're trying very hard to fix it..

We've switched bits around - kimberwick, D-ring french link snaffle, hackamore. But he acts the same way in all of them. Well, actually in the hackamore he just curls up into a little ball and gets so round that he can't see where he's going. He's not dangerous whatsoever, besides the rushing that is. No stop, no buck, no rear etc.. He just LOVES jumping. He's really strong as well.

I sat on him a couple of days ago. You can get him to trot all quiet to a fence and then about four strides away he starts pulling, and then breaks into this mad canter with his head in the air and flails and just jumps over the fence. Then he continues to flail after the fence until you stop him. He is a school horse. And since I don't run the barn I can't take him out of the school program. But everyone loves him, he's sweet, and he's practically like a puppy dog on the ground. Great on the flat except gets a little speedy at the canter sometimes. It's just his jumping that has everyone shaking their heads.

Btw.. He is an event horse. A girl shows him beginner novice. He's REALLY good [most of the time] away from home. The rushing generally only happens at home.

Any suggestions?

[MyCassie3]

how does the saddle fit??

[Tallboots]

Saddle fits fine - he's naturally built very wide. We have adjustable gullets that are adjusted to fit him. We also use a bump pad on him as well as a saddle pad.

[MyCassie3]

was he always a rusher or is this something that popped up out of the blue??

[rider4life422]

My horse started to do that after a jumper rider began riding him. To get him back we would appraoch the jump, but only take the jump if he could do it in a calm mannor. If he broke to the canter if we were trotting or speed up at the canter if we were cantering the jump we would circle and reapproach and he was only ever aloud to jump if he was calm. It took about a month but he stopped rushing the jumps.

[Tallboots]

was he always a rusher or is this something that popped up out of the blue??

He has always been a little bit "OH! Look! A jump! Let's Go!" towards fences in general. But this is the worsts he's ever been.

My horse started to do that after a jumper rider began riding him. To get him back we would appraoch the jump, but only take the jump if he could do it in a calm mannor. If he broke to the canter if we were trotting or speed up at the canter if we were cantering the jump we would circle and reapproach and he was only ever aloud to jump if he was calm. It took about a month but he stopped rushing the jumps.

But he starts to rush three strides away - and he goes fast. And its completely out of the blue and he is ON that fence when he rushes up to it. You wouldn't have enough time to safely pull him away from the fence.

[rider4life422]

My horse used to only do it the last few strides and it worked for us, we started with cross rails, it wasn't like we did this at a 3 foot jump. We didnt jump him any higher until he got control over the x-rails. We also made him walk up and jump the cross rails. I worked with my hunter trainer as well as an eventing trainer through these issues. The eventing trainer was the one who told me to walk up to the x-rails until he could do that calmly

[MyCassie3]

It honestly sounds like a hole in the training... If it were my horse I would bring the jumps down to poles and work from there.
Being 3 strides away gives you enough time to circle but sometimes that technique doesnt work for some horses..

I would be doing a lot of poles, transitions, collect and extend until you truly have control over the horse..

[farmeress]

Originally Posted by Tallboots

He is a school horse. And since I don't run the barn I can't take him out of the school program. But everyone loves him, he's sweet, and he's practically like a puppy dog on the ground. Great on the flat except gets a little speedy at the canter

Btw.. He is an event horse. A girl shows him beginner novice. He's REALLY good [most of the time] away from home. The rushing generally only happens at home.

Any suggestions?

A school horse being ridden by a novice who rushes and seems to be getting worse....hmmmmmmmmmmm......time for the schooly to be re-schooled me thinks

[Tallboots]

My horse used to only do it the last few strides and it worked for us, we started with cross rails, it wasn't like we did this at a 3 foot jump. We didnt jump him any higher until he got control over the x-rails. We also made him walk up and jump the cross rails. I worked with my hunter trainer as well as an eventing trainer through these issues. The eventing trainer was the one who told me to walk up to the x-rails until he could do that calmly

He's completely and utterly on that fence. And he doesn't turn, doesn't do anything but run once he's set on a fence. If you try to pull him out - he usually barely makes it pass the standards, and occasionally will run into them - which isn't safe at all.

A school horse being ridden by a novice who rushes and seems to be getting worse....hmmmmmmmmmmm......time for the schooly to be re-schooled me thinks

My thoughts exactly. But its not my call. The barn has been putting more advanced kids on him lately, and they aren't phased by it. But that doesn't mean its stopping. *Sigh*

I would be doing a lot of poles, transisions, collect and extend until you truly have control over the horse..

With this horse, the more you do the more excited he gets. The more transitions and control of his gait you do the more wired up he gets. It's best to just let him trot. He's smart too. Because if you set up a gymnastic he has to trot into - he trots into it, hits the striding perfectly, and jumps out. It's the singles and lines he has problems with.