17 January 2008 11:05
My 15.1hh mare is five and, until recently, she was jumping 2ft 6in classes clear. I moved to 2ft 9in classes, but she started stopping at the first part of a double or in the middle of a combination. We’re doing gridwork at home, but she stops mid-way through the grid. She’s had her teeth and back checked. Help!
Answer
By Your Horse
Show jumping trainer Carol Mailer says...
Over smaller fences, your mare won’t need to make so much effort to jump in and through a combination, so you won’t become unbalanced on landing.
Over a bigger fence, I suspect that you’re not recovering quickly enough after the jump to enable you to ride a non-jumping stride between fences consistently.
Your mare is probably lacking enough impulsion to do what you want. If she’s sensitive, she won’t want to go into a double if she’s worried about getting out comfortably over the second fence.
I suggest you try an exercise that will help you get back in balance more quickly after landing, so you can ride a better non-jumping stride in the middle of a double.
Build a small single fence and then place several canter poles on the floor after the fence at 12, 24, 36 and 48ft. As you land, make a huge effort to look up and give your horse a good nudge as quickly as possible.
The sooner you can get your leg on after the fence, the more impulsion you’ll produce, and this will make it easier for your horse to cope with the next fence.
As you become more capable, gradually remove the canter poles one by one, starting with the nearest pole to the fence. When you have only the furthest one left, you should be reaching the pole after three strong non-jumping strides.