Question # 267: My horse used to be a very bold and confident jumper. We competed to Training level very successfully. Then I took a year off because I had a baby. And now that I am back to riding, I feel like I have a different horse....
...He doesn't take me to the fences anymore, and I have to ride really aggressively or he feels like he wants to stop. I haven't taken him to any competitions since I brought him back, since I don't like the way things are going. I tried using the whip to make him more forward and positive at the jumps, but that only seemed to get him nervous and spooky. I can hardly believe that this is the same horse that used to practically drag me to the jumps! What would you suggest I do? (Alice)
Hi Alice!
You don't say how old your horse is, but it may be a good time for a thorough exam by a good lameness veterinarian. There are many soundness issues that present in a way that the horse isn't actually outright lame, but their performance is negatively affected. Especially with bilateral lamenesses, such as when both front feet or both hocks hurt equally. In this case, the only way the horse can "speak" about his issues is to try to avoid things that cause him to hurt. So when a horse that was previously forward thinking and a willing jumper, begins to not enjoy his work... pain issues defintely need to be ruled out.
Since your horse was out of work for a year, all of his supporting structures would have likely become weaker. Which can mean that all of his joints would take more of a pounding while you are bringing him back into work. How much time did you take to bring him back into jumping work? At any rate, get him thoroughly checked out physically. And you might also want to check your saddle fit - as if your horse's shape has changed significantly, your saddle might be giving him pain and causing your problem. If everything checks out physically - then let's move on to fixing this problem from a training standpoint! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
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