Question re: training not to rush to fences

[Cowgirl09]

Does anyone have suggestions for a horse that rushes fences that are facing the exit.

[indygirl2560]

I retrained a horse that rushed fences no matter the direction. What I did with him was a lot of flatwork and polework, then I encorporated small x's then slowly increased the height.

[HJPony]

You may want to try backing his hind end off by putting up a gymnastic line. Start the height appropriately of course and make sure the striding is perfect to avoid disaster, although I am certain you already know this. You may want to work on his hind end before doing anything other than poles. Some uphill work, if possible, would be a real benefit!

At least your horse is bold and not a total peener about jumping. You said this only occurs going TOWARDS the ingate. Your horse is no dumby, he knows this means "go home." This also makes me think that it is not a poor conformation/soundness issue that would cause him to dive up and over since it's only one direction. Unless he's weaker in that direction on the flat. Best of luck!

[mrsbradbury]

The horse is actually running home. He's a little "barn sour", maybe you haven't noticed it on the flat and it escalates when you jump.

Circles on your way to a small jump, practice with little efforts, and when he speeds up circle or stop, and go away from the gate. Do not jump the little jump until his canter or trot will stay the same.

You did not mention if you have to push him away from the gate.

Is this a new behavior?

How does he land?

[Donna from IA]

Ah yes, my mare used to rush - everything, in both directions. We set the jumps up along the wall. If she rushed the jump, she got pulled up immediately on the other side of the jump - turning into the wall if necessary to get the stop. If she didn't rush she was allowed to canter away from the jump. Also, putting a trot pole a stride out from the jump can help. Lastly, lots of trotting quietly to the fence and not allowing her to canter that last stride.

[RugBug]

I will be working on this in the near future and am excited about using the following exercise:

Most people want to approach a jump slowly when they are on a rusher thinking if they can keep the horse slow all will be good. The horse then takes over and charges the last few strides. The exercise is to come at the jump SLIGHTLY over the pace so you can ask for a decreasing stride to the jump. If you've got more pace, you can already be backing the horse off instead of waiting from a slow stride and then trying to hold the rush back. It's a pro-active approach instead of a reactive one.

May or may not work on a horse that only rushes toward the gate. That problem isn't so much rushing as it is being barn sour like someone else said. All horses build going home, but not all actually rush.

[Ponyclubrocks]

I will be working on this in the near future and am excited about using the following exercise:

Most people want to approach a jump slowly when they are on a rusher thinking if they can keep the horse slow all will be good. The horse then takes over and charges the last few strides. The exercise is to come at the jump SLIGHTLY over the pace so you can ask for a decreasing stride to the jump. If you've got more pace, you can already be backing the horse off instead of waiting from a slow stride and then trying to hold the rush back. It's a pro-active approach instead of a reactive one.

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Don't mean to hijack from the original post, as I agree it sounds like a barn sour issue.

That being said the exercise above makes perfect sense to me for a rusher. If I had a rusher I'd go right out and try it! If your accelerator is stuck you don't take you car to get the brakes fixed, you go fix the accelerator. I have used a version of this exercise on the flat. Say with a horse that wont relax and walk and wants to jog or trot instead. I will then ask that horse to canter instead of walk. Then I'll ask for canter to trot to canter to trot etc etc transistions....working on getting a responsive accelerator. After a while I will go to asking for trot to walk transitions. Next thing you know, horse is walking quietly and willingly. I never focused on the brakes, but rather adjusting the accelerator.

[beesknees]

I retrained a horse that rushed fences no matter the direction. What I did with him was a lot of flatwork and polework, then I encorporated small x's then slowly increased the height.

That's what I do--incorporate the poles, small jumps and cavalettis into flat work so that it just isn't a big deal for the horse to do a jump. For instance, if you are trotting along you could leg yield over to the quarterline and jump a small cavaletti and then leg back to the rail. Or do a serpentine (however many loops you want) and just have some poles or cavalettis along the center line.

I like the idea of a proactive approach by going towards the jump at a faster pace. Very interesting!

[Mendin Fences]

Does the horse rush towards the exit on the flat too? You could try riding on a circle that goes past the gate, maybe incorporating a ground pole or elevated ground pole into that circle. Eventually your horse will realize that he's not leaving. :)

[Dixon]

Also, give the horse something to do immediately upon landing from the jump. Once all four feet have landed, turn immediately one way or the other, sometimes toward another jump, so that he has to think of something besides how close he is to the exit.

[spmoonie]

Make the hores halt after every single jump (going towards the barn).

[chawley]

I will be working on this in the near future and am excited about using the following exercise:

Most people want to approach a jump slowly when they are on a rusher thinking if they can keep the horse slow all will be good. The horse then takes over and charges the last few strides. The exercise is to come at the jump SLIGHTLY over the pace so you can ask for a decreasing stride to the jump. If you've got more pace, you can already be backing the horse off instead of waiting from a slow stride and then trying to hold the rush back. It's a pro-active approach instead of a reactive one.

May or may not work on a horse that only rushes toward the gate. That problem isn't so much rushing as it is being barn sour like someone else said. All horses build going home, but not all actually rush.

This is very interesting RugBug. Hmmm, I'll have to think about this next time I'm on a horse that rushes.

To the OP, a trick I do w/ all the green horses I work with is to never leave the ring w/out asking them to do something. For example, if you're showing and have to leave the ring mounted, take the horse directly to the schooling area and make him/her do a collected sit trot, shoulder in, or something more difficult that requires thought. Secondly, never get off in the same place. And when you do leave the ring on foot, take the horse away from the barn and make him/her do a ground exercise before returning to the barn. Even w/ my made hunter, I always ask him for a turn on the haunches, side pass, or back before I get off. He knows that he's not done until this happens. After 14 years, he's never been ring sour or quick to the gate.

In the meantime, when the horse gets quick, do a half halt. If they don't respond, quietly stop, back, and go on. Repeat as needed.