[CHEvent]

My horse recently has started jumping, but then stopping...almost like giving up mid air. It is really bizarre because it only happens at oxers, and only at shows! (Has not happened schooling at all!).
It does not seem to be a rider issue, but I do not know whether to think it is a physical issue (weakness in the hind end?, pain on landing?) or a mental issue (he is really smart, and does remember every mistake I ever made).

Im definatly going to get professional help, I was just wondering if anyone had any other ideas in the meantime...

-also, this is only stadium jumping. He is perfect cross country.

[IFG]

You might want to have his eyesight checked.

[CHEvent]

You might want to have his eyesight checked.

that is an interesting thought... he had an eye cyst a few years ago

[retreadeventer]

What does your trainer (or other knowledgeable observer) have to say?

[Janet]

I have three different experiences that might be relevant.

A (related to the other response)

Music (now 26) has a bunch of tiny cataracts in her eyes. It mostly shows up at night, or any time there is glare. Before we realized she had a problem (when she walked into the stream bank at night), there were a number of times that she jumped an oxer without seeing the back rail (in one case I was holding her when I put up the a back rail). But that happened both at home and at shows, and not very often. She is 26 now, and we only jump in good lighting and with bright poles (the problems were usually with brown or green poles).

B

Belle hit an oxer HARD at a jumper show at Culpeper. Probably my fault for getting ahead. Anyway, she stumbled on landing, went down on her knees without falling and finished the course (which included another oxer). In the next class, she stopped at the first oxer (different fence) and would not go over it.

Schooled over oxers at home, she was fine. Took her to a show, and she wouldn't go over the oxer. Worked more at home- fine. Took her in a Connemara class and she stopped at the 2' oxer (had been jumping 3'6").

Clearly, she only had a problem with oxers in the show ring. So I spent the summer going to every hunter schooling show I cold find, going in the lowest classes they had (unjudged if she wasn't "legal" for the class, and just riding REALLY Aggessively over the oxers. WHen she was OK with the itty bitty ones, I started entering the biger classes. By the end of the summer, and before the first event, she was fine.

C
Spy has hip artritis. He woould jump fine until, without warning, he would stop when his front feet were already off the ground. Then he wouldn't jump at all. Next day (or even a few hours later) he would jump fine. With various joint treatments, he had a successful Novice career, but retired at 18 when it could no longer be controlled.

No idea if any of these apply to your horse, but each one has some aspects in common with your description.

[purplnurpl]

Toby does this.

He does leave the ground with his front end, but then puts all his gear down just before pushing off.

For him it was hind end soreness.

One time he put his front end down and we were standing over the jump. front end on one side...hind end on the other. The crew had to come take the jump down for me so that I could walk him forward.

[CHEvent]

I have three different experiences that might be relevant.

A (related to the other response)

Music (now 26) has a bunch of tiny cataracts in her eyes. It mostly shows up at night, or any time there is glare. Before we realized she had a problem (when she walked into the stream bank at night), there were a number of times that she jumped an oxer without seeing the back rail (in one case I was holding her when I put up the a back rail). But that happened both at home and at shows, and not very often. She is 26 now, and we only jump in good lighting and with bright poles (the problems were usually with brown or green poles).

B

Belle hit an oxer HARD at a jumper show at Culpeper. Probably my fault for getting ahead. Anyway, she stumbled on landing, went down on her knees without falling and finished the course (which included another oxer). In the next class, she stopped at the first oxer (different fence) and would not go over it.

Schooled over oxers at home, she was fine. Took her to a show, and she wouldn't go over the oxer. Worked more at home- fine. Took her in a Connemara class and she stopped at the 2' oxer (had been jumping 3'6").

Clearly, she only had a problem with oxers in the show ring. So I spent the summer going to every hunter schooling show I cold find, going in the lowest classes they had (unjudged if she wasn't "legal" for the class, and just riding REALLY Aggessively over the oxers. WHen she was OK with the itty bitty ones, I started entering the biger classes. By the end of the summer, and before the first event, she was fine.

C
Spy has hip artritis. He woould jump fine until, without warning, he would stop when his front feet were already off the ground. Then he wouldn't jump at all. Next day (or even a few hours later) he would jump fine. With various joint treatments, he had a successful Novice career, but retired at 18 when it could no longer be controlled.

No idea if any of these apply to your horse, but each one has some aspects in common with your description.

Well, any of these could apply! Like I said, he does have a history of eye problems. But, I thought we had fixed that and moved on.
B. We did have a bad experience at an event a few weeks ago where I did not ride well to the first oxer and he got a bit stuck in it and cut himself... he is a smart horse, and I do not put it past him that he remembers that and would school fine at home, then not trust me at events.

My coach said we will have a vet check him out first, then either move down a level and see if it still happens, or put another rider on him and see if he still does it then. She also is wondering if he just doesnt want to do it anymore, which in my mind would be the worst case scenario. I have known this horse a long time, and to me, it does not feel like he is being disobedient... I dont know. :/

[CHEvent]

also, thanks everyone for the replies