Whether the horse treis to run out at the fence
or simple stops directly in front of it, the issue is the
animal's lack of obedience in going forward from the rider's leg.
For this reason, once you have the horse standing squarely in
front of the fence, punish its source of forward momentum, which
is the rear part of its body, with your stick in the area just
behind your calf--on the horse's ribcage. If the horse stopped
straight, you can punish it on either side; but if it veered when
stopping, apply the stick on the side to which the animal tried
to escape.
By being prompt with your correction, you won't have to exert a
tremendous amount of physical force. You are not trying to
inflict pain, but rather just enough discomfort so that the horse
would rather jump the obstacle on the next approach than be
punished again with the stick. Remember, only do what it takes to
get what you want from the horse--any more than that is abusive.
You should always carry a stick when jumping, so that it can be
used immediately. If you have to hunt for one when a problem
arises, the horse may have forgotten what it did wrong by the
time you apply it, so that the punishment is seemingly unrelated
to the initial problem.
Riders will sometimes say, "I don't carry a stick becuase my
horse is scared of it." The solution is to always carry a
stick in practice, so that the animal learns to regard it as
standard equipment. Carry it on the flat, as well as over fences,
until the horse is comfortable with its presence. Any horse that
convinces you that you shouldn't carry a stick is controlling
you. Remember, you are the brains, the horse is the brawn. Any
other relationship is dangerous. (Note: You should always carry a
stick over fences, even in competition; but generally riders do
not carry a stick on the flat in competition.)
Always remember to ease off the mouth when the horse leaves the
ground to jump, for if your hands are hard and restricting, you
will encourage it to refuse fences. Especially when it has
stopped and you are approaching the obstacle for the second time,
emphasize your driving aids--legs and seat, too, if
necessary--and relax your hands as much as possible, keeping just
enough tension on the reins to steer the horse. Your objective is
to make going forward much easier than stopping.
You may not be able to keep a very light hand on a horse that
wants to run out. In fact, you may have to use a great deal of
hand pressure to hold it into the fence panel as it tries to veer
in one direction. If this the case, be sure to release the
horse's mouth as it leaves the ground, offering more than enough
slack in the reins over the fence so that it will realize that
forward is the most comfortable direction.
If you ride the horse accurately to take-off spots, but it tries
to refuse fences, ask a veterinarian to check for unsoundness.
Lameness in a leg or foot, sore back muscles, or a spinal problem
are typical unsoundnesses that will cause a horse to stop.