Curb your enthusiasm
Does your horse enter the showjumping phase with too much go? Nip it in the bud with Alex Hua Tian’s simple method
In this feature. . .
Teach your horse to jump in a rhythm
Get to the root of rushing Improve his jumping technique
As told to Bethany Searby. Photos: Jon Stroud
If you’ve ever jumped a horse with the need for speed, you’ll know it can be a hair-raising experience. Feeling out of control on a keen horse is frustrating – and sometimes frightening – but the good news is that you can get a handle on his enthusiasm with a few easy adjustments and a simple related distance exercise that introduces some tactical but unusually-placed halt transitions.
Our expert
Alex Hua Tian is an Olympic eventer who was first to represent China in the sport at the Beijing Games. Career milestones include bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and riding in China’s first ever Olympic eventing team at Tokyo 2020.
Our model
Hamlet is a nine-year-old gelding by Chello III VDL and owned by Vivian Gu. With a win at Intermediate and a top 10 CCI3* finish under his belt, it’s hoped he’ll step up to Advanced in the future.
Why’s he rushing?
Horses rush for a number of reasons – excitability, freshness or fear to name a few. You’ll usually see riders have one of two very understandable reactions to a rushing horse, which will either be hanging on for dear life or sitting very still while trying not to influence the horse in any way. In both of these scenarios, the rider’s legs are almost always off the horse’s sides, and the rein lies the problem.