Beat the Rush

You turn the corner and approach the jump. Suddenly your horse gains speed and grabs the bit as he makes a bid for the fence. You try to slow him by pulling back on the reins and sitting deep, but he ignores your aids and continues to increase his momentum. You can’t see a distance, and on the takeoff, your horse either launches himself at the fence from a long distance, jumping it very flat, or at the last second, fits in a small stride and fumbles over it.

You’re riding a rusher. At best you feel disorganized, and at worst you have zero control and sometimes are even afraid. You are losing confidence and worry your horse’s confidence is also at risk.

The most common reason a horse rushes is because he is crooked, unbalanced or both. When a horse is crooked or unbalanced, he lacks the strength to carry his weight evenly on both hind legs, which means he does not have the power to clear the jump confidently. Instead, he uses speed as a way to make it to the other side. A straight horse, on the other hand, travels on two tracks with each hind foot following the track of its corresponding forefoot, whether on a straight or curved line. He accepts equal contact on both reins instead of leaning on or having stiffness on one rein. His weight is distributed evenly across his four legs. This allows him to push off his hind legs evenly when jumping, helping him produce a strong, correct jump.

The key to stop a horse from rushing is to change his balance without taking away his impulsion. Many riders,