How can I make jumping more interesting for my horse? He gets bored easily :(?

My 14 year old appaloosa gelding, get bored easily.

when he gets bored, he doesn't take anything seriously, and he chips in and takes off too early, because he gets bored and likes to annoy me. (I know that for a FACT, its his personality).

He's a very scopey jumper when he's serious and I would like to encourage that, but I am running out of ways to keep his attention and keep him excited about it.

Ive tried barrels, straw bales, railroad ties, flowers, plastic bags, lunge whips as ground lines, and nothing seems to keep his attention long enough.

Even when i through 3'6" at him he gets bored after a jump or two.

Does anyone have any ideas on types of jumps that I can make, that will keep his attention and enthusiasm?

I only have 6 standards to work with, and a pair of 50 gallon barrels. long with 5 or 6 poles.



Please, let me know what you think.

How can I make jumping more interesting for my horse? He gets bored easily :(?
Try gymnastic exercises they are amazing such as a bounce (Two jumps where there isn't a complete stride in between) to a two stride ect. or do a double bounce and there was a really cool excercise I used to do when I was doing pony jumpers there is an example on Youtube that I will find really quick. You can also work on roll backs, which always made my pony jump exquisitely although your horse has to be extremely fit and sound to do this type of move.



EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zpiP3LYa...

And you totally have everything you need to set up this excercise.



EDIT 2: Its amazing because you can jump it so many different ways its perfect for starting rollbacks and jumping at completely different angles and there is another version of it that there isn't a video for it but I'll draw a diagram for it in a sec and post it.



EDIT 3: Here is the other version http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=816eq81%26amp;...

It is typically done with 4 jumps and I guess if you could set up the barrels as standards then put a pole across you could set up a 4th but there are so many ways to jump this excercise its amazing but I did a rough sketch of the ways but there are so so many more.
Reply:Good old fashioned ride. Get out of the arena and go along trails, railroad tracks, or the road. I don't know what kind of options you have around but anything going around in a circle inside an enclosed area with nothing new to see would drive me nuts too.
Reply:maybe make the jumps higher (not too high)
Reply:Well my app got really bored with jumps to so i made jumps with fallen trees or a picket fence. My horse enjoyed the new scenery
Reply:Have you considered that you might just be overdoing it with him and making him sour? I have a friend that is a professional showjumper and he only pops his over a couple of fences maybe 2 times per week. The rest of the time he hacks them out, schools them and then makes sure they get plenty of pasture time.

I'd lay off the jumping for a month and do something different, let him see different things and have some fun. Then I'd just take it slow, do a few jumps every now and then. If he can jump, he doesn't need to be repeatedly jumped and schooled over a course. That's the quickest way to turn them off.
Reply:Pick up this months copy (feb 08) of horse illustrated. there are some cool and different jumping courses with only using 4 jumps.
Reply:hit it when it doesnt jump and fck it when it does
Reply:Try making the steps between the jumps different and the heights varied. Also try to make each one with something different on it or something. So have a barrel jump, then a short cross jump close to the barrel jump, then have a high jump close to the cross jump with flowers on it or something. Just make it interestin and make him keep guessing! Good Luck!
Reply:Have you tryed Cross country with him, Appys are one of the most hardest horses to get to do anything. So I know what you are going through. Try have a varitey of jumps like oxars, doubles, water, sandy exit. Never take him the same way more then twice and even then make a jumpng course that you can hit a line of 3 jumps from anyway you choose. Horses really can't see good on colors, yellow and reds show more then anything. Also try jumping in a diffrent feild or arena.
Reply:try doing a gymkhana, i use to do it alot with my App, he loved it. and it keeps there mind going. if you look online there should be some ideas for jumps.
Reply:Instead of trying to challange him with height, try taking him over grids, aka "bounces". The horse doesn't take a stride but simply lands then immediately takes off again...Just set up three and try that. Just make sure that you stay in a half-seat the whole time...don't sit during the grids, because you won't have enough time to get back into position. Also, try working on jumping a fence in a figure eight style.



OH! Also, give cross-country a try...find some way to make a mini cross-country course...a vast majority of horses, almost all, prefer cross-country because the obstacles are solid, and it encourages them to really engage in it. Whether it's hay bales or tires, it should keep him interested. Plus, it's WAY more fun for the rider as well...or at least I think so.
Reply:cross country would be good, also try to keep jumping from different directions and angles. if you have some trails, i would make some natural looking jumps there. i think cross country or trail riding would be the way to go.
Reply:I know that you said that you have used flowers, but have you compleatly covered the jumps in flowers? posts and all? that might help. also try hanging something like a bright colored jacket on the jump standard. this might give him a little bit of a spook the first few times, but it will keep his attention, espically if you change the jacket and which side it is on every few weeks. hope you have fun, and dont fall off!