"I've been riding for a couple of years now and I am able to jump, however there is one horse that I ride who for some reason I can't get to jump. I know he can jump because I have seen him do a complete 2" course at canter, but I seem to have trouble getting him to trot over a simple cross pole and sometimes getting him to go over trotting poles can be difficult. He either refuses or runs out. This problem is really starting to frustrate me as I want to do my GCSE on him as he is good at dressage, but I need to jump him. Have you got any advice for me?" Leighanne

H&C blogger and Olympic eventer Sharon Hunt replies: "While I think it is worth persisting and also specifically having some jumping lessons on the horse you wish to ride for your GCSE, I think it's also worth having a contingency plan as the most important thing is that your GCSE goes well. Therefore I think it would be wise to practice for your GCSE on another horse too. In fact, getting exposure to different types of horses will help your riding enormously. Regarding dealing with run out and refusals, it's really important to ensure you have enough leg on when you approach a jump. I wish you every bit of luck with your riding and with your GCSE.

Best wishes,
Sharon."

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