My young horse rushes

Question
Dear Mr LaChapelle,
I bought my gelding last year as a 3 year old, he is now four.  He is by a thoroughbred out of a part Irish draught mare.  I broke him myself and have been training him myself for the past year.  I have studied horses in college and have worked in different types of equine yards.  My horse has a fantastic temperment and he makes me feel safe, a true gentleman all is fine except for one problem: He feels like he rushes too much when he is jumping. His canter seems calm and relaxed (yet forward) until he is a few strides away from the jump then the head goes up and he increases in speed, meaning we land at a faster pace making it difficult for me to control him when jumping a course. He seems to have great rhythm and before i thought him to jump I did loads of trotting and canter poles.  I ride a few times during the week usually doing a combination of flatwork, ground poles and grids with or without poles. I try to remain very patient and ask him do excercises and if we get it wrong i go back and try it again until I am satisfied then I usually call it a day or move on to something else.  I often hack out with other horses and on my own, but where ever i jump he seems to get excited.  Some weekends i bring him to clear round jumping competitions and jump in 80/90cm classes. Sometimes he knocks poles due to unbalance on the approach. I also must point out that i do grid work with him and using canter poles before a jump and one pole after really gets him thinking and he relaxes a little. He is currently ridden in an eggbutt snaffle, with a grakle noseband and a martingale (which has made some difference).  I am reluctant to go to a stronger bit because he is only young ( I dont want a big problem in a few years) and also because I am not sure if it is me that is causing the problems, it would seem unfair to put a harsh bit on him if it is something that i should be changing. If he seems to be getting to fast on the approach to a fence i try to sit up, keep the leg on, hands low and talk to him.I find sometimes though that he puts his head up and in turn i raise my hands until i realise and try to correct it.It is worth noting that he has a naturally high head carraige, i try to work him in an outline and encourage him to lower his head, i also lunge him once or twice a week to encourage him to work long and low without a rider, he really responds to this.He lives out all summer and during the winter is stabled at night. I feed him small amounts of a prepared cool and easy mix with no oats, some alfalfa and a small amount of linseed oil.  he is a healthy weight and looks fantastic and shiny.
Basically I am wondering could you give me some advice on how to keep things calm? or is he just a forward going horse that loves to jump.I have tried to provide as much info as i can think of. Thank you in advance for your help!

Answer
Hi Shauna!

You are right that a stronger bit is NOT the answer.  The answer is in the FEET!  If you can really get control of the feet, establish the connection between the rein and the feet, and build relaxed confidence, this will solve the issues you are having with real quality.

Do NOT take the fence if you feel him starting to build energy and get to rushing.  Roll him over his hind quarters, if you have the space prior to the fence.  Make sure your horse knows the connection of the rein to the foot first, BEFORE you take in one rein.  If your horse is braces and you pull his head around, you could tip him over.  This really starts with good quality ground work, teaching him HOW to properly yield his hind quarters and not pulling on both reins but riding in one rein only.  If you feel that you don't have enough room prior to the jump and you have missed the feel of when he is building energy, soften him and bend him after you land.  Again, no pulling on both reins, use one rein and if he is cantering, bend him just enough to get him to break to a trot and once trotting, yield his hind quarters, soften him, get him to relax and trot the fence, don't canter to it.  You are not jumping big enough fences that you need the speed, just trot.  This way you will have more decision making time prior to the fence and it will be clear to you when he starts to build.  Roll him over his hind quarters all the way to a one rein stop and then RUB him!  Make him feel comfortable.  Bend him to the right and to the left, rub his forehead and then allow him to softly walk out.  

You have to make jumping relaxed a priority.  Jumping a braced horse that rushes is just asking for more trouble.  Get busy with more lateral work.  Let him know that you will only jump the fence when everything is soft and relaxed.  That is YOUR decision!  If your horse is rushing to the fence at the SECOND you feel the energy change, get to the hind quarters!  Don't just continue to the fence!  Get him yielding the hind quarters to both the left and the right.  Get to the mind and only carry on one he is relaxed and listening.

If I have used terms and concepts that you don't quite understand, let me know and I will clarify.  

Smiles

Denise