close to the jump). Additionally, riders who do not release over the fence, preventing the horse from stretching down, will hit the horse in the mouth with the bit and cause pain. If this happens frequently, the horse will associate the pain with the jumping effort itself, and may begin to refuse. Horses that have begun to refuse due to rider error often require retraining. If a horse is physically unable to jump a fence of a certain size or height, even with the best riding, pushing a horse may result in physical harm to the animal or cause an accident involving both horse and rider. References Hunt seat Show jumping Eventing