Complete a Horse Jumping Obstacle

“My 6 y/o and I completed our first recognized horse trial this weekend and we did great in dressage and stadium, but sort of fell apart during XC. [...] He had a refusal on course because I thought an obstacle looked way bigger as it was coming up and he sensed it and put the brakes on. We circled back and he jumped no problem. [...] once I'm past the first few obstacles on course I am solid. But before then I ride him great until I'm about a stride out from the jump and then I hold my breath and tense up and make him lose all of his gas.”

“So, I’ve been jumping for around 3 years now, has jumped upwards of 120cm (4’) flawlessly. I’ve been asked to jump a new horse at one of the barns I go to, because the owner don’t want to jump him anymore. But when I jumped him the first time, barely even 30cm, I felt like I jumped as bad or even worse than what I did then. Had no control in my seat, no control of neither distance or speed, no balance or coordination and I was barely even able to raise myself from the saddle.”