Horse for showjumping.

[FeArLeSS]

I am considering buying my own Horse as I have just been using one of my girlfriends since I started riding, and now I want to take things seriously and start to showjump. I am just interested in what you guys think I should get, i'm 21 around 5'10 and average weight. Height, Age, Breed etc?

Thanks.

[Lucy J]

depends really, a lot of people go for really big showjumpers these days like 17hh. lots of bone possible TB/shire x or irish draught / TB or some kind of sports horse.

really you want to be thinking more about personality too, there is no one breed that is good.

personally I like TB/Irish draught cross, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes!

[Shmon]

Fearless...

Lucky you! I'd love to be thinking of buying a horse, but that won't happen for a while :) but I that doesn't stop me from looking every day! :D

I'm the same height as you, and I find I fit wonderfully on horses that are 16h or taller. My favorite horse is a friend's giant 17.2h TB cross.

Age depends on your level of experience. You'll obviously want a horse that's already got some training and experience so you can start working on jumping. Don't be put off by a horse in its teens - if you're a novice or intermediate, they can be great teachers.

I would be more concerned with temperament than breed. It's true that some horses are more athletic and better jumpers than others (warmbloods or TBs, for example), but given the choice between a hard-to-handle Hanoverian and a sweet, gentle cross of some sort, I'd skip over the Hanoverian any day (even though I've always dreamed of owning one!). As long as the horse has the training and experience in your chosen method, concentrate on the horse's personality and temperament rather than its bloodlines.

p.s. The amount you want to spend may also restrict your search a little more!

Just curious...what have you been looking at?

[smarty]

Hi fearless, Showjumpers come in all shapes and sizes! As it has already been said temperment is a crucial factor when considering buying a horse. At what level do you wish to compete? If you are looking at competing BSJA and are looking for a horse with some money on its card then it won't come cheap!

[FeArLeSS]

Well I havent really looked properly yet, wanted to get some advice first. I thought around 16hh or taller and like you said, a bit of experience behind it, but would prefer a horse around 7 or 8 years old. I will probably only compete locally to start with then if I really like it and become any good then maybe further, who knows!

thanks again.

[rocketman]

I am sure everyone has their personal preferences, but I believe that 16.1 to 16.2 hands is ideal for a jumper. The giant horses may be impressive to look at, but in my experience they tend to be rather cumbersome and less agile than a medium sized horse. Plus, they are prone to soundness problems and don't last as long as a smaller horse.

Temperament is key. How ever much athletic talent a horse may have for jumping, if they are erratic or hard to ride, they won't be consistantly successful. I would look for a horse with a fairly calm and workmanlike disposition and one that enjoys the job. The horse should prick his ears and take you to the fence when pointed at an obstacle. Naturally, such a horse will pull somewhat, but it shouldn't drag you to the fence with the rider wrestling for control. You shouldn't have to push the horse to keep it going either. It's hard enough to see your stride, remember the course, etc. without having to work at keeping the momentum going.

Warmbloods are purposefully bred for jumping (or dressage) and often have the desired traits built in. There are many different types of warmbloods from the various European countries and breed societies and they vary widely depending on the priorities of those societies. I would agree than Hannoverians can be rather pig-headed. Dutch warmbloods usually have an easier temperament because that is a higher priority in Holland than in Germany, where size and movement are more important.

If you look at mixed breeds, I would suggest 3/4 thoroughbred, 1/4 Irish type. Half and half may be too big and strong and, again from my own personal experience, the Irish half-bred can pull like a tank and be quite temperamental with it.

Perhaps you should try out a variety of different breeds and types to see which suits you the best.

[FeArLeSS]

How would I go about trying different breads? I like the sound of a 3/4 thoroughbred, 1/4 Irish type about 7 years old, 16.1 - 16.2.

[Cochise]

Sounds nice Fearless.........
As everyone has said, they come in many shapes and sizes. And what suits you....TBs and Irish both have lovely temperaments....as long as you are happy that is the main thing.Now you know what you are mainly looking for, go and have a look around and see what is out there!

[rocketman]

Look in the Horse and Hound ads and try out an assortment of horses advertised as jumpers or with potential in that sphere in your vicintiy. You are clearly a genuine buyer, even if you haven't made up you mind as to exactly what kind of horse will suit you. I would be up front in telling the sellers that, while you are definately in the market, you need to try a selection and may not yet be ready to make up your mind. As the saying goes, you need to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince!

Also, do not neglect 'word of mouth'. Ask people you know in the horse world if they know of a horse that might suit. You might be surprised how many have not gotten around to advertising, but have a nice horse that could do the job.

Take your time. Try out at a lot; make a list of what you did and didn't like about each horse. It may help you refine your ideas and narrow down the search to a particular type of horse.

Don't arbitrarily narrow your parameters to a particular size, gender or color. There's no such thing as a bad color on a good horse (another old saying.)

[rocketman]

Btw, I neglected to say, I have been breeding, buying & selling and training showjumpers for 40 years, for what it's worth (in England for most of the time, and for the last 14 years in Florida. You wouldn't want to buy a showjumper in America. The same horse would cost you $30,000 and upwards!)(I SELL horses for that much. Personally, I think the buyers are either VERY rich or out of their minds to pay that much!)

[Lgd]

Look for something between 16.2 and 17.2hh. Over this they can have problems adjusting to the stride in combination fences.

Any breed will jump if it has the right attitude. If you plan on sticking solely to showjumping and don't want to spend lots of money have a look at the heavy horse/TB, particularly Shire or Clydesdale or Cleveland Bay/TB crosses, all tend to have a good jump and they are toughies in the leg department. There are quite a few with this breeding in top level jumping, Ryan's Son was a Shire cross as is the current international horse Wiston Bridget.

If you think you might like to do some eventing later on look for something with more TB blood in, at least 3/4 bred but preferably 7/8 TB to give the ground speed and cleverness needed. (In general true warmbloods are a bit thick in the cross-country department and often lack speed).

If you do look at warmbloods be prepared to pay a lot more money, British warmbloods are worth looking at as they will be cheaper than other European warmbloods and tend to have more TB in them and are therefore a bit more refined. A lot of the European registries are breeding to TBs to lighten the warmbloods to make them more suitable as sport horses. For example, it is quite possible to get Hannoverians that are actually more than 3/4 TB because they will approve other breeds for their registry. Any offspring of an approved stallion can therefore be a registered Hannoverian.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

actully a horse at the camp i work at is 3/4 tb, 1/8 irish drought and 1/8 conammera (im sorry i can't spell ANY of that!) and he does 4' jumpers, he is excellant and is 16.3hh :) BEST temperment, i swear he doesn't have anything wronge with him, he is PERFECT...beautiful buck skin...with little zebra like strips on his neck and legs! just amazing horse!

[FreedomStar]

actually, bigger is not neccesarily better. I think the best breeds for show jumping depends on the horse actually. There is a morgan at where I ride, and he is an excellent school horse. He used to jump around 4 feet, but no one jumps him that high anymore. I think thoroughbreds are the best when it comes to jumping.

[Calsanjo]

You might want to have a look at this site if you like youngsters... they breed competition neddies

www.zangersheide.com