Can a horse forget how to jump?

[Keket]

Do horses forget how to jump? I just started jumping with a 10 year old, Quarter Horse mare. She's not my horse, she's my instructor's horse. Five years ago, she was jumping three feet. She hasn't done it since. We're only trotting over poles right now, and we've only had one lesson so far. Sadie did all right, and so did I, but I'm wondering if we might run into problems when I actually try to get her to jump.

[**Krista**]

Why do you think shes 'forgotten'?

Its a horses natural instinct to be able to jump.. so i doubt very much they could forget! They may not have been trained to have the perfect jump or may not be used to the situation.. in which case its the riders job to educate and encourage..

[Keket]

Well, we ran into a lot of problem's getting Sadie to canter when she was first used as a horse for lessons about two years ago. I know this because I was the first person to try to get her to canter besides my instructor. Well now, she's just fine at canter, but at the beginning it was a constant fight. Now pretty much everyone canters her in lessons, so she's better. In fact, she's at the point now where if she's tuned in and listening, I can get her to pick up canter just by tipping her nose to the outside. I'm just hoping that we won't have the same problem with jumping as well.

[can't_decide]

My horse Poppy had a year off from jumping. Just take it slowly, building up from poles to tiny jumps and then build up. Polework and combinations are really good to keep their legs co ordinated, and if you look up the threads i posted about it ealry in the year (still there? dunno . . . ) people gave me some great exercises which really helped.

I thought it was a pretty fun process, enjoy it :D

[raggydoll]

i always thought it wasnt natural for horses to jump :confused:

[Just.Jump]

Do you go blank when it comes time to jump a fence when the gate is closed to your riding school?

=P

Jumping doesn't take much though. If you can't go around it, don't want to smash through it, and are forced to keep running, your going to push off from the ground hard and then fold your legs up, maybe aided by use of the hands. A horse does the same, minus the hands.

Some horses, just like people, are just not very good at it and get rusty. Some just don't like it, so choose to do poorly.

i always thought it wasnt natural for horses to jump

Not really. Horses just don't normally get forced to pop over anything very big, and definately not blindingly bright-colored. In the wild if they should come to a log or a narrow river or a ditch or whatever, they'll probably go over it if they can't get around it or through it. For some reason people like to make things as unnatural as possible, which is where all the silly different kinds of jumps came from. That and an unnatural need to make everything pretty, so the good old english riders of old decided to attack them with paint brushes. :cool:

[Keket]

That and an unnatural need to make everything pretty, so the good old english riders of old decided to attack them with paint brushes. :cool:

:D That's officially the best quote I've heard in awhile!

I had heard it was unnatural for horses to jump too, but we've got a two year old at our school that jumps three or four feet with no problem at all. It's a blessing and a curse. He'll be a great jumper when he's older, but for now, it's getting very difficult to keep him corralled...

[Just.Jump]

Thanks, I try to be as sarcastic as possible, it makes for good laughs :D
I often wonder just how high the fences are at jumping stables o.O

[jUmPingIsLifE]

no, the horse would not forget how to jump.

like a horse would not forget how to walk/trot/canter/gallop or eat for that matter!

however you may run in to problems if your horse is not fit enough to jump or is to unbalanced to jump (probably why you had trouble cantering at first). if your horse is balanced and fit you should have no problem bringing her right back into jumping. just remember to work your way up though.

[Keket]

however you may run in to problems if your horse is not fit enough to jump or is to unbalanced to jump (probably why you had trouble cantering at first).

Nope, it wasn't a lack of balance, she was just being lazy. She cantered fine for my instructor, but all of us students had to fight her the whole way.

[LindaAd]

Nope, it wasn't a lack of balance, she was just being lazy. She cantered fine for my instructor, but all of us students had to fight her the whole way.


Sorry, but that doesn't sound like lazy to me. It sounds like your instructor's a better rider ;)

Linda

[jUmPingIsLifE]

still though, she could still be off balanced. your instructer was probably just able to help her a little better.

anyway, goodluck with the jumping and have fun! :)

[Keket]

Sorry, but that doesn't sound like lazy to me. It sounds like your instructor's a better rider ;)

Linda

Obviously she is, having been riding since she could sit. But the issue with Sadie was that she wasn't used to new riders. She's a very dominant horse and hadn't built up the respect for the new riders yet, so she didn't seee why she should have to canter for them. There are still students that can't get her to canter, because they let her get away with things and she doesn't respect them.

[ponylover88]

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