Best breeds...

[Shiny McShine]

Just curious.......What does everyone think is the best breed of horse for jumping in general + what breeds do you personally like best to ride for jumping?

[lamprellsarah]

oh i had a welsh 12HH pony stubbon as anything but a fantastic jump near 4ft!!
but i know they aren't all like that, but i do love ponies they always seem to know what to do where to put there feet and they pop over them nicely.
i do love dutch warmboods, hanoverians, thouroughbreds, as they just feel so powerful, but what with there long strides they aren't always as fun!!!
i love my cleveland bay mare, so is very steady never refuses anything, and knows where to put her feet, shes the best!!! hehehe but i would say that!!! :) :D

[sweetbriar]

Without a doubt Connemara ponies are the best jumpers ever. They often get crossed with other larger breeds because of their jumping ability. Stroller was a Connemara or part Connie and he could jump 6'10".

I'm also very taken with the Selle Francais. Never seen one close up and never ridden one. I see a lot of top showjumpers on them and they remind me so much of big ponies. I'm thinking in particular of Rochet M ridden by Alexandra Lederman.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

ALL BREEDS lol... i have riden such a wide verity i can't pick on to be "best" at the camp i work at i ride a TB most of the time he is great over fences, a TBX (no clue what else he is he has a funny nose though) and a Paint/TB those are the horses that i ride at camp...ponies are fun to jump.... my horse is a Paso Fino (gaited horse) he jumped 3' so beautifuly i LOVED jumping him he tucked his feet up and was so cute with his nearly 2' mane:) hehe! Appy i have seen more and more appys jumping. Paints to....everyone thinks paints are "cow horses" and thats it. but i think they are also built nicely for jumping. QH's... on TV you see a lot of TB, WB, Hanovarians, and stuff like that.

[squid_is_ace]

my pony blue is a welsh mountain pony she is 12.2 and a mare and she can jump over 4ft i would say the highest she could jump was 4ft 5

[MysticRealm]

All breeds are awesome!

[Abi_2k]

My pony is a 14.3hh arabx new forest and he has a massive jump but its really smooth too! We are having a jumping lesson tomorrow and are going to a local showjumping competion on thurs! hehe! that means i get the day off school! :D :p

[Hunt~Jump21]

Quarter Horse x thoroughbred (a.k.a: appendix Q.H.) makes a nice jumping horse, especially for the working hunter classes as the thoroughbred blood gives them the jumping ability and athleticism, while the Q.H. gives them the strong hind quarters and level-headed attitude. In general, pure-bred quarter horse's canons are too short to make them good higher level jumpers but they tend to do well up to around the 3'3" classes.

I would also agree with what was suggested above: connemara's make great jumping ponies/horses, perhaps even moreso if crossed with a nice thoroughbred (one of my favorite crosses) which gives them a little additional height. A friend of mine also just started out as at the pro. amataur jumping level and invested in a very nice Selle Francais mare and apparently she's got tons of jump in her (I haven't seen her jump yet).

Warmbloods tend to be a little on the "thick" side to make the best jumpers but again, they do well when crossed with a finer boned breed. Also hanoverians and dutch/german/swedish warmbloods tend to do well over fences because they generally tend to be slightly finer than the belgian warmbloods. And as always, a good thoroughbred has a good build and plenty of athleticism to make it in the show jumping ring.

[Wally]

What level jumping and what exactly do you want to compete at. Hunter Trials, 1 dy, 2 day, 3 day eventing.

Most breeds can make a fair fist at jumping, but it takes a certain "je ne cest quoi" to get to the top at show jumping.

Eventing is different, as they need andurance and skill at Dressage.

I would say Icelandics are not show jumpers, if you want to show jump don't get an Icelandic.

[lamprellsarah]

although breed really don't matter i have seen horses that look like donkeys, jump and compete better than a flashy thoroughbred!!

[larri]

Try A Lusitano - Look at Novilheiro ( And yes it's probably spelt wrong!:rolleyes: ) A pure bred Luso jumping at international standard. They have the most amazing cat like agility
Safi jumped a five bar gate @ 6 months and out of a 10 ft square bull pen with 5 ft high walls @ 18 months!!

[Crazy_Jumper]

All horse breeds can jump, however, I personally think 18hh HEAVY BUILT Draft horses should be used. There are some draft horses I don't have a problem with jumping, but the very large, heavy ones should not jump because they were bred to pull the carts. My favorite jumping breeds are Trakehners, Hanoverians, Warmbloods, and of course: Connemara ponies. I had the pleasure of riding a 14.1hh Connemara pony named Rambo and he had the greatest jump, just felt like I was flying and he flew off the ground almost effortlessly even though it was a 3-foot jump. Sorry, for rambling on, I have a habit of talking for ages! Just remember: Jumping rocks!

[Wally]

Not ALL breeds can jump!

Some of the more pacey Icelandics cannot get the hang of jumping at all, there is no tradition of jumping in Iceland.

We have a severely pacey horse who cannot jump, instead of jumping with front feet then back, he is so pacey he tries to jump left pair of feet, then right pair. It just doesn't work!:D it's hysterical to watch.

[liberty911]

Well, as a child I learned to jump on a large TB (boxy boy at about 16'3hh) who was a retired steeple chaser. I rode that horse everywhere, x-country, show jumps, took him to Horse camp in the summers. I had alot of first times on that horse and at a very young age. He always saw us through even when I completely messed up. He lived to be a ripe old 34 years old and I was glad to spend the majority of my childhood riding him!

I would say I enjoyed jumping appy's the most though. it could just be that the appy I currently ride and the couple before her were willing to jump anything. Nice and level headed for the most part and not so "HOT" or as I commonly call out to the TB I partially lease who asked this horse to be a bubble head today? Did you? I cetainly didn't! (my instructor thinks it's seriously amusing)

So my choices for the best horses to jump are appy's, TB's, and warmbloods!

I have jumped with an arab QH cross and it was no fun!!!! The horse was a little booger though so it's not a breed thing it's a personal thing with not enjoying that particular horse.

Arabs are a little to tiny and refined for me (I am not a small girl) they are very pretty to look at and nice to watch someone else handle.

QH are great same as the appy in that the majority are respectful and clear headed! Maybe I will talk to my instructor and stable owner and see if we can try to purchase a QH as an addition to the stables this spring.

[gemtwist]

hey! ok...im looking for a great jumper, too. so far, i have found that the Irish Hunter is the best cross-country horse. It is the fifth best in the world as a hunter/jumper. but if you are looking for a more amiable horse with a stockier build, try the Irish Draft. (An Irish Hunter is a cross btwn. the Irish Draft and a Tb). the Irish Draft is a natural jumper and has a somewhat draft build and temperment. :) This would be a good thing. Try riding some if you find a breed that you like--look arund and have fun!!!!

[myEllie]

I like the look of Thoroughbred and lighter warmbloods. In the hunter ring I love thoroughbreds, just because I think they have a better look. Warmbloods sometimes are too heavy and just look a little too dopey. Quarter Horses, if they have been trained by QH trainers just look horrible over fences. They canter (more like lope) to the fences with their heads down below their knees and completely on the forehand, and while they bring their knees up over the fences they are often loose below them. Most hunter classes in AQHA shows are under 3 feet and I don't those horses could jump much higher especially with that form.

[Mehitabel]

as always, new forest ponies! petal's sire, peveril peterborough, jumped a 4'6 high and 5' wide fence in the high jump at the ellingham show a couple of years ago. we've got a photo of it up at the yard, and he looks so funny hovering above a jump that looks bigger than he is!

when i was training showjumpers (in dressage) in france, the family i was with had a selle francaise who was very easy to ride, but a bit dim, and a very anxious tb who was very talented and intelligent, but had been bullied and so had got it into his head that everything had to be a battle. it was a real shame, because he was a lovely horse.

[RingLass]

I know someone who jumps a saddlebred :D The horse is large, athletic, and pretty fearless :)

[Toggi_Gurl]

Any breed of horse or pony will jump, but through my experience I find that Welsh Section A ponies are quite good, they are smart and have a nice position when they take off and land, I won quite a few jumping classes with her and she was only 11.2hh.
Another breed that I think good for jumping, are Arabs.
To every1 else they might seem like long distance horses but the one that we owned was really good at jumping.
The thing about how good at jumping they are is more about the fact were they introduced into jumping well.
Good luck if your trying to find a good jumping horse/pony!:cool:

[kaykell7]

highlands!! im just getting started jumping with mine and she loves it!

[Mirage]

Umm 'myellie',

Comment to your statement on QH's cannot jump high... well I own a QH ... he can jump 5'... guess you never experienced the ride of a jumping QH huh?

Must say though my QH is not like the typical QH .. stright legg, crapy stiff moving, small footed QH.. he is more the big 'drafty' type. but regardless still a QH.

Appaloosa's are the best scopy-ist jumpers I must say. I own them also and one (that I recently sold) could jump the moon WITH FORM!! They are stocky and just make the grade (not so much in the big time show ring but in other sport areas they do just fine).

TB's are nice jumpers, for the Hunter ring or Jumper ring, I like seeing WB's in the Equitation ring.

No, not every horse can jump but I used to play around on a PACING standardbred ... we jumped 5'3 courses together, frequently.... yup a bumpy ride through the corners and cross cantered alot but up and over without a look she went.

[lamprellsarah]

met the most gorgeous horse yesterday fell in love straight away, he's the brother to party politics the horse that won the grand national, he's called master chip, and he 17.3HH bright bay with white strip.
he's a complete gentleman, and is calm and very intelligent, he takes you out hunting and jumping as if it was a walk in the park, he must be woth sooooo much!!

[myEllie]

Um, actually I have jumped a QH. She was a pony though, 13.2 hh. We did very well in the hunter classes and qualified for indoors and Devon, although we could not go to Devon because she was having a problem with her knee. We did very well on the hunter circuit, but she did not move anything like a QH. Go to any QH show around the country and watch the hunter classes. It looks like western pleasure. The horses are on their forehands all the way to the tiny jumps and their legs are not tight over the fences. The riders have their hands half way up the neck all the way around the course, so they don't need to learn a release over the fences.

And I believe I said the QH if trained by QH trainers, look horrible over fences, not all QHs.

[Mirage]

Trained by Western people QH's are well.. crappy (no offense to anyone)

But my guy is neat-O ... Hunter QH!

[Piaffe]

Thoroughbreds - except if they've been raced over the sticks!!

Then it takes forever to reschool them over jumps and convince them that they DON'T have to go flat out and sideways!!

[Lucy J]

What makes appaloosas good? is that not like saying palaminos are good? these horses are typed by marking rather than conformation are they not?

Irsh Sports horses make excellent jumpers.

[Ikon]

StationBred, Maori Ponies and TBxIH.
StationBred because you can always trust them to find their footing and get the stride right 99.9% of the time.
Maori Ponies beacuse all of the ones I ride are like StationBreds and they seem to "double kick" their back legs when doing larger jumps also they are usually quite hardy and controllable.
And TBxIH because you can guess!

[Cochise]

I personally love the appaloosa for jumping. My appy is incredibly honest and he can work out his striding really well. He has the scope to stretch out on the cross country and can also shorten up beautifully in the show jumping. I admit not all appaloosa's are perfect, but if you are lucky you will find the right one. I have also found the anglo arab and interesting jumper, my first pony was an anglo, and he was an "A" grade. Thoroughbreds have proven themselves in eventing, especially the New Zealand bred thoroughbred. I also had a welsh cob who was very talented for hunter jumping. But of course I would never choose anything over the appaloosa now.....:p

[tarkia]

There is a breed called an Akhal-Teke that comes from desserty areas of the world. I have a lot od horse breeds books and it has said the akhal-teke it a fantastic jumper and eventer in everyone. It is also meant to be good at dressage too.
Akhal-Teke-(this is out of one of my books!)
HEIGHT: 15.1hh-15.2hh.
COLOUR: Bay, Chestnut, Palomino, Dun, Grey and Black.
CONFORMATION: very fine head with wide nostrils, large, expressive eyes and long beautifully shaped ears. Long, straight and often thin neck, shallow rib cage, narrow hind quarters but full of power and muscle, muscula thinghs, strong straight forearms, small but hard feet, sparse mane and tail and thin skin.

Well thats it! (phew!)

[lamprellsarah]

hmmm, but it's shallow rib cage often doesn't leave enough room for a big heart and lungs, it's nice, but most breeds can turn a hoof to something of one kind or another

[Cochise]

So Ikon.......by the Maori pony do you mean the Kaimanawa? Because I have never heard of a Maori pony if it isnt....LOL
For anyone wondering what I'm talking about, we have an area in the North Island of New Zealand called tthe Kaimanawa mountain ranges. The early settlers let a few hundred horses free into this area and they bred like anything. Kind of like the brumby in Australia, not of any determinable breeding, so we just gave them the general name of Kaimanawa, after the area they are in. They are essentially wild horses, but they have become a bit of a "pest" due to eating and destroying the natural habitation in the area. So annually they have a huge muster and an auction to rehome the horses. Most of the horses are wonderful to train. I know one called Comet and his full sister Astro who have turned out to be wonderful!! And they can jump too. There is a kaimanawa club, which you can get some more info on at http://www.horsetalk.co.nz

So anyway thats what the "Moari pony" is but if you don't agree Ikon, please reply so that I can see what you mean!!
Cheers

[Alison+Rio]

I have to say warmbloods. I have a warmblood and he was a fantastic jumper! He absoloutely loved it. I had a bad accident years ago and he was the first horse I had jumped in 3 years. He never puts a foot wrong and has gotten my friend and I out of some sticky situations in the past! Unfortunately he now has navicular so cant be jumped.

It all depends on the horse though. Some horses are fabulous natural jumpers and others aren't. Most breeds can jump but not every horse enjoys it. If you find a horse that enjoys jumping he will always try his best and give you 100%, however, if the horse doesn't like he wont try.

[HandtiedHalters]

In Northland, we have a special "breed". Hardy ponies that run on beaches in Kaitaia etc. They are also good jumpers with impeccable manners!!!:D

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

I think the best breed is a Cleavaland bay and a Fell pony.

[lamprellsarah]

awww another cleveland bay fan i don't find many of them!!

[ravenin]

I'd have to mention Thoroughbreds, Dutch Warmbloods, Hanoverians, and the other German warmbloods (Oldenburgs & Trakheners come to mind) as well as putting in another vote for Appaloosas.
Appaloosas are fine animals, athletic, beautiful, and intelligent. And, surprising to some, they don't even have to be spotted (other characteristics are mottled skin, white sclera, and striped hooves). The first horse I ever fell in love was an App. stallion, 15.2hh, dark rich brown color, 4 socks and a wide stripe, and no spots. He has a thick long mane and the same for his tail, beautiful muscular conformation...ahhh he is beautiful, w/$1000 stud fee to match his looks :). Can't say anything for his jumping ability, as he was shown in Halter classes, but what a fine representative of the breed in general. The same farm now shows Zipbarty Skip, who leads the nation in points in the "aged mares" category. I had the luck to grow up down the road from them. For more Appy info check out http://www.appaloosa.com

[anuvb]

Lamprellsarah - I'm a CB fan too! Mine's a CB x TB and he has a lovely jump - lots of power in the back end. Unfortunately he's a complete prat in the show ring so I (or the poor foolish volunteers that have offered to ride him) have never been able to make the most of it.

Personally I think any horse with agility, speed and a powerful rump can make superb jumpers. Have known some really good cobby types to make it to senior levels and still look the part as well when they have been clipped, even though everyone has criticised them in the yard. Whilst some breed characteristics are definitely a plus I still think it probably comes down to the individual.

[lamprellsarah]

mine meant to be pure cleveland but we are not too sure she may have some TB in!!
my mare has a super jump, and in her younger days i can only dream of how well she must have done, she is 22 now and when i bought her 2 years ago, she hadn't been ridden hardly not jumped for 10 years!!!
when i first put up a jump, she used to bomb madly for it and cat leap it, i had no choice everything was jumped!!
i will put a pic on here as soon as i hve got it scanned

[lamprellsarah]

all i have to say is there isn't any best breeds, they are all used for one purpose or another and most will turn a hoof to anything.
a TB may not be suited to racing like eveyrone things simpley because the way it is brought up.
a warmblood may not jump well because it has be asked to pull a cart but he is happy!!
it all depends on the person and the temperment of the horse, never rule a horse out because of the way it looks.

[lamprellsarah]

heers a pic, i look awful but i think chancer looks great!!

[TheMoose]

In my opinion cross breds are better than most, that way you get the best of two breeds. The better horses tend to be the blood horses.
Its all up to the individual horse. If its got scope, is bold, careful, has got the right attitude, got the right temperment and enjoys his work then that is a good horse. You cannot determine a good horse from breeding only.

[3 day eventer]

a tb or anything crossed are the best jumpers in my opinion. but my fave breed is an anglo-arab!