Jumping question.

[Werehorse]

Can you tell if a horse will jump under saddle by loose jumping it?

Neither myself nor Poppy are up to jumping together yet but I would like to see if she does jump for myself (rather than just take her owners word for it... not that her owner has any reason to lie! I just like to see things before I believe them :P)

I suppose at least I could see if she was just point blank not interested?

[liz_scarlet]

Could you find someone to jump her for you so you can see her in action?? I have never Jumped S (well not on purpose we have popped over a fallen tree and a speed bump ) but got to see her jumped by a girl on last yard before I bought her.

[Werehorse]

I think she's probably just too much of an awkward burger to attempt to jump under-saddle at the moment at all. She used to do Pony Club stuff with her owner so I'm assuming she can do when fit - so I should probably just assume she can or at least will after some training. I'm mainly worried that she isn't fit enough to carry me over a jump at the moment, whereas she is just about fit enough to pop one or two crosspoles loose to see what she makes of it.

[liz_scarlet]

I'm very new to all this but lovely woman on my yard loose jumps her 3 yr old colt and it seems every one thinks he should do well under saddle so it must show some ability :-)

[Werehorse]

Originally Posted by liz_scarlet

I'm very new to all this but lovely woman on my yard loose jumps her 3 yr old colt and it seems every one thinks he should do well under saddle so it must show some ability :-)

Yes, and every horse for sale ad for a young jumping horse has a picture of it loose jumping some rediculously high fence... I guess it will show raw ability but not necessarily if she has any issues with it under saddle. But then given the amount of issues she has with schooling that I will potentially be working through - why worry about issues with jumping? Just have to work through those as well!!

[liz_scarlet]

I'd help if I could but as I have bought a relatively green welsh mare who I love but tests me at every turn as I'm a totally novice owner and not much more experienced rider I'm probably not your girl for advice

This will prove my little knowledge of horses but cant they all jump???

[Werehorse]

Well I think so... but some just hate it and get all in a tiz about it. I'm just asking daft questions cos I'm debating whether to buy her or not. My heart is in it but I'm a bit too sensible for my own good and am trying to think it through properly.

[liz_scarlet]

Go with your heart, figure the rest out later

[bitsnpieces]

Loose jumping, or even jumping on a lunge line (not necessarily on a circle though), would give you an idea of her natural shape over a jump.

If she hasn't jumped for a while then just take it easy with her at first and build up any jumping work gradually

[Werehorse]

Originally Posted by bitsnpieces

If she hasn't jumped for a while then just take it easy with her at first and build up any jumping work gradually

Absolutely! It would literally be a one off and just one or two pops over a cross pole and maybe a tiny upright just to see what she does. We won't be going near a jump together with me on her back for a loooooong time!

[skyenfaye]

Could you not even do a tiny! jump with her? When we first got Lunan, Chelly was just riding him round the field while I done a few tiny jumps on Faye, and she decided to follow me over the trotting pole, then over a tiny weeny little jump, and he was perfect! And he'd never jumped before under saddle. Personally, I dont see how loose jumping could show if she'll jump under saddle, because you could send a two year old over a jump (not that I would!) but It doesn't necicerally mean they'll do it under saddle, but just that they CAN jump.

[Jane&Ziggy]

I really doubt it could harm her to pop her over a cross pole just to see if she is willing. You don't look big for her, and she doesn't have soundness issues, does she? Then if someone has done something to sour her over jumps, you will know straight away.

Ziggy was produced as a showjumper for a year and "soured over the jumps" (= beaten, rapped, possibly shocked). The first time I showed him a coloured pole in the school he bolted in utter terror. It has taken a year to get him to trot over them flat on the ground at liberty with me. You probably don't want that!

But if she'll pop a cross pole with you, then the rest could follow as she gets fitter.

[Werehorse]

Well she can definitely loose jump!! She took some persuading to get going, looked at the crosspole before jumping it really slowly the first time - you could see her thinking "eeeerm, what do I do with these again?". But once she got going she was flying over it! Her approach was completely unbalanced and I think she has been used to being really supported into fences rather than left to sort herself out but she gave it plenty of air and made some nice shapes over the jump itself.

I know this doesn't really tell me what she would be like under saddle but she was really keen once she got going. So much so that she cantered round and jumped it 3 more times after I had stopped asking her to do anything at all.

I won't be getting on and jumping her until we are a lot more sorted together, she needs to learn to do it herself a bit more first. But I've seen enough to convince me that she can jump and that she has some scope to work with.

Pictures and video on their way!

[Werehorse]

[Jane&Ziggy]

I would say that was a lovely bascule and a keen mare!