A horse that jumps too big...

only_me

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 June 2007
Messages
14,038
Location
Ireland
Visit site
over a fence, is according to a very very knowlegdable person, is anxious about the fence in some way.

a horse that over-jumps, a horse that rushes at the fences, a horse that runs out/stops, a horse that runs away from fence - he believes that all of theses "horses" show signs of anxiety about the jump, or are nervous/lacking confidence in some way.

the horse that is truely confident is the one who is economical in his/her jump and dosent alter stride etc. unless asked by rider.

what do you think? do you agree with this person?

imo some horses just jump big, but i do agree with the rest, that horses doing these are worried about something.
 

Tinkle

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 August 2006
Messages
389
Visit site
Can't comment about horses in general but I certainly think my mares over-jumping was down to a lack of confidence. However, when she was jumping more regularly she certainly had a 'athletic' jump so maybe a bit of both in her case.

I guess it probably depends on the context - if the horse is doing silly cat leaps then maybe it's worried, if it's just jumping 'big' but calmly maybe it's just feeling particularly enthusiastic.

x
 

monica987

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 December 2006
Messages
7,436
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
Well Haddy is very economical with his jump and is definitely not anxious about the fence so I can see it from that point.

Sparky would often over jump when I first got him (Hell, I fell of when he over jumped a wall when I tried him!!) but once I was done he was very very tidy but would not over jump at all. I think it was as he gained confidence.

I do however think some horses have a naturally big jump and are very athletic - FranA's Digby springs to mind with athletic jumping!
grin.gif
 

TarrSteps

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 January 2007
Messages
10,891
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Yes, I do.
smile.gif


Some athletic horses will over jump a bit especially at the beginning of a school, from freshness or just for the heck of it, and many athletic horses will give a fence extra room if impressed but, yes, generally, relaxed, educated, confident horses jump calmly and relatively economically. Young horses often over jump just to be on the safe side but usually they calm down, either because the fences stay easy and non-stress or they get bigger and the horse gets more educated and learns to use its scope more effectively. Like everything else, if a little is good more is not necessarily better and most "bad habits" are actually desirable things (being forward or careful, say) gone wrong.

Horses that are extremely careful are notorious for developing stopping problems if their confidence is shaken. Sometimes different problems have the same root.

I would differentiate though, between horses that over jumps in a careful-anxious/athletic manner and one that heaves its body way up in the air to make up for loose forelimbs. There have been some famous horses that jumped this way - think of the horse Rodrigo rode at his first Olympics, Tommy Boy - but they're certainly not the norm, in part because they aren't easy to ride or easy on themselves.
 

Grey_Eventer

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 June 2008
Messages
2,698
Visit site
i think it just depends- my horse puts in some massive jumps with nearly make me fly out... but he only does this when he gets the stride everything bang on right- like hes enjoying it! or when its a massive spread he just launches over it... its awesome! hes not scared of jumps at all... just loves jumping and is just very "enthusiastic" lol hes also just very careful and doesnt like knocking fences if at all possible
but a lot of horses who are scared jump very big... i can remeber when i asked my old pony to jump a filler- he was a very nervous jumper as had been beaten up and it felt like his head was between his legs and his hooves where by his ears!
i think it just depends really... you cant really say all horses that jump big are scared....
 

Seahorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 May 2003
Messages
8,290
Location
East Sussex
community.webshots.com
My horse jumps big over some jumps, he is nearly 7 but quite green because I don't tend to jump him very much because he over jumps!!
I recently discovered that if he's not going forward enough he will put in a massive jump but if I have him going quite fast he won't jump as big, easier said than done!
He doesn't do it all the time either, and we can have a whole session where he doesn't do it at all, then he'll stick a big one in when I'm least expecting it!
 

Rambo

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 September 2005
Messages
6,969
Location
South
Visit site
Trike gives everything a foot at least...often two
blush.gif


He isn't scared...he just jumps big...and has had 3 fences down in 2 years
tongue.gif


Bo is the complete opposite...gives everything the absolute minimum...but still doesn't have too many down
smile.gif


They're all different...and just because they jump big doesn't make them scared
wink.gif
 

Seahorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 May 2003
Messages
8,290
Location
East Sussex
community.webshots.com
[ QUOTE ]
Trike gives everything a foot at least...often two
blush.gif


He isn't scared...he just jumps big...and has had 3 fences down in 2 years
tongue.gif


Bo is the complete opposite...gives everything the absolute minimum...but still doesn't have too many down
smile.gif


They're all different...and just because they jump big doesn't make them scared
wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

yes was going to say that Axel isn't scared of jumping in fact he loves it! The other week I took him to GX for a clear round day and he was napping to go back in the arena to do more jumping!
 

Rambo

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 September 2005
Messages
6,969
Location
South
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]
I agree with that but too exhausted from jumping lesson on big jumping horse to tell explain why atm
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!

It is VERY tiring jumping a horse like that i have to admit...hence why i usually only jump 1 class a show on Trike..but 2 on Bo
grin.gif
 

kerilli

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 April 2002
Messages
27,417
Location
Lovely Northamptonshire again!
Visit site
i agree with him about 98%. only exceptions would be:
a keen horse who loves jumping and rushes its fences a little, in headstrongness (not wanting the rider's input) but which voluntarily jumps skinnies etc even when badly presented, when it would be easier to run out... surely an anxious horse would run out?
very careful horses which always give fences a bit more air than required because they simply do not want to risk touching them at all... but i wouldn't really call them anxious, if they jump in a relaxed way.
hope that makes sense!
 

millitiger

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 March 2008
Messages
7,322
Visit site
i would agree in general BUT a horse i rode a few years ago used to pull like a train, changing leads etc and cleared every fence by at least a foot.

he simply adored jumping and couldn't get enough of it. he was ridiculously bold sj and xc, never spooked or jinked at skinnys or ditches etc.

but you always felt like you were going to get jumped off over every fence.
all of my trainers etc and people at shows thought he was amazing and a few very well known 4**** riders suggested he could have been world class had he been discovered at a younger age- despite rushing and overjumping!!
 

BuckingHorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 July 2006
Messages
613
Location
Surrey
Visit site
It does depend on the horse - my 6 year old jumps everything huge but is very confident yet another horse I had jumped very big because he had clearly been frightened in the past (I have a photo of him jumping the top of the wings in a 1.20 class!)
blush.gif


A friend who has a horse that was Grade B champion a few years back said it was a nightmare bringing him back into work as he would jump 1.30 even over a cross pole!
grin.gif
 

Daisychain

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 June 2007
Messages
3,592
Location
Worcs.
Visit site
My trainer has a young horse, she literally floats on the ground, this is accentuated when she jumps she orbits everything BUT purely because she is built like a spring, she has incredibly high hopes for her (and is ranked in top 60 so should know what she is on about) you can see before she jumps the athelitisicm in this mare.
 
Top