Can horses actually 'enjoy' jumping?

[NellRosk]

I was always of the opinion that horses that galloped blindly into fences were somewhat stressed and anxious and wanted to get it over with. However I have recently started jumping my youngster and she has no physical problems, everything has been checked etc and she's been brought on slowly and sensibly, well schooled... however she really flings herself at fences. Working at slowing her down by doing some pole work but I'm just wondering why do they gallop into fences? Can she just be enjoying herself?

eta I realise this may be a stupid question! If they do enjoy it though then why?

 

[chestnut cob]

Maybe she just doesn't yet really understand what is being asked of her? She could be a bit nervous about it.

Mine did it when he started jumping in the school, having only ever jumped out hunting and been allowed (not by me) to gallop at everything. He was still learning to slow things down and relax on the flat - he was v buzzy and tense, which showed in his flatwork and jumping. Now he's calmed down and is schooling nicely on the flat, he has calmed down jumping too. In his case, he did enjoy it, he loves jumping, but he found it easier to go fast and fling himself around than to slow down and use himself properly. Presumably simply because he didn't have the strength to get a good powerful canter, so he used speed instead. Either way, he's much stronger now and doesn't do it anymore.

 

[boats]

sometimes its a lack of balance and a slight panic. When you say 'flings herself' is that speed wise or a bad jumping technique or a combo?

I've a lad that loves jumping, if you pop a jump up in the arena he will happily run around and jump it. when he's going into it tho he isn't rushing in, he goes at a nice speed and balanced. Thats the way i think a horse who loves jumping would approach.

 

[NellRosk]

Maybe she just doesn't yet really understand what is being asked of her? She could be a bit nervous about it.

Mine did it when he started jumping in the school, having only ever jumped out hunting and been allowed (not by me) to gallop at everything. He was still learning to slow things down and relax on the flat - he was v buzzy and tense, which showed in his flatwork and jumping. Now he's calmed down and is schooling nicely on the flat, he has calmed down jumping too. In his case, he did enjoy it, he loves jumping, but he found it easier to go fast and fling himself around than to slow down and use himself properly. Presumably simply because he didn't have the strength to get a good powerful canter, so he used speed instead. Either way, he's much stronger now and doesn't do it anymore.

Maybe not no, I think she does understand though! She's never got her legs tangled or knocked one down! I think as you say it might be because she finds it easier. She's a big horse so must find it difficult to to maintain a balanced rhythmical canter.

 

[NellRosk]

sometimes its a lack of balance and a slight panic. When you say 'flings herself' is that speed wise or a bad jumping technique or a combo?

I've a lad that loves jumping, if you pop a jump up in the arena he will happily run around and jump it. when he's going into it tho he isn't rushing in, he goes at a nice speed and balanced. Thats the way i think a horse who loves jumping would approach.

Speed wise! So would you say a horse can actually *enjoy* jumping? Why is this, do you think? Genuinely interested!

 

[FrostyFeet]

My mini yearling seems to jump for the sheer joy of it! He's approx 28 inches and has easily cleared 3'3" from a standstill ( because he was being ignored for five minutes).Pop him to graze in the field with any jumps/trotting poles left in place and he canters around like a complete loon and hops over them quite happily-does a circuit and over again. Completely nuts but he obviously loves it and wishes he was a big horse 😀

 

[chestnut cob]

Maybe not no, I think she does understand though! She's never got her legs tangled or knocked one down! I think as you say it might be because she finds it easier. She's a big horse so must find it difficult to to maintain a balanced rhythmical canter.

I'm definitely not an authority on it, can only go by my experience with my horse. I just know in his case, until he had a more balanced and powerful canter, he just wanted to go flat out at everything. Now he is much more balanced, much softer and working more correctly, he is more adjustable and has enough power without needing to fling himself at the jump.

ETA - he really does love jumping, esp XC. If you put up fences in the arena, he will squeak when you ask for canter and when he gets to jump. He adores it, but he just needed to slow down, grow up and understand the job.

 

[NellRosk]

My mini yearling seems to jump for the sheer joy of it! He's approx 28 inches and has easily cleared 3'3" from a standstill ( because he was being ignored for five minutes).Pop him to graze in the field with any jumps/trotting poles left in place and he canters around like a complete loon and hops over them quite happily-does a circuit and over again. Completely nuts but he obviously loves it and wishes he was a big horse ��

Awww! I think you know what's coming next.... pics please

 

[boats]

yeah my other sports horse wasn't strong behind and he throws himself at jumps at speed as its easier for him than going back on his hocks. He jumps anything and everything, but like the other poster he does it in a buzzy and tense way too.

The exracer really just enjoys being athletic and using himself by the looks of it.

 

[FrostyFeet]

The few times he's been in there haven't had phone to video-could kick my self! Will try to put him in there at the weekend and catch the little monkey on video 😃

 

[NellRosk]

yeah my other sports horse wasn't strong behind and he throws himself at jumps at speed as its easier for him than going back on his hocks. He jumps anything and everything, but like the other poster he does it in a buzzy and tense way too.

The exracer really just enjoys being athletic and using himself by the looks of it.

That's what I'm worried about, I don't want a tense horse! Her job when she's mature will be a working hunter and I don't want some giant 16.3 careering round a show ring!

 

[Holly B]

I don't see why not - I used to do a lot of athletics and really enjoyed sprinting over hurdles! It was just... fun, and an adrenaline rush I suppose. Perhaps some horses feel the same!

 

[NellRosk]

I'm definitely not an authority on it, can only go by my experience with my horse. I just know in his case, until he had a more balanced and powerful canter, he just wanted to go flat out at everything. Now he is much more balanced, much softer and working more correctly, he is more adjustable and has enough power without needing to fling himself at the jump.

ETA - he really does love jumping, esp XC. If you put up fences in the arena, he will squeak when you ask for canter and when he gets to jump. He adores it, but he just needed to slow down, grow up and understand the job.

Thanks for your experience! Love that little squeak comment! I think Nelly will be the same, a bit of maturing is required.

 

[hayley.t]

I went on a farm ride at the weekend with some friends who jump, I am a massive wuss and don't really so I was just going to do the non jumping option however I ended up popping over a few (really happy with my cob and myself! !) And then cob wanted to jump them all and was pulling towards the jumps that we were missing out, we weren't always behind another horse so I can only. ASsume that he enjoyed it and wanted to jump more??

 

[NellRosk]

Hmm maybe they can enjoy it then! Interesting

 

[Cowpony]

Mine absolutely loves jumping. When I first got her she used to rush at everything because she'd been allowed to and was weak and unbalanced. Now she's much better and I can control her speed round a course, but if we are jumping in a lesson and have to take turns to jump she gets over-excited while waiting, knows when it's her turn and canters sideways until I let her go. On those occasions it gets very difficult to slow her down when she's lined up to the jump! For obvious reasons I much prefer a smaller group in lessons so we can ride in open order and jump when there's a space.

 

[tinap]

The last pony we owned used to stick his top lip out when he was happy - having a brush or a scratch, playing with his field mates etc. Every single photo I have of him jumping has his ears pricked & top lip shoved out! I'm pretty sure he loved it

 

[muddy_grey]

Absolutely my old horse lived for jumping. If turned out next door to the school with jumps left out he would jump into the school and jump the fences. Schooling around fences would make him cross if you didn't jump and a dressage show was torture!

Does your horse rush if you loose jump her? It is hard to know what you mean without seeing pictures/video. I would focus on her canter and do lots of pole work to get her sitting, then progress to small grids. For WH her technique will need to be good.

 

[NellRosk]

Interesting the horses that jump for fun without a rider!! This would definitely indicate that they are doing it for fun.

muddy_grey, I haven't loose schooled her over a jump for years! Did it once when she was 2 so that's interesting, might do it and then see if she still rushes. If I can get someone to video me jumping I will do, as I would also be interested in seeing it.

 

[unicornystar]

Definately!

I have had many horses over the years.....some have tolerated it, some have run on fast as they were worried...the current chap is like a riding school type until you show him a jump!! Woop! he loves it!!!!!

I have also had a couple that didn't they soon let me know!!

 

[tinap]

Absolutely my old horse lived for jumping. If turned out next door to the school with jumps left out he would jump into the school and jump the fences. Schooling around fences would make him cross if you didn't jump and a dressage show was torture!

Does your horse rush if you loose jump her? It is hard to know what you mean without seeing pictures/video. I would focus on her canter and do lots of pole work to get her sitting, then progress to small grids. For WH her technique will need to be good.

This reminded me of something our pony did. He'd had an injury & had been on box rest for a about 5 weeks. He then went onto field rest into a small paddock. After a couple of days hed had enough, jumped into the field which had a course set up in & took himself around it!! Yard owner was gobsmacked watching him. He was definitely feeling better

 

[FestiveFuzz]

My old sports horse used to love jumping, so much so she'd only have to clock a jump in the arena and would be prancing and jogging until she got to jump it. The same thing would happen when she was asked to jump, she'd charge at the first couple of jumps but then she'd settle down and work really well.

 

[misskk88]

My mare is so laid back to ride, yet put a few fences in front of her and I can literally feel her bouncing on the spot. She loves it. Parts of our fields tend to literally grow overnight when we have had rain in the summer. I have seen my horse leaping over these long patches of grass and forage at full pace before now while her buddy dodges them. Quite cute to watch, especially as she then resumes eating it all once she has had enough!

 

[Char0901]

Yeah I think some horses enjoy jumping. Most probably. Mine certainly have in the past and my yearling seems to enjoy jumping out of his field. (Annoying!)

Re the rushing into fences and 'flinging' herself at the fences I'd suggest lose jumping her. She then has to think for herself and get herself out of trouble rather than waiting for rider to intervene and help her out.

 

[wattamus]

Mine does, her ears are always forward as she approaches a jump, she's eager to get over a fence yes but she will turn herself inside out to clear it (almost literally). She'd never jumped before I had her (she was 16 when I got her) and I must say the only time she is animated in the school is when there's a jump up.
I agree some horses rush through fear or pain or inexperience but I am strongly of the opinion that if a horse doesn't want to do something, unless the rider is a horrible bully the horse won't do it!

 

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

I've been wondering about this, as my share horse will go into a jump as fast as possible and then get faster and faster around the course if you let him. I know this can indicate that he's worried, and he does tend to look very carefully at planks the first time round. BUT once he's jumped the planks once he will jump all planks in the session without worrying, even a completely different set. Also, when he was bought, the previous owner said he had been taught to go as fast as possible into jumps by someone who thought that was the correct way to do it. We've had some lessons together and he picks things up really quickly, very keen to learn and to get things right. He jumps with his ears pricked, although sometimes with a little flick to the side as he goes over, and he responds instantly to you looking for the next jump, even in the air you can see on video his head turning at the same time as the rider's.

I hope he's enjoying it, he does seem keen to find the next jump and the next one, even when you've finished the course, but I do worry that he's rushing out of nerves. The plank thing makes me worry he's been pushed to go too fast and not been able to jump and crashed through some planks, but I might be reading too much into it.

Either way, he has a good technique when he gets to the jump, so we're working on going steady and balanced over small inviting fences in the hope that if it's just excitement, he will learn to control it, that if it's worry, he will gain confidence, and that if it's just that he's learnt to go like a rocket, he will un-learn it! He's 14, so I feel at a bit of a disadvantage, not knowing the details of his experiences with previous owners.

I hope I'm doing the right thing!

(sorry, this is not a helpful reply, but an agreement that it's an interesting question, and it's very hard to know what goes on in their heads!)

 

[planete]

I had to stop riding and decided to lunge my horse over jumps as part of keeping him interested and fit. The head girl saw us and gave me some useful tips. Basically never let the horse rush at the jump. Bring him round in a circle if he is approaching the fence in an unbalanced manner and make him use his hindquarters and stay in a rhythm on the circle. When he does, then let him come off the circle and go over the jump. After a few sessions, my young horse had learnt to keep a rhythm and no longer rushed and flattened out into the jumps. And yes horses can enjoy jumping, I have known a few who were hard to keep away from a fence if there was one in the school!

 

[marmalade76]

Definitely and I have to have one that does as I don't like to feel that I'm making them do something they would rather not.

I had a mare that was not that big (16h) but rode big 'cause she was so long and long striding. Her jumping was awful unless we did loads and loads of flatwork. The rest of my horses have been compact, whizzy things, they found jumping much easier and did not require as much flatwork. They also enjoyed jumping where as the mare was never quite as keen.

 

[Dry Rot]

I wrote a reply to this earlier, then read the question again and decided I'd not answered what had been asked and deleted it! Having read a few replies, I'll have another go because this is an interesting question.

My philosophy of training is to set things up so the animal (in my case, dogs and ponies) enjoy what they are doing and do what I want them to do by choice. So I started feeding the young ponies hard feed in a small enclosure. Then I put a rail across the gateway. Some hopped over almost immediately, one or two took longer. Every few days, I'd raise the rail. This is free jumping, no lunge whip and no lunge lines. A fringe benefit was that they were self jumping in and out during the day just to check that they hadn't missed any feed!

When they were backed and being schooled, my rider said the ponies were pulling towards the enclosure presumably wanting to jump in but probably also by food. They also pulled towards jumps set up in the field and progressed to 'formal jumping' without problems. The only problem we did have was a few broken gates (3 I think!) when the same youngsters attempted to jump field gates! (They didn't try again after failing!). Incidentally, I also put hard feed in the trailer occasionally and leave it in the field. The girls reported that the ponies would pull towards the trailer as well when being ridden! When jumping, because their jumping is self taught they tend to use judgement and clear the obstacle easily but only by as much as is necessary.

One pony I sold down south free jumps in the paddock when his owner is schooling his half brother. This appears to be just for fun. There is a video of this somewhere on YouTube. Yes, here we go! Not the one I w as thinking about but just as good.

[youtube]bEwx3hbvOeg[/youtube]

I used to stay with a show jumping family and the son would take his horse around a course of fairly small jumps every morning. I asked about this and was told it is all about confidence. The horse got so used to jumping these small jumps that it would sail over the big jumps when it went to a show. I can only say that judging by the prices my host was getting for his horses, it seemed to work.

I can't explain why a horse ploughs through jumps but I do think they are poor judges of scale. There is no doubt that horses are not very bright in some areas. My lot come to call but when I opened the gate so they could run down through the fields, they'd come to call in a straight line and always find their way blocked by a fence. It took them quite a while to learn that they had to make a detour of about 100 yards to find the open gate. I don't think some will ever learn, they either get stuck or follow the others!

 

[windand rain]

My old highland mare loves it she is quite happy to pop over the fence if she wants to be elsewhere We have 5ft fences round her to keep her in and she just walks up and pops over if she really wants to get to the other side. We also let them graze in the jumping field from time to time and they canter round and round the jumps popping over any that get in the way no riders, no traps, lanes or sloping poles just straight poles on barrels