Following on from 'Why don't you event ?'

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Rambo

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I'm interested to know what people mean when they say their horse is an out and out showjumper, or doesn't like cross-country, or similar
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I think i know in my head what i mean by that, but i'm interested to hear others views...

Do you think horses really care whether they are jumping solid fences or knock down poles, or is it likely that the riders preferences / fears / dislikes are being transmitted to the horse ?

Let's face it, with the odd exception, most horses could have a fair stab at most things.....most can jump a metre without breaking their stride so unless you're competing to the very limit of your discipline 'ability' doesn't really come in to it....or does it
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I do think horses know when they are jumping SJ's and XC fences. And they are more careful XC!

And I do know of a few pure warmbloods who have taken a complete dislike to XC and this has nothing to do with their riders not liking it!!
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With Dolly you would be wasting your money doing the dressage - don't think I would be allowed a standing Martingale
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She does however do Derbies so I would think she would go XC - don't know what would happen at the water though...
 
Water is tricky on SJers!!

The SJer I have at the mo thinks he has to clear the water! So very spectaculary jumps up and out over water! He is learning though to get his feet wet!!
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IMO there are horses that just aren't bold enough XC, epecially for jumping the higher levels etc and may not have the staminer either.

And equally there are horses that dont respect SJ's as they know they will fall off if they fart!! Think i may have that problem with Senza ha ha.

I actaully think she would make a better eventer than SJ, she has the paces for dressage, she LOVES XC and she couldn't give a monkeys about SJ. Oh well that just tough ha ha
 
My pony wont jump coloured fences at all! A good day is one when he goes in the ring & hes done 5DC in 7 years - that was over 2ft6.

But he has fantastic SJ bloodline, so can jump & was started on the hunting field, so he's always loved XC. Having said that Id never refer to him as an out and out xc horse - as he's just not!

You have a point about the riders dislikes, as I hate Sj, but I think it is a hatred fuelled by riding that thing!
 
One of my horses could easily 'do' all 3 disciplines. Dressage would be his weakest, as although he goes ok his flatwork is very much 'showjumping flatwork'. Jumping-wise to him a jump's a jump be it a wall, hedge, poles, water, whatever. I put this down to him being irish and having a hunting background.

My other horse is very spooky. I have schooled him round a little xc course and he will jump everything but it takes a lot of convincing him. It also took me 20mins to get him in the water, and I don't think I'd be able to persuade him to jump dowm into water, although he is very keen to jump out! I have also done dressage with him - judges comment was "a promising horse who should be capable of a very nice test once he learns to settle and grows out of the spookiness" my horse was 13 at the time - don't think he's going to grow out of it!. I think I'll stick to showjumping with him.
 
Yes..marey is a big cow and thinks it's "entertaining" to intentionally kick out the back poles of spreads and oxers after giving them lots of air...she'd never try that with a solid fence!
 
well here's a strange one...

Old horse would hunt all day.

he'd do an OK dressage test..

He was always placed working hunter

He'd do pair HT.

He hated coloured poles, and would refuse most of them - esp fillers, and going xc on his own, he'd through the towel in.

so - in some cases, horses are a weird lot and he was one of htem.

currently carrying masters wife and friend of a hunt in devon so he's being appreciated!!!

Bx
 
Dan doesn't 'do' XC.

He definetly knew the difference. Wouldn't stop SJ unless I had asked the impossible or if it was a water/ditch/bank/out the arena etc!!! He was hysterical to ride to be honest on our admittedly pathetic attempts at some Derbies and XC!

I did a ODE once where is was all of about 2f6 (were jumping 1m25s at the time SJ!) did a respectable dressage then clear SJ which left us in top 5, things when don't the drain though as set off from start and within 5 strides ground to a halt infront of the 2ft first fence. Took about 3 attempts to get over 1, then similary at 3 and 4 (2 obviously was not too bad
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) and were almost asked to leave course at the smallest ditch in the world at 5. I think we got to about fence 16 in the end when he pulled up lame having knocked a forming splint but we jumped very few fences first time. Think the jump judges thought I was mad because I was in hysterics laughing at his wimpiness rather than getting cross.

But yes he just didn't do solid or natural obstacles!! it took jumping a water jump daily for a full week at home to get him to jump them at least 2nd time at shows and took about 6 months of competition until I was happy he would jump them the majority of the time but he still liked to test I was awake occasionally!!
 
My horse could easily do all 3 - He is very bold and loves jumping.
Sadly for him since breaking my L2 vertebra, I am a wimp.....Well I am still riding so not that much of a wimp....
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But I do love watching the eventing...
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[ QUOTE ]
DD shes Irish!
What do you think would happen at the water??
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[/ QUOTE ]

I think she might jump it all in one go.... I don't know if she goes thru puddles as it hasn't rained since I bought her
 
Our warm blood will not do cross country under any circumstances she has a basic dislike of anything solid and had real difficulty with show jumps that look like walls. Our ID/TB will do anything though he is so lazy that he finds dressage much too hard work he would rather buck his way round the show jumps or fly through the cross country
 
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