How beneficial do you feel loose jumping is to teach a horse to jump?

JoBo

JoBo

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Just interested really.

I loose jumped Bodey earlier in the week and he flew but he did fly at everything at quite a high speed. I jumped him today (third time ever) and he jumped really well, not too fast, jumped 2ft6 which is massive for me (Bodey was first sat on at the end of Feb). So I was thinking that the loose jumping must have helped him, what do you think?
 
I think it can help them have a good look at the fences without a rider on them, allowing them to sort out their own striding and jump at their natural rythmn without interferance, which can be benificial and i suppose can teach them bad habits.
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I think it is beneficial, have done it with both my horses and it helps increase their confidence and teach them to think for themselves about the jump.
 
I think its a great way of teaching them to sort them selfs out. Also builds up there confidents with no rider to hinder them (Under the saddle when he doesn't clear it spot on perfect it's is almost always the riders wrong.) In my experience it's good for getting horses to find the natural balanced rhythm in canter, once hes clicked its not about speed. I can defintly tell when I jump a youngster if hes been loose schooled before.
 
loose jumping is good and also having trotting poles on the ground when you are lunging - e.g. one pole at 3, 6, 9 and 12 on the lunge circle like a clock - makes the horse learn to adjust their stride to cope and think for themselves
 
I think loose jumping would be equally effective for the rider - as many of my SJ rounds were only spoilt by the horse's carelessness - without his clumsy hooves I'd have been fine.
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Are you suggesting I run round a course of jumps myself, well I’ll try anything once (that’s if I don’t die of a heart attack before the end anyway)?!?!
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Wonder if Bodey will feed me treats if I'm good???????
 
I am definitely of a positive opinion on loose jumping as long as it is done properly i.e. with the horse taught to loose jump not just rushed around the arena over them.
I believe it teaches dexterity, self-preservation and attention as well as saves young show-jumpers joints from the rider weight. I saw it done well while helping out at a few stallion performance tests and it definitely improved jumping teachnique in many cases.
 
So what’s the trick to slowing the horse down when loose jumping?
I struggled a bit with this with Bodey, he was really enjoying himself. I couldn't keep him in trot.
He was fine when I jumped him tonight though, no rushing then.
 
So far as loose jumping goes just look at the results of national hunt trainer Henrietta Knight who uses that method. Whenever I see one of her's making its debut over fences it is extremely rare they make mistakes as their jumping is usually spot on.
Cazx
 
Yes, don't case him and let him sort him self out, he'll soon relise he cant jump at 200mph, I personly wouldn't worry about him not trotting, because of the two time stride he'll find it easier to jump in canter. I know a few showjumpers that really don't know what trot is, they simply taught walk to canter.
 
I think it's a great way to do it.unless they jump over the fence!
But yes, I jump the ones who exit the school on the lunge and it really helps them to pick up.
 
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