How high should youngsters be jumping?

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Navalgem

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Possibly not best title for my meaning but I had to get you to look!

I was browsing earlier posts and noticed lots of you commenting that 1.05m was rather big for a 3 year old (i got impression 4 this year so would be considered 4 - not sure but pls bear in mind). HOWEVER at stallion gradings the 4 yr olds are expected to jump 1.10m according to a website, bear in mind the gradings are early in the year and lots of these horses wont actually be 4 yet. Yes I understand we want the best stallions with the most scope/ability but the BSJA year classes are rather large too. I'm so sad at seeing so many talented, young horses jack it by being pushed too far too fast, yet I feel that studbooks and the BSJA are almost forcing us to do this, particularly stallion owners. Does anyone else feel this is excessive?
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IMO i think anything under 5 shouldnt be jumping more then 1.10m - purely to allow joints to develop without added impact which could cause problems later on. Of course, at stallion gradings and young horse classes - they want evidence that the horse is up to the job - never considering the problems it may cause but that is the horse industry for you.
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Ive got a 4yo who hasnt even started her jumping yet!
I believe that they do jump young horses too big too soon but this is because they are producing them to sell and dont seem to care about the effects later on in life.
I know someone who bought abroad. Within a short period of it coming home and starting to work it was lame and has been for probably 2 years. It hasnt been worked but on box rest, then field rest and still doesnt seem much better. All this because he did too much when he was 3
 
i personally dont like to see anything jumping under 5yrs old only for bone development and if it is jumping before 5 only small practice/training jumps!!
but then everyone has their own preference
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glad I'm not the only one. Surely there must be something we can do and evoke a change from the powers that be? I could almost swallow it if BSJA scrapped age classes or made them lower and perhaps the studbooks could just see these stallions jump a big jump loose, thereby not putting extra strain from riders weight onto young, still developing joints and bone, yet still allowing them to see the scope/ability of a horse? The lesser of two evils. Though I personally feel that you should be able to see a horses technique and scope/ability over 1m parrallel loose and that is plent enough for these babies.
 
My 4 year old (on 8th May), was started in January and so far has jumped 1 cross pole, he won't jump again until the autumn at the earliest. He is by Luidam out of a Carnaval Drum mare, so a proper jump bred warmblood, but I want to keep him and I want him to last. I know he can jump as he has already jumped out of his field!!

Are the 4 years old expected to jump 1.10 mounted or loose?
 
I only jumped my just 4yo over 2ft6 jumps with me on board but i have loose jumped him 1.30m but iv never pushed him, i was considering doing BYEH with him but the size of the jumps are just silly!
 
i got slated - by a 12 year old girl sayin i was over jumping my 5yo! bear in mind i was in a halter (i do a lot of natural horsemanship) in a school with woodchip surfacing -so not on hard/too soft ground and didnt have whip/spurs, was jumping about 3"6 - dunno how big that is in metres (on one of those poly-jump blocks-so more like a jacobs ladder than a spread or upright). she was saying that i am over pushing her. clearly horses will take big jumps in their stride if they are taken slowly at first. i am hoping to compete her BYEH this year, but i do think that the 4yo class in it is pushing it a bit, as then backing would have to be done as a 3yo to be ready for the competiton? they are jumped loose they are ridden on the flat though i think? and do you think horses and poies should be diff - ponies seem to be jumping bigger at younger ages than horses.
 
BamBam, makes no difference if your horse is jumping in a halter or not! Its the concussion on developing joints and ligaments which will reduce being jumped on a good surface, but not eliminated. 3'6 is approx 1.05m
 
how high would you be expecting a 5yo to be jumped? if at all?
does this mean the same for dressage with the more advanced moves? and does ability have anything to do with the equation? if a horse is bred to jump, would it cause less concussion?
 
Ability makes very little difference, conformation can have a small amount of difference as bad conformation will equal more wear and tear on joints. Have no probs with a 5yo jumping at all, in moderation. My boy is 5, he will jump decent heights at home, and is out competing, but only on good going, and only gets jumped when we have a reason to, so before a comp, or if we are having a problem. I would prefer to take things slowly with a young horse and keep him sweet, and if they need to progress to bigger heights, fab, aslong as they are happy in doing so and everything is done in moderation!!
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I object to 3yo's being jumped at all though.
 
Oh and re. dressage, again I think alot of probs are created by asking for too much collection too early. But by 5, the horse should be physically mature enough to work well in any area, aslong as everything is done in moderation, on good going etc. But IMO, thats the same no matter how old the horse is and no matter what it is doing. Some of the best 4* horses are only going aslong as they are due to doing fewer runs and being looked after properly in their work
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I think it's too high. I dont think 3yo's should be jumping anything bigger than a teeny cross pole! I think maybe in the latter half of their 5th year, they could be jumping 1.10m but I personally wouldn't ask a 4yo to be jumping that. No way.
 
Hmm have found this very interesting. I have just purchased a 4 year old (actually he is 4 today), he was imported from France where he had jumped 2 x 4 year old classes clear and over there they have to jump open water etc. I took him to his first show yesterday to trundle round the British Novice, wanted to see how he would go. He jumped round like a little star took everything in his stride. I will be competing the 4 year old classes on him this year, which are one round not against the clock at 1m. I think that is more than enough for him. I shall do the occasional show with him where i shall jump one class.

I don't think the age classes are a bad thing as they stop you racing against the clock, which is what was happening before. The UK is very behind in the production of good young horses, hence why most people seem to go abroad. My trainer bought over a 4 year old that had done age classes in Germany and he has established changes already.

I think as long as you produce the horse correctly, don't over face, only jump on good ground over correctly built courses there shouldn't be to much of a problem. Maybe then we will be able to compete on equal terms with the foreign riders!
 
How many horses that jumped big young still compete at a high level (or indeeed any level in some cases) when they are 12+?

The 4 yr olds are trotted up in hand, then jump a course of up to 1.10m with a rider.

I agree with not pushing youngsters against clock but lost of those doing age lasses will also be jumping BN and Discovery and will therefore be against the clock.
 
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