How regularly do you jump?

[Wishfilly]

Sorry, I know this has been done a few times, but I have been thinking about this recently, as I have sort of got my jumping mojo back, and starting to really enjoy it again. However, at the moment, for my confidence, I feel that I probably need to be jumping more than once a week, which feels like quite a lot. Historically, we've maybe jumped once a month if that, and it has been tiny if we have done it, so it feels like I'm doing quite a lot. Jumps are not big- at the moment about 50cm-60cm max, but hoping to get confidently jumping 60cm by the end of the summer to go out and do some shows and (maybe) a hunter trial.

Is this too much over the next couple of months? Are people happy having a jump lesson one evening and maybe cross country schooling at the weekend, for example?

We'll definitely do less over winter- it's not all in the school as we have a nice summer jump field at the yard, and we will still be doing our regular hacking. Although we have nice off road hacking, we have limited places to do fast work as a lot of the tracks have been eroded over the winter by the rain, so going in the jump field is also a chance to have a bit of a blast!

 

[muddybay]

I'd say definitely not if you vary it! I'll jump twice a week one week if competitions and lessons allow but other times I won't jump for a month it just depends on how we're both doing. It sounds like you've got a good variety and are not hammering the horse so have fun and go for it!

 

[snowangel5]

I have just started up riding again but i do hope to start jumping up again and competing

 

[Wishfilly]

I'd say definitely not if you vary it! I'll jump twice a week one week if competitions and lessons allow but other times I won't jump for a month it just depends on how we're both doing. It sounds like you've got a good variety and are not hammering the horse so have fun and go for it!

Thank you, he is so honest that I also don't want to destroy his enjoyment of jumping, as well as thinking about his legs and especially his hocks which are far from perfect conformationally!

 

[snowangel5]

Thank you, he is so honest that I also don't want to destroy his enjoyment of jumping, as well as thinking about his legs and especially his hocks which are far from perfect conformationally!

What is the current height of the jumps you are enjoying i have added you on here as a friend

 

[Wishfilly]

What is the current height of the jumps you are enjoying i have added you on here as a friend

At the moment probably not much more than 50cm, although he will overjump a little bit if it's e.g. a plank.

BTW, I've had a few complete breaks from horses in my life- you will definitely get back to jumping and competing if you want to- you're very welcome to message about returning to riding if you want!

 

[snowangel5]

At the moment probably not much more than 50cm, although he will overjump a little bit if it's e.g. a plank.

BTW, I've had a few complete breaks from horses in my life- you will definitely get back to jumping and competing if you want to- you're very welcome to message about returning to riding if you want!

Cheers how come you had to have a break from doing what you love? When i go back on Wednesday i will ask for a instructor if she can video the lesson what was the last competing event you did

 

[Wishfilly]

Cheers how come you had to have a break from doing what you love? When i go back on Wednesday i will ask for a instructor if she can video the lesson what was the last competing event you did

One when I was younger and at uni in a city and couldn't really make it work, and one a bit older when I'd completely fallen out of love with riding because I was trying to do things (BHS exams) that I hated and were destroying my confidence. I also did my PGCE then, which was pretty full on.

 

[snowangel5]

One when I was younger and at uni in a city and couldn't really make it work, and one a bit older when I'd completely fallen out of love with riding because I was trying to do things (BHS exams) that I hated and were destroying my confidence. I also did my PGCE then, which was pretty full on.

That does not sound good at all did you feel a lot better after you had done the PGCE ? When you start jumping again do you think you will move up a level only when you feel ready to do so I hope you can soon but I will be in the same position but good luck by the way

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Caveat that I haven't jumped for 2 years and that was sub 50cm and I have only jumped up to maybe 70cm once (literally one jump) over 10 years ago...but I would think it depends a lot on how long you're jumping for and the intensity of the exercises you're doing. If it's just popping a few to keep up the habit for your confidence that's probably different to doing a whole session of gymnastic grids or practicing lots of turns/a whole course.

ETA sorry I've gone back and read your OP properly! I wouldn't have thought the two sessions sound like too much. Might need to build up intensity/length of session gradually according to your horse's fitness I guess?

Exciting that you're getting back into it and enjoying the process.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My friend who competes at British novice with both of hers as they are still young will only jump every few weeks at home, but she is out competing most weeks so just depends on how much your doing.

 

[SOS]

Honestly at that height I wouldn’t think twice about jumping more than once a week. Other factors other than the jump however would prevent more of a “risk” to me and make me keep assessing whether jumping is appropriate that day, such as, ground conditions (deep surfaces, hard ground, holding ground), balance of the horse around the course, fitness and weight of the horse etc. An unfit horse, whanging round a course of any height is not good.

If you need to jump more than once a week to get your confidence up why not pop a jump once or twice after a hack or a schooling session?

My horse SJ’d and went XC schooling last week, but prior to that had a jump school the week before and nothing for two weeks prior. In the winter mine might hunt once or twice a week including jumping.

 

[Wishfilly]

Caveat that I haven't jumped for 2 years and that was sub 50cm and I have only jumped up to maybe 70cm once (literally one jump) over 10 years ago...but I would think it depends a lot on how long you're jumping for and the intensity of the exercises you're doing. If it's just popping a few to keep up the habit for your confidence that's probably different to doing a whole session of gymnastic grids or practicing lots of turns/a whole course.

ETA sorry I've gone back and read your OP properly! I wouldn't have thought the two sessions sound like too much. Might need to build up intensity/length of session gradually according to your horse's fitness I guess?

Exciting that you're getting back into it and enjoying the process.

Not really gridwork or anything super gymnastic, particularly as I'm not confident in my own ability to build grids, maybe a double sometimes. Usually I'll pop out at least two jumps, as if I only have one, we tend to go around the school getting faster and faster! Personally, I'm not a fan of only having one jump out and putting it up and up. Generally turns aren't too tight though, it's a nice big school (super lucky to be at a cheap yard with great facilities and good hacking!).

I definitely need to work on fitness/fast work, as the wet weather over winter (I know it's June now, but I got so drenched in May it felt like winter) has made that difficult, but he has been kept ticking over and at least our hacking has lots of hills!

Definitely exciting that I'm actually enjoying jumping again!

My friend who competes at British novice with both of hers as they are still young will only jump every few weeks at home, but she is out competing most weeks so just depends on how much your doing.

He's 11, so in theory in his prime? No competing at the moment, but trying for a jump lesson most weeks over the summer.

In my head, I don't want to do too much, I need to jump regularly to keep my confidence, he probably doesn't!

 

[Timelyattraction]

Usually once a week (either at home or competition/training ) as i like to keep them fresh and keen and not overdo it.

Although i cant see the harm in doing that height twice a week. I would just space it out so it was tuesday and saturday for example

 

[Wishfilly]

Honestly at that height I wouldn’t think twice about jumping more than once a week. Other factors other than the jump however would prevent more of a “risk” to me and make me keep assessing whether jumping is appropriate that day, such as, ground conditions (deep surfaces, hard ground, holding ground), balance of the horse around the course, fitness and weight of the horse etc. An unfit horse, whanging round a course of any height is not good.

If you need to jump more than once a week to get your confidence up why not pop a jump once or twice after a hack or a schooling session?

My horse SJ’d and went XC schooling last week, but prior to that had a jump school the week before and nothing for two weeks prior. In the winter mine might hunt once or twice a week including jumping.

I'm definitely conscious of the ground getting hard, the school luckily has a good surface. He was a good weight (condition scored 3/5 by a professional around Easter time), but I'm conscious the good grass is coming through so I need to keep on top of his weight, as I said above, he needs more fitness for fast work as well, which I'm building up slowly- I'd like to say he's not unfit for what we are doing, but I'm very conscious if I wanted to take him around a hunter trial he'd need more fitness.

Definitely sometimes just pop over a jump at the end of a schooling session, but to me that still counts as "jumping". I think over the year, he'd probably average jumping less than once a fortnight, but I don't know if it works that way!