How soon is too soon (Show Jumping advice please)

[blitznbobs]

I have a section A pony who we've had for 2 years and who has done very little but been a lawn ornament.

Anyhoo my little boy (Almost 3) has started to show an interest in riding (having sat on my cob a few times) and I thought I'd get this section A into work so that he could learn to ride on a more appropriate pony.

To this ends, I've had a local teenager (She weighs about 6 stone soaking wet on a fat day) I know via pony club coming to ride it 2 or 3 times a week (I'm too heavy for him!!!) So as some of you may have read I started to jump my cob yesterday and put up a grid today... so when my rider came to ride the pony the grid was up.

Now the (11hh on a tall day) section A is 7 but has not done very much but she asked if she could try jumping him. I said he'd never jumped but sure she could have a go... and before I'd said anymore she'd pointed him at the grid (3 fences 18 inches, 18 inches and about 2 ft 3) and the pony just flew... I mean FLEW. He cleared them all by a mile, making a good shape and on the last one he was higher than the 3 ft 6 wings...

Now I'm not a show jumper, but this girl has asked if she can do some M and M working hunter with him... so how fast should a pony progress from never jumping to jumping full courses. I don't want to put him off but he does appear to love it..

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Blitz

 

[be positive]

Fairly quickly, with a capable rider and the right attitude.

You are obviously going to have to start low and build up so as to not overdo things but play it by ear.

Get him confidently jumping at home over grids and small courses and then go to a clear round and see how it goes.

If he enjoys it the M and M whp courses for his size are fairly small.

We had a pony that had never jumped out to a clear round within one week ,he jumped 2 clear rounds,then built up so he was jumping Xc and SJ courses confidently within 2 months.

 

[tinap]

^^ this!
We also bought a pony, for my 6yr old daughter (sec A 11.2hh) that hadn't jumped ...well not with a rider although she used to jump fallen trees in her field when turned out daughter tried her over a xpole & pony loved it!! 6 months later they were flying around courses upto about 70cm & winning a lot!!!!

 

[Whoopit]

Mine's only 3yrs 3mths and he loves jumping. I only popped one then went to the GG Centre for a day out and did some small ones there and he went round like a proper showjumper! His flatwork is ok, as in he's good off the leg and seat and can just about muster a circle without corners, but i'm going to have lessons soon to sort that out as I have no direction and good flatwork does wonders for jumping in my experience.

I'm getting ahead of myself anyway - he's been lame for two weeks so i've seen a hippo looking in better shape to be honest!!