Jump schooling at home.

[dieseldog]

So what do you do re distances when you are at home or having a lesson. I always build the distances that I know I know I will find in the jumping ring, as if I can't jump them at home I'm never going to make them in the ring. However some people have recently borrowed our school and they build the distances a lot shorter as the horse is 15hh, however it jumps Senior BSJA so I can't see the point in jump distances that are too short.

I know that sometimes having a distance a bit short can make a horse jump a bit cleaner in front etc, but as the norm what do you do?

 

[showjump]

I cant see the point in that because when they get to a show the distances arent going to get altered to suit their 15hher.
When i have my lessons i use normal distances, or if anything slightly longer as thats where id have a problem, as my horse doesnt have big stride. This way he and i know to press forward to make the extra distance.

I also practice dogs legs as hate them!

 

[Sarah_Jane]

I don't do much jumping outside the ring but generally when I do I do build distances short. Neither of mine have trouble in the ring making a distance but I feel it helps them neaten in front and learn to back off a fence to build a distance shorter at home.

 

[Hattikins]

i like to jump normal distances, and also then lengthen and shorten the distance to make me and my horse think about whether to shorten or lengthen

My 15hh used to not be able to make BSJA BN distances and always used to put in an extra half stride so we worked on it at home and from only being able to manage a 7paced 1stride double he can now easily jump through a 9paced 1stride double

All through doing loads of lenghtening and shortening down the long and short sides of the school etc.

Sorry bit of a useless piece of info on my part!!!!!

 

[LEC]

On the whole I build distances correctly as my horse struggles to shorten anyway. Plus I can cock up a related distance like nothing on earth! Only time I build short is on 1 stride doubles in order to get him to think and be a bit neater.

 

[bunnereeny]

I cannot see the point in adjusting the distance to relate to the horse. Course builders don't!
Surely schooling at home should be used for learning how to get your horse to lengthen/shorten to match that of the distances when competing?

 

[Mel85]

I always build short distances at home to teach the horse to be snappier and neater in front. If the horse is constantly reaching for the fence he will learn to jump that way. I have never had any problems in the ring with my horses not making distances etc.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Building jumps shorter teaches a horse to snap his front legs up. It's a training tool but shouldn't be used all the time because when you get to jump at a show the distances will be the correct distance.

My lad rarely gets jumped at home, we spend more time on groundwork which I don't believe showjumpers put enough emphasis on (except the pros). When a hiorse jumps a course 90% of the time he is on the ground only 10% of the time he's in the air so his groundwork has to be good to get the approach, turns etc right.

 

[amage]

I have a very big mare who can sometimes find combinations a wee bit short so we build them short for her at home so that when she gets to normal distances in the ring she finds it easier.