Jumping before a competition

[Maclinda]

If you were getting ready for a competition, how often would you jump in the week leading up to it. Competing tomorrow, jumped a few last night (went well). Would you leave it at that or jump again tonight?

 

[Kokopelli]

I would leave it at that, you won't fix anything that's a problem in one day and you could potentially cause a new one. It does depend on the horse though, my old boy knew his job and never jumped at home as he didn't need it.

There was also some research done not long ago (albeit on dressage horses) that by reducing the workload (e.g more stretchy work or hacking) the week prior to the competition can produce better results.

 

[PorkChop]

I wouldn't do any more now, I would only at the most jump twice a week including a competition. I would love to jump more because I need the practice!

 

[georgie256]

I normally jump a couple of days before and leave it at that

 

[TarrSteps]

Depends on the horse. Some need to jump, some don't. I'd set it up for success though, not be doing anything new or risky.

 

[Maclinda]

Thanks guys! That's what I thought (and normally do) but had the chance to jump a full course tonight and then doubted myself!

 

[PolarSkye]

We jump Kal two days before a competition and give him the interim day off. He knows how to jump and we'd rather not drill him. In an average week, he jumps once . . . but if there is something specific to work on, he might jump twice.

P

 

[MagicMelon]

Personally I wouldn't jump the day before a competition, I generally never jump an established horse in between competitions (assuming competing every weekend or fortnight so regularly) unless there was an issue. I think it can make a horse stale very quickly jumping too often in between comps and find they stay much fresher and keen to keep jumping happily if they don't do much.

 

[PolarSkye]

Personally I wouldn't jump the day before a competition, I generally never jump an established horse in between competitions (assuming competing every weekend or fortnight so regularly) unless there was an issue. I think it can make a horse stale very quickly jumping too often in between comps and find they stay much fresher and keen to keep jumping happily if they don't do much.

In general I agree with you . . . however, it does depend on a) the horse; and b) HOW you jump. Kali really is the embodiment of that horrid advertising phrase "jumps for fun" . . . he doesn't find hacking terribly relaxing, he enjoys flatwork but it tires him mentally, but he just LOVES jumping and we use it as his reward/chill time at home. If we want him to have a "nice time" and relax and enjoy himself, we put up a small, relatively easy/non-challenging course in the school and just pop him round a few times. We don't drill or overface him and he always finishes with a smile on his face .

P

 

[TarrSteps]

Some horses that lack confidence or get casual or get hot if they haven't jumped benefit from a targeted school the day before. Cooler customers may benefit from doing very little, even in warm-up. Some people are much better if they can have a confidence school the day before. It's about knowing your horse acc weighing your options.

The problem with working a horse the day before, flat or jumping, is most people can't stop themselves from panicking and grinding on the horse. You might only need to jump half a dozen jumps to get what you want. But if in doubt, don't! Better to err on the side of safety

 

[PolarSkye]

The problem with working a horse the day before, flat or jumping, is most people can't stop themselves from panicking and grinding on the horse. You might only need to jump half a dozen jumps to get what you want. But if in doubt, don't! Better to err on the side of safety

Completely agree with all of this. While we do jump (pretty much) every week . . . we never jump the day before . . . and Z is brilliant about doing only what's needed and then stopping and putting him away/back in the field. At competition too, she only needs to pop five or six practice fences - she spends the majority of her warm up getting him loose and listening on the flat and establishing a decent canter.

We take a similar but slightly different approach when prepping for a dressage competition . . . if, for example, the competition was on the Saturday, then she'd either have a dressage lesson or school on the flat on Wednesday, jump him on Thursday and he'd get Friday off.

P

 

[GinaGeo]

I try to jump my boy regularly as he loses confidence quickly if he doesn't. By regularly I mean twice a week. Three days before a competition I try to put a grid up, something like placing pole, bounce, one stride, spread. Because he can't get it wrong it means I can put the spread up to something quite decent which makes him feel very clever and gives him a big confidence boost. Other than that I try to pop him around a course once a week beit competition/training. He always gets the day off two days prior to the competition and an easy stretchy/hacking day the day before. I wouldn't jump him the day before a competition, wouldn't want him aching at a competition!

 

[Laroxes]

I jump my established horse the day before a competition as he's just too cocky and full of it on the day. I work on control, submission and listening exercises keeping the fences fairly low.

 

[Charem]

Mine always hack, or I'm the case of my older boy have the day off on the day before a show. As mentioned earlier, you can't fix anything that late and should you run in to problems there's no time to sort them. If I'm taking a sharp one I usually go for a good canter round the fields, the quiet ones just mooch on a long rein.

Day to day my older boy hacks four out of six days unless we need to work on something in particular, then school and jump once. The young tb is currently hacking two/three days, either ridden on lead off the old boy. He does short, 20 min schoolong sessions the other three with a quick jump at the end.