Jumping in an outline?

[Solo1]

I went to a SJing comp the other day to get my racer out and about, small unaffiliated but there were quite a few 'pros' there on their youngsters, who went about overbent and looked overbitted to me. Do you think horses are supposed to jump in an outline?

 

[Lolo]

First point- you have never ever sat on these youngsters so saying they're overbitted is a bit silly. The pro is a pro who rides that horse regularly and so knows that it'll do something silly at a certain point, or gets strong... Not your place to judge.

Secondly, I do think that having your horse soft and listening to you working into a contact between fences is a good thing and this often means horses will do a course in an outline of sorts if that's how they go. It's what Al aims for with Reg, as he goes into galloping camel mode with head tossing galore when he gets strong but he has the freedom to raise his head before the fence. It means he's listening and focussing on her which is a good thing. Her instructor tells her to have him in an outline of sorts between fences, but also says some horses don't- her top horse won't, and so she hasn't forced the issue.

 

[Dutch1horse]

Over bent and on the bit are two different things. Yes I agree a horse should be soft and on the bit in-between fences but I think it is terrible to see horses over bent doing a course, it reduces their vission and breathing and makes it very unpleasant for the horse, especially if it is a youngster! If a horse has been properly schooled they should be ridden in a snaffle I think it's just laziness using stronger bits on horses that actually with a bit of schooling wouldn't need it.

 

[OneInAMillion]

First point- you have never ever sat on these youngsters so saying they're overbitted is a bit silly. The pro is a pro who rides that horse regularly and so knows that it'll do something silly at a certain point, or gets strong... Not your place to judge.

Agree ^^^

Also some horses do have a natural self-carriage, my friend now has a mare which she has known since a 3 year old and it does not matter what bit you put in - you can watch her in the field and she stands over bent! Many horses too will drag their head down when they are excited

 

[doratheexplorer]

Dutch1horse - lovely as it would be to ride every horse in a snaffle, unfortunately no ammount of schooling will change a lot of horses.
I would so much sooner a short sharp reminder in a stronger bit then someone hauling about out of control in a snaffle, which I think is much more cruel than riding in a stronger bit.

A pro is just that and as Lolo says knows what they are doing.

 

[zxp]

I aim to jump in an "outline". It means the horse is listening and soft allong its topline - which is the muscle that needs to stretch to get a nice bascule over a fence. My little one finds it physically challenging, but my trainer recently said to me that when she jumps with her head in the air, she looks like a 1m horse over a fence, but when she is soft and rounder into a fence, she can use her back and shoulders more over a fence, is less likely to flatten and can see her potential as a 1.30m horse .

Since she said that, I have been mroe focussed on getting her softer between fences and we it has made a hell of a difference and ment alot more double clears rather than "4 fault itis"!!!