Jumping on concrete....

LittleRooketRider

LittleRooketRider

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basically next weekend i am doing pc area sj and the venue although very close to us (yippee) is notorious for being like concrete to jump on. if i wasn't on a team i would withdraw....

i cannot have boots/bandages on whilst jumping as this results in a demolitio derby and she just ploughs through the fences.... so anything i should do inbetween first two rounds and hopefully the jump off? i was thinking i would bandage up straight away after each round and jump as little as possible in the warm up eg. crossbar, upright and spread but nothing else and only once ....any thoughts gratly appreciated???
 
I, personally, wouldn't risk my horse on ground like that, team or no team. But if you feel you have to, I would be putting ice boots on legs in between rounds, not bandaging. I would also probably only jump a couple of jumps in the warm up before the first round, and not at all before the later rounds, and I would be going slow, not pushing for time.
 
If you wouldn't jump on the ground normally i wouldn't do it for a team.....not worth the risk and I'm sure they wont pay your vets bill if anything does go wrong!
 
I bet all members of the team are feeling as worried so maybe if you make a stance and say that you won't risk your horse they'll all follow suit!
 
I'd go and check the ground first, just to see how hard it really is, but if it is like concrete then I would pull out.
 
Id also go & check the ground. I'm a manager of a pc team & will say don't be worried about letting the team down. If the rest are still intending on jumping they can always make a team of 3 or enter as individuals xx
 
Would you jump if it was actually concrete ? That's what I would be asking myself and the answer no. Go check first but I wouldn't risk my horse for the sake of team I'm afraid
 
I'm with the others - I'd check the ground beforehand to see how bad it really is - but if it is rock hard, I personally wouldn't risk it and would withdraw x
 
Going against the grain, it depends hugely on your horse and the state of the ground beyond how hard it is.

If it's even and smooth with grass cover, I'd go and see what your horse feels like. Cold hose between rounds, minimal warm up and the next day off and things should be fine. If your horse is very sensitive to the ground, obviously don't run.

It's a tricky situation. Have you phoned your team manager and explained your concerns?
 
If it were me.. I'd check out the ground/walk the course the day before or as early as poss. If ground still to hard I wouldn't jump, and save horse for another day. You may find there are a lot of other competitors from other teams etc that withdraw or have concerns.
 
I'd agree with lolo, go and see how pony feels and then decide. Keep practice fences to a bare minimum. I wouldn't bother with bandages as that's not going to help.
 
I'd go, see what it's like. Start warming up and see how it rides. If any concerns about safety I'd be withdrawing. Team or no team.

It's personal and to an extent down to the horse but I would voice your concerns to the team manager.
 
I wouldn't risk my horse.
I'd go, assess the conditiond and if I wasn't happy withdraw.
Regardless of what sort if competition it was.

I'd get some decent advice though to insure I'm not over reacting.
Someone with good knowledgeof the surface and horses!
 
if I knew the ground was like that I wouldn't risk it, if its that hard it's not going to give when the horse lands, you could be asking for all sorts of injuries, and to be honest it's not worth it. There will be other shows to go to with better conditions
 
GOOD NEWS......

i have spoken to the organiser (who teaches me) and she has assured me that steps have been taken to ensure the ground is not like concrete. i have been told the the areas to be used for the arenas have been maintained so that there is good grass covergae and it is being regularly irrigated.

i will however be (trying to) get up thyere the night before to make my own assessment and willget there early to assess the ground conditions. it will i know be firm conditions but nowhere near as bad as was feared. its nice that the organisiers have been proactive.... if however i am at all concerned with the conditions on the day i will be withdrawing.
 
Will your team care, or help out with vet bills if your horse is injured? I'd put your horse before the team. Maybe ask if there are any special ground preparations going on?
 
Don't risk it ! Honestly one of my previous horses blew a tendon due to jumping on hard ground ! I'm surprised the rest of your team haven't withdrew considering the conditions . Not worth loosing your horse over a silly decision !
 
LittleRocketRider said:
GOOD NEWS......

i have spoken to the organiser (who teaches me) and she has assured me that steps have been taken to ensure the ground is not like concrete. i have been told the the areas to be used for the arenas have been maintained so that there is good grass covergae and it is being regularly irrigated.

i will however be (trying to) get up thyere the night before to make my own assessment and willget there early to assess the ground conditions. it will i know be firm conditions but nowhere near as bad as was feared. its nice that the organisiers have been proactive.... if however i am at all concerned with the conditions on the day i will be withdrawing.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear this
 
horse.love92 said:
Don't risk it ! Honestly one of my previous horses blew a tendon due to jumping on hard ground ! I'm surprised the rest of your team haven't withdrew considering the conditions . Not worth loosing your horse over a silly decision !
Click to expand...

My horse blew both his hind tendons trotting up a grass strip with nice going... Considering what you've posted thus far, I would imagine the next statement might be worth your consideration.

In my opinion, backed up by what I've read, it is either continuous hard work on unsuitable ground or rutted conditions with poor grass coverage that cause the most injuries. 2 rounds of SJ is unlikely to do damage unless the ground is exceptionally poor. Considering it's the area event, I'd imagine they'll be working quite hard- most PC ponies at an area event will be worth considerable sums of money and the organiser will not want all those angry mummies shouting at them.
 
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