Jumping query...

[LizScott]

Just wondered what other people think of this - girl on our yard has big WB type that she does a bit of dressage with. She hacks the mare out once a week but generally goes in the school to do flatwork 3-4 times a week.

Said horse seems to be bored so someone suggested lose-schooling over a jump to brighten things up for him. This was done and mare really enjoyed it - she was warmed up properly and jump was gradually increased, she is a big horse and jump was put to 3' which she cleared easily.

The owners instructor has now had a fit and said that you shouldn't jump a dressage horse as can cause damage etc and that the mare hasn't jumped in ages so shouldn't have been put up so high.

Is this true??

 

[rubyred]

I should think it did it the world of good. Its good enough for PG's Archie!

 

[Weezy]

3ft is nothing! The instructors commens are totally unfounded - most horses truely benefit from doing a bit of everything, deffo freshens them up

 

[vic07]

my psg mare used to love a good jump and I also still jump my advanced dressage horse! They both enjoy it.

One of my dressage trainers is very shocked that I feel happy to gallop him across the downs with eventers though!

They are only horses!

 

[Sal_E]

I would want to ask the instructor WHAT sort of damage it could do? Maybe un-do a bit of the 'I'm a dressage horse' brainwashing I guess..!

Maybe if it was a top level dressage horse a week away from the Olympics, I'd question free-schooling it for the 1st time & flinging it over a random 3ft fence, but from what you've described I can imagine it only did it good!

If the horse was very unfit & was on it's knees when jumping, or clearly panicking at being free-school & just blindly galloping round & round, then different story.

Gymnastic jumping is very good for flatwork, many of the top dressage riders recommend it (although there are others that wouldn't dream of it - along with hacking out & turning a horse out in the field!) & personally I don't think 3ft is high - a pony could happily do that WITH a rider on board...

 

[rara007]

I made my dressage trainer take her horse hunting , and it is still alive! 3 foot is noting for a big horse, 4 foot 6 would have been silly, but at 3 foot it would have been fine.

 

[cellie]

I think keeping a horse happy and active is more important.A happy horse will try to please a bored one will shut down.

 

[kerilli]

3 foot is nothing, as long as the horse was warmed up properly. i know that you're not supposed to jump GP horses though because placing both hind feet together to jump is supposed to be bad for their canter pirouettes or sth. hmm.

 

[Parkranger]

agree with the above - it does alot of horses good to have a jump (if they enjoy it) and it anything gets the hocks underneath them which can only be beneficial in dressage? Although what do i know!

 

[Gucci_b]

what about the top class riders ie; William Fox Pitt, Pippa Funnel ect ect, now they have great Dressage horse's but jump and event...

 

[hadfos]

What a pile of poo,lmao!!!All horses need variation,most dressage horses i have known in the past jump or hack out AT LEAST once a week to stop them from going sour!You know yaself if you have to do the same thing day in day out and you have perfected it it gets tiresome!!

 

[sturgo]

I would say defo done more good than bad if anything! Unless theres something more to this that you dont know... but for those reasons how is it going to have done anything bad??

At the end of the day theres nothing worse when horses get bored and fed up and start going sour! Variety is always a good thing and I always think really important when it comes to dressage horses and show ponies!

 

[moneypit1]

I too have a WB and I freeschool him over at least 4ft if not more! He makes it look easy and loves it, he squeals with delight!

 

[MagicMelon]

I think that's absolute c*ap. There is absolutely nothing bad about jumping a dressage horse, if anything it'll help loosen him up / gain some enthusiasm. And 3ft is not "too high" by any means. I think your friend needs to find herself another instructor who actually knows what she's talking about...

 

[wells1]

I agree with the rest, variety is the spice of life. Horses get stale if they do the same thing day after day. 3' is nothing even I could jump that on my 2 legs.

 

[LizScott]

Thanks!! Glad I'm not going mad! Thought it was ok and would do more good than bad but you start to question your own judgement sometimes! xx

 

[Nats_uk]

I have a German WB who was bred as a dressage horse. I compete in SJ and dressage and have no problem.

I found that dressage helped my SJ and the SJ helped improve his canter and confidence no end. I have also been told my a few dressage judges that they recommend popping a horse over a fence when you are schooling to keep them on their toes and keep their back end engaged.