Jumping small for long periods ruins the jump

I think the problem is to get your eye up you really have to be jumping multiple horses at a good height, jumping courses regularly etc. And if you stop doing it your eye goes down again! I find it hugely depressing when I think of how big I used to jump - now the same height looks like a house!

It's a particular issue for eventers, too, as the average amateur one horse rider can't usually jump enough big jumps at home on their one horse to get comfortable without risking soundness. It's probably one of the areas where mental training can be very useful, to convince yourself that there really isn't any difference. I've found it can also help to get a proper, in the groove show jumper on the horse a few times and jump it up - it convinces both you and the horse it's within your grasp.
 
foxy1 said:
I think it may well ruin the jump, and definately ruins the rider's eye. To be honest you could jump 1.05/1.10 off any stride if you keep coming with your leg on, no need really to mess about at 70/80 cm like lots of people do. I think it's a rider confidence issue.
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^^ This.

My horse has had very little jumping experience (flat racer) but certainly jumps a 1m fence better than a raised pole!
 
Personally I think it can ruin a horses technique jumping small all the time and I think it does them good to get them up in the air a bit over something a bit bigger every now and then.

When we were prepping autumn for the 5yo byeh classes we were quite regularly jumping 1 / 1.05 courses but then in her 6yo year had dropped her down to 90/BN to consolidate everything she had learnt and not have so much 'pressure' on her if that makes any sense?!.

She will be going up a gear this season as its really starting to feel like shes not pushing off the ground as much and needs something to think about! Small fences are useful though! We were practising some angled double (very skinny) skinnies today on curving lines as well as bounces and they were probably no bigger than 2'3 - it was a difficult excercise though for a very gung ho horse!

That said I dont jump her very often - probably once a fortnight really.
 
Really interesting....... I have to say that IMO (well it's what my trainer tells me) the size of the fence is far less important than the quality of the canter getting me there, I know if I have my canter right, regardless of the fence or the horse I will get a good jump, the moment my rhythm falters I loose the quality of the jump, whether it's an 80cm grid or a great big hedge, so I don't really worry too much about fence height at home,

Maybe the temptation with small fences is to allow them quicken slightly, loose the good canter & therefore the balance & then you get a less good jump?? Which in turn creates a cycle?
 
A big horse only has to tuck his legs up to clear 1m on prettywell any stride you like.. It doesnt encourage them to jump properly,BUT , above 1m 10 or thereabouts, they have to start jumping off their hocks and working. The down side is that a bad rider who consistently drops the horse on a bad stride will quickly ruin it at this height.
 
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