My 4yo is "economical" in his jump. Advice pls

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Eccles

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Well posted a few weeks ago as my lovely (most the time!!) horse went to his first sj clinic and then on saturday we went to another one, this time gridwork. As my trainer puts it, he is bold, but economical, he rarely hits anything but only does just as much as he has to. She thinks we need to put the fences up to get him jumping (no prob as far as I'm concerned.). He is fab x-c (been schooling a few times) and he honestly doesn't have a stop or a doubt in his mind. He had one down the whole time we were but did hit the upright towards the end of the clinic twice. He will start eventing next year and she has said he may be a "4-faulter"
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but is it just too early to tell? He still has so much to learn and so far to go and when I look at other people's much older more experienced horses, or even their youngsters, I'd still buy the same one! Any advice gratefully received. Thanks lots.
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to be honest he sounds brilliant- i would just give it time...as you said when the fences go up maybe he will jump even better, as well as gaining experience.
 
Give it time. Babys do get tired, so having fences at the end of session really isn't an issue. especially after gridwork, i find they get tired quicker.

I really wouldn't worry about it!
 
Thanks Fran. He is brilliant, just really sharp at the moment
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but I think everyones horse is. How is Digby, saw your thread re. your awful hack but I am sure it will come together. I came off mine 3 times in the first 2 months, and err, yes it hurt! The first time was a bucking marathon after about one week of me owning him, but he never did it again. Thank god!
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he has been fine as i say he hasnt put a foot wrong apart from that i think he got a bit scared/wound up by the other horse who made a bit of a fuss-whether it pu doubt in his mind i dont know....

i took him for a canter and he was fine today im just doing little canters where i can as i dont really have many places to do so...im hoping to pop him over a small fence 2moro in the dryest patch of the field then pop him up to an arena friday and do some cross poles/short grids and maybe canter nto one single fence at the end

in the new year im going to start some jumping lessons
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Dexter is a very economical jumper which I think is a good thing so extra strain on the legs on landing.

Also I think that is really harsh of your instructor to say that, younsters arent always very clean at 1st they have to get strength and they get clumbsy when they get tired.
Spider is a perrrfect example she used to hit poles all over the place as a 4yr old, I would have about 4 every round, this yr though as a 5yr old she was 85% clear, and very rarely touches a pole in my lessons or anything. Babies take time! Be patient!
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Do you think thou that some horses just have a generous jump and some don't? Put it this way, the bay horse jumping x-c in my siggy (middle pic) had a stop in him at first, that piccie was at his first event (a PN) and he went well but had 2 down SJ and a stop xc (to be fair I hadn't practiced a tiny log down a drop). That same horse went advanced the following year(unfortunately not with me as sold him after I started him
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) but his jump was amazing. Compare with current 4yo in siggy (last piccie) at his first clinic and he just doesn't have the same jump. Does this matter so much for eventing do you think, I am hoping it will come to W as he is so similar in so many ways to Legend but much cleverer!
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Hi Holly, yes I thought that having an economical jump would be better with eventing and its a bit of a sweeping statement to make with any horse at that age! He is 4 at the end of the day and still hasn't been turned away but I feel really happy with him and then I hear her say that and my poor pony hasn't really done anything wrong!
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oh yes i have-it hasnt really worried me so to speak
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we were bound tyo have a whoopsie sooner or later!!

i am very pleased with him and had a lesson the other day (piccys in PG)

im sure your 4 year old will be great , he sounds like hes done more than mine already and hes much younger.
i really wouldnt worry
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I personally wouldn't worry, my mare that I sold last year spent the first year I had her (when she was 4/5) always having at least 4 faults every time she went out. I did get really frustrated with her, but we carried on, and eventually she started getting double clears, and since I sold her has never touched a single pole, her new owners said she is so careful now. So think it is a babyish thing, and I really wouldn't worry.

Also J has at least one down when he goes out, normally towards the end when he is tired, but I'm not worried, he will get there eventually!
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I've seen your piccies and think he looks fab, he'll be brill when you get him going (and he's lovely now), bring on 2008 for us both!!
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the chestnut mare 2nd from right in my siggie had a very economical jump, she always just "stepped a fence" unless things went totally pear shaped, but she only threw in a huge jump if she absolutely had to (as in, 3 times ever, iirc). at PN i thought she'd never go N, at N i thought she'd never go I... in fact, it was only A sj that proved a bit too much for her, and she coped easily with every I track we did, for years. i just got used to the fact that she was very capable and workmanlike, and only did as much as she had to in the air!
 
You could put the fences up now and again just to reassure yourself that you've got the horse that you want! They change so much from one month to the next that as long as you're happy with the long-term goals you're achieving, I would just chill about it and enjoy him! I've gone through lots of angst with Ross (who's 5 and a half) since I bought him at 3, but I adore him and enjoy him every day of the journey.
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You are doing really well with Jerry, and you are getting him out and about when I am being a bit of a wimp and sticking to clinics at the moment!
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Thanks MH, I think it will come as well, and am just getting so annoyed at my trainer's comments. x
 
I think he's a bit of a con-man tbh as if we put the fence up to 4ft or so, he'll happily jump it, but yet again, with only an inch to spare! As my trainer said "put the fence up 3ft, he'll jump 3ft 1, put it up 3ft 6 he'll jump 3ft 7!!" lol I think he's just clever!! But he'll never ever touch a x-c fence!!
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Why thank you! Enjoying him on a daily basis will make the "ups" fantastic and the "downs" bearable - at least you're noticing these things and not being hard on him because he's not doing what Pippa/William/Lucinda's horses did at that age!
 
He sounds great....only doing enough is a good thing for a showjumper. I would practice with tracks at different heights & spreads in the same round...e.g a 2'6 then a 3'6 or whatever...make him think about what he is jumping. I would also try and either loose jump him or jump him on a lunge to see just how high he can go, and encourage him to use himself properly over the fence...then you know what you are dealing with. One of my old jumpers used to only do just enough to scrape over, but he had learned to never touch a pole...good enough for him to get to Grade A...hope yours does the same!!
 
Thankyou! Thats interesting and you are right, I should do that. He was sold to me by a very respected competition dealer as a "grade a" horse. I think part of it is with him is that he is just not being tested mentally, he finds it all so easy and never gets stressed or worried by anything. He needs something to think about IMO. Thank you!
 
EJ! It seems we are living our lives in parallel! I took my 4yo to his first SJ clinic last Saturday and he was great but much 'sharper' than usual (little tyke!!). I must admit though, he got tired towards the end but only rolled one during the whole session. At the moment, I'm not too concerned, although I know SJ will be our toughest discipline.

It's nice to know I'm not alone! Will you be BE-ing next year? What part of the country are you? May just see you around!!
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Hi Saskia295, yes I'm in a Midlands and will hopefully be eventing next year, I've had a long break from it and can't wait!!
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I suspect showjumping is going to me my problem discipline somehow too!!
 
Thats great that he only does what he has too
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My horse overjumps everything, and it is down to anxiety more than anything. It has taken us ages to get him going forward and enjoying his jumping, as "overjumping" in babies is a sign of lack of confidence and over carefulness is not always great with a eventer as they dont normally want to go XC!! SO your boy sounds ideal, dont worry about it, if he doesnt touch things except when he is tired, i dont think you'll have to much of a prob, why do more than they have to!?
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Totally agree that some horses just jump economically no matter wht the height and doesn't mean that they are careless, just clever and keeping some energy in reserve. my guy never jumps more than he has to (when sj) and has 95% clear rounds. Keep going the way you are, he sounds fab.
 
Gosh if he is only 4 i wouldnt worry, he will learn with time, my horse (in avatar) is an econimical jumper and has improved no end, just through training etc ( he is also for sale)! super placed pre novice eventer, safe!
 
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