National Hunt Horses

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Vodkagirly

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Sparked of by another thread I am curious if National Hunt horses have a different life to flat horses for example at what age are they normally broken? in the off season are the roughed off or kept in training all year round?
I know there will be differences trainer to trainer but just curious.
 
Generally National Hunt horses aren't started until they are 3yo, 4yo or even 5yo as they tend to be bigger and stockier so need more time to mature. Whilst you can Juvenile Hurdle at 3yo from July onwards proper jumps races don't start until the horse is 4yo.

Most of the jumps racing is in winter and there is no point in keeping a horse in all summer so they get turned out in herds for their summer holidays. It also helps that generally no entire males jumps race and they tend to become too 'protective of themselves'.

Horses are taught to stay, not sprint so don't go from A to B as fast as possible, they have to work hard and most trainers use the Interval Training method up hills. When being taught to jump they are generally taught in the shool so will have some form of flatwork schooling aswell. They need to be able to put in a stride, take out a stride, fiddle and basically get themselves over the fences using their own brains as in a race you simply don't have the time to set a horse up for every fence, especially not in a driving finish. Some race on until they are 12 or 13yo.

Flat horses are started as yearlings. Tend to be kept entire for breeding afterwards. Flat racing is usually throughout the summer so you can't really turf horses out for holidays in the winter so tend to stay in. These horses are worth vast amounts of money and most training yards don't have the required turnout space for them to get out unfortunately plus you can't exactly turnout a whole bunch of colts together. They also do alot of fast work, go out in big strings and are held in very strict routines.
 
Thanks very interesting, makes sense why people in the other thread are saying NH horses adjust better to a "normal" life.
Presumably if they aren't started till 3/4 they live out till then compared to flat horses coming in from about 1.
 
Some jumps horses start off racing on the flat though, then progress from that to jumping hurdles and then some onto fences. Obviously horses bred for the flat never see fences but jumps horses have to start 'racing' somewhere.

There are several flat races for NH horses and obviously people will wait for their horses to be as strong and well-grown as possible before trying them over jumps but they're not all left unhandled until 3/4/5.
 
Yup NH horses generally get to be youngsters in fields. The flat jobs rarely see a field after weaning in August-ish until March/April the following year as they are prepped for the foal and early yearling sales. Most spend the winter in a herd in a big barn. They are generally started to tack and riders in late October-early November depending on how mature they are and when they were born. Some aren't started until they next year - again depending upon size and maturity.
 
Yes to be fair there is now a new trend of bringing in horses from the flat to jump but they aren't really classed as true NH horses. Yes some are top flight horses, such as Kasbah Bliss, Binocular and the likes.

There are Bumpers for NH horses, again starting in September for Juvenile Bumpers. Juve's are 1m6f flat races with a tape start. 4-6yo Bumpers are 2miles, again tape start.
 
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