OMG....Clydesdale can jump!

tangoharvey

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2009
Messages
843
Location
in the clouds
Visit site
Well of all the things...it was my birthday yesterday and at the grand old age of 38 i decided to have a riding lesson party with 3 of my best mates. I wanted to ride nancy my mare not one of the riding school horses. It was ace, despite me using nancy mainly as a happy hacker, she worked well in the school, and did a trotting pole or two (previously she jkust kicked them out of the way with complete disreguard as if they were twigs on the floor) then, the instructor put a tiny cross up - jump that she said. I CANT i said, Nancy doesnt jump. Jump it she said, just because its your birthday doesnt mean you dont have to do what I tell you, she said.
So, I circled round built up a nice bouncy trot, and in my head as we headed towards the jump, I have visions of her ploughing through it, sending the wood into a million matchsticks, spraying the school, with her then somersaulting over the top and squashing and killing me. However, the said nancy, flicked out her feather feet into a bouncy trot and jumped the flipping jump. I was so shocked to be a)alive and b) over the jump I stopped dead and screamed!! Bad habit to start I know but I just wanted to tell you all and this little event made my birthday!!!!
 

millikins

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2011
Messages
3,895
Visit site
Well done and happy birthday! There was an Aussie showjumper few years ago who rode a half Clydie round the Hickstead derby, very creditably too I recall.
 

abbijay

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
1,384
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! That sounds like the best present.
I have a jumping Clydie and those that enjoy jumping can be very talented at it. Mine competes up to 2'6" and I know another pure bred that competes at Open ODEs. Sitting on a ton of pure power when they push off has to be one of the best feelings in the world!
Keep up the fun times xx
 

tasteofchristmaschaos

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 November 2008
Messages
2,058
Location
Kent
Visit site
Heavy horses CAN jump, whether or not they FEEL like jumping is another question. My shire boy will happily jump whatever solid jump you put at him all day long (including in hand, he gets over them much more gracefully than me!), but show jumps are much more dubious.
 

frozzy

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 September 2010
Messages
348
Location
SW Scotland
Visit site
Clydesdales are brilliant all rounders ! There is a Clydesdale riding centre in Cumbria and when they moved from Scotland they hacked them there.
If my memory serves me well wasnt Ryans Son half Clydesdale? He was my most memorable show jumper of all time.
 

alex2

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2005
Messages
100
Visit site
You have let the secret out! All draft horses can jump, the same muscles used to pull a plough are used to jump! My pure shire mare could jump really well cross country and I have kept two of her half-TB sons that are really good all-rounders and love hunting. They feel so safe too when you are flying over big hedges.
A lot of show-jumpers don't actually like to admit their grade A showjumper has draft horse blood in it but there are a lot out there!
 

abbijay

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
1,384
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
Clydesdales are brilliant all rounders ! There is a Clydesdale riding centre in Cumbria and when they moved from Scotland they hacked them there.

Actually the only all clydesdale riding centre in the world is Adventure Clydesdales in Cornwall - I rode with them this weekend and had an awesome time.
Cumbrian Heavy Horses was Europe's first all heavy horse riding centre but they have shires, shire-clyde crosses and belgian draughts too! Although they have more clydies than anything else. Another great place.

My clydie is the classic allrounder - hunts, jumps, shows, hacks, events, gives pony rides to kids... Best horses in the world!
 

welsh horse rider

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 September 2010
Messages
867
Location
South Wales
Visit site
sounds like you had a fab birthday hun..... and a nice suprise
I used to ride a shire in College and she could fly over the jumps :eek::eek: when she wanted too and well she used to fly at cross country was good fun :eek:
 

Theresa_F

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 August 2005
Messages
5,577
Location
London - Essex side
Visit site
Glad you had a great birthday and yes Clydes can jump.

Cairo used to love jumping and XC up to 2'9. Farra is a grade A in a cart horse body - will go and jump by herself if you leave fences up in the school.

Here she is doing the 2'6 at our local jumping show.

1732_001.jpg


She now is happy doing 2'9 and if you ask her to go round a course of less than 2'3 she tends to go through them as she can't be bothered to jump until they get a bit bigger.
 

Zerotolerance

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 January 2011
Messages
365
Location
Sevenoaks, Kent
Visit site
Well done and happy birthday! There was an Aussie showjumper few years ago who rode a half Clydie round the Hickstead derby, very creditably too I recall.

Yep, Charlie Moffat(RIP) and Kelso Mulga Bill. I think 3rd in the Derby Trial and a couple down in the Derby. Got sold to Stanny van Paeschen and was placed in the WEG. Somewhere I have videos of him- if I ever have any spare time will convert to right format and post!
 

Hovis_and_SidsMum

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 January 2007
Messages
2,711
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
Hovis loves to jump!
These big boys and girls can really fly when they want to - much to heavy horse snobs disbelief.
Hubby rode Hovis once in a comp for me and i overheard a woman in front say to her friend "oh this should be interesting" in a sarcastic tone. Two seconds later as Hovis was flying around jumps pulling hubbys arms out "well I certainly didn't expect THAT!".
It amused me immensely!! :D
 
Top