Teaching a horse to jump wire

[tootsietoo]

A project for later this summer! Can anyone give me any tips on teaching your horse to jump wire, particularly electric fence? It's not something i am planning on doing a lot but sometimes last season i feel it would have been safer to hop over a strand of fence than to have someone stand on it and then end up halfway across the next field when the horse touches it!

No doubt I will need to rig up a piece of electric wire between some jump stands, but what sort of tension? I don't want to trip us up when we start, but equally don't want to give him the idea that it is fine to hit wire by having it too easy pulled down. Any exercises that are useful?

Thanks

 

[Sparkles]

Jacket popped on wire eventually? Only thing I've ever done when having to jump wire anywhere else other than out hunting...I tend to be boring and avoid it at all costs lol. But I'm sure other people will have more insightful ways!

 

[Scoutie]

I wouldn't, there is always a way around and the risks, at least from my point of view, are not worth it. A couple of years ago I saw a horse die when the wire fence was misjudged, this just confirmed my concerns.

 

[Ollie's Mum]

I've always been told that you aim for the post so that your horse has something to actually see and judge it that way but I must confess that as Scoutie says, it isn't something I'd really want to risk.

I've jumped wire sheep netting (with a plank on top) and that gave me the heebie jeebies thinking what could have happened if my horse had caught a hoof as he went.

ETA Another thought would be that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to teach your horse to jump electric fencing - there might come a time when you want it to stay behind some!

 

[LizzieJ]

I taught some of my ponies to jump electric fencing, I could never keep them in after!

I try and avoid wire now but I use to use a length of very high tensile wire that would support itself between the wings with something significant wrapped around the ends so they can't spike you

 

[tootsietoo]

Hadn't thought about him jumping the paddock fence when he's turned out! That would be no good!

 

[Little Squirrel]

I've jumped plenty of wire and to be honest if I didn't have to I would avoid it. Only pieve of advice I have is aim for the post and close your eyes! I have never done anything over wire at home.

 

[Littlelegs]

Jumped barbed wire once, don't intend to again, couldn't have pulled up in time cos pony had locked on & think its the only time I've ever been scared. It was along the top line of post & rail, & at this particular point the rail was missing. If I'd seen it sooner would have jumped further up, still worry now about if she'd caught it.

 

[Dogstar]

Hmm I have hunted for years and always try to avoid wire on its own. I would be worried about aiming for the post as I would imagine the horse would swerve from the post and think the wire was a gap...mine have mistaken wire for a gap several times. In an emergency, the coat over the wire trick has been used successfully.

 

[Sherston]

......back to the original question. Start with the wire (or string or rope more safely) between two uprights that will fall over, i.e. like a single pole and put something over the wire / string to help the horse see it. Then start with something thick and more visible eg rope and then work through string and then to wire or as thin as you like to go.

If you watch hunt staff quite often they will walk the horse up to the wire and hit it with a whip, this does seem to ensure that the horse knows its there.

Good luck.

 

[Auslander]

Jumping wire is an issue for riders, not horses!! I've hunted a lot in New Zealand, where jumping wire is the rule, rather than the exception. I never met anyone out there who specifically trained their hunters to jump wire - they can see it no problem, hence why they don't run through wire fences when turned out. It is a bit scary the first time you find yourself 5 strides out from a well built wire fence - but once you've done it once or twice, you'll be fine!

 

[k9h]

As daft as it seems, barbed wire is the safest of wires to jump. Should you catch it, it will just break. The best pace is trot. I've never walked up to wire & hit it or placed my coat on it. In a season I will jump at least 30 wire fences.
I will add I am hunt staff & have to keep with hounds & know & trust my bog tank to jump it!
I never taught him. In fact the first day I rode him & that was out hunting, I went for this tiny hunt jump in wire fence with ditch. Huntsman had just gone in front & turned left on landing. Dec started drifting left towards this 4' (at least) with ditch wire fence topped with barbed wire. I sat like a muppet think he'll stop & then I'll represent at jump. Only he didn't! He cleared the bloody lot! Huntsman said, what are you doing???!
My reply, he jumps wire now!!!
As long as your horse ain't blind he will see it.
I did damage the Tank with wire this season but wasn't jumping. I'd walked through a gap in fence onto moor to stop hounds, was a bit boggy. I'd gone nearly 10m before he came down, I thought it was the bog but when I got off, he'd picked up a strand in front of his hind leg & was caught in the hock joint. I cut the wire but he had cut him & bruised the joint. Another reason to carry wire cutters on you!
It is best to avoid jumping if poss but in my position, when I have to go I've got to go! I only have one bad pic of me jumping wire but will try & find it for you!

 

[tootsietoo]

Thank you sherston, very helpful. And auslander and k9h, reassuring. Obviously in the field you always have a choice, but sometimes you really really want to be there, and if you can trust your horse to skip over a one foot strand of electric fence, or some very visible sheep netting then so much the better.

 

[k9h]

http://www.nickgillphotography.co.uk/gallery/2008/Hunts/PFCH/west_marton_08_a/index.asp

Here is a link to our photographers page with 3 wire jumping pics on it.
Also I find as the years go on. That we jump more wire, as the farmers replace their fences & not the hunt jumps, as it is cheaper. If only they bothered to ring us we would go & do the hunt jumps! But to get ou t hunting & see aload of fences gone makes life harder!

 

[cheekyvimto]

i taught mine to jump where my jacket was. so id just take my jacket off lay it over the wire he would jump the jacket and then pop it back on easy and alot safer

 

[only_me]

A county show made a fake "barbed wire" fence using tinfoil type material shaped and was set onto the cups.
Hunting around me usually jumps a lot of wire which is why the fake wire fence was in the course, although it did have a bale underneath it to make it nicer
Try tinfoil

 

[tootsietoo]

thanks all.

 

[Vulpinator]

As a proffessional i have to jump wire sometimes only though to save hounds from a road or something simular my advice is if you dont have to dont do it. its not something you need to do unless your whipping in or the huntsman anything you do with wire comesas a risk so think carefully before you start.

 

[Herne]

Start on rope, move on to string.

 

[cheekyvimto]

As a proffessional i have to jump wire sometimes only though to save hounds from a road or something simular my advice is if you dont have to dont do it. its not something you need to do unless your whipping in or the huntsman anything you do with wire comesas a risk so think carefully before you start.

this comment is very true

 

[benjibub]

Jumping wire is an issue for riders, not horses!! I've hunted a lot in New Zealand, where jumping wire is the rule, rather than the exception. I never met anyone out there who specifically trained their hunters to jump wire - they can see it no problem, hence why they don't run through wire fences when turned out. It is a bit scary the first time you find yourself 5 strides out from a well built wire fence - but once you've done it once or twice, you'll be fine!

Agreed, i have also groomed and hunted in NZ. Thier attitude seems to be at least the horse can always see what is on the landing side, and if they do get caught up, you just cut them out. Fairly terrifying to begin with but after a couple its not so bad, and they are generally very busy jumping days so you have to get the hang of it quickly!

They also jump wire as part of working hunter style courses at shows. I think it is a valuable skill to have.