Trainer Jumping 4' on a Baby, Ignorant Owners...What to Do?

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Trakehner

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New owners at the barn, neither mom or daughter know how to ride well. They bought a 2 y.o. Arab/QH gelding who's very sweet who is now just turned 4.

I came to the barn yesterday and this trainer (15 st.) is jumping this youngster repeatedly over 3 1/2' - 4' fences...he's really pushing him too!

This is a beginner's horse, not a jumper (but this is what the daughter eventually wants to do...she's still working on posting trots). The trainer is teaching the owners and training the horse.

I consider a just coming 4 y.o. (especially a navicular prone breed such as a QH) to be too young to be doing all this jumping. The owners just don't seem to understand what he's doing to their horse won't result in a long-lived healthy and sound horse.

The big question: Should I say anything? I've trained hunters and jumpers and this poor sweet-natured gelding is being abused. I'm not a shrinking violet when it comes to protecting horses from idiots. I'm tempted to suggest "Why don't you get insurance for him, he's not going to be sound all that long etc. etc. etc." Any suggestions on how to approach this would be appreciated.
 
To be honest, don't bother saying anything.
You will become the bad person, and they will still keep jumping the legs off it anyway!
 
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Why not talk to the Yard Manager? Or are you the yard manager? x

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I talked to the yard owner...she has a "history" with this trainer in the past and she says, "Not going to get involved, it will just be seen as a personal attack". So, I told the owner, she's not going to do anything. Great!
 
I know you feel you should say something, but JS65 is right, and they'll not pay any attention to you and you'll be seen as an interfering busy body. How sad
frown.gif

Out of interest, how regularly is he jumping the horse these heights? My instructor jumps his 4 year olds that high although not very often and not for very long.
 
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Out of interest, how regularly is he jumping the horse these heights? My instructor jumps his 4 year olds that high although not very often and not for very long.

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The gelding just turned 4, turns out he's been jumping him this way for over 6 months. The jumping sessions I've witnessed have been 30-45 minutes or so of fairly hard work 3 days a week, always while the owners aren't at the yard. The trainer appears to just be "cowboying" a young horse he really doesn't care about for his own fun vs. training. This is a horse owned by beginners. Jumping a babie's brains out sure won't develop a young horse for these riders standards.

The horse is in shape. I just consider this the same as people who breed their cat or dog at the first heat...as if they're saying, "Well, they have to earn their keep" vs. letting the babies grow up and mature a bit. Very sad.
 
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The horse is in shape. I just consider this the same as people who breed their cat or dog at the first heat...as if they're saying, "Well, they have to earn their keep" vs. letting the babies grow up and mature a bit. Very sad.

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Yes, it is rather like that. They want results as quickly as possible so they can sell horses on (in my instructor's case) It's no wonder that horses are considered old at 15 here!!
Very sad indeed.
 
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