young horses, bringing on jumping ?

[NeverSayNever]

people who bring on young horses.... at what stage of a youngsters education do you introduce jumping? Would you jump a horse that lacked balance in the school and was unable to be straight? Or would you be sticking to pole work with a horse at this level? How long would you wait into a horse's jumping education before taking it over fixed XC fences?

would you class a horse that had just turned 7 as still 'young' in terms of how much you would expect from it, say out eventing?

 

[Jingleballs]

I don't bring on horses as such but have brough on C - he only started really jumping when his flatwork was balanced and that to be honest has only really come in the last 6 months. Although for him balance goes all out the window when faced with the excitement of jumpies and you'd think we couldn't ride a straight line never mind get placed at Novice dressage.

I'd still class him as young because for his breed 7 is young in terms of balance/development although sometimes when you see people out XC on their 5 year olds I wonder if we're just green and slow rather than young!!!

 

[Saucisson]

Well, I'm no expert whatsoever but my horse is just about to turn 7 and he's doing gridwork, cavaletti, poles. He's competing at 90cm and doing ok but normally knocking down one pole. He'll be doing his first ODE event next week (not with me but with OH who knows what he's doing).

HOWEVER, we went to a stallion show here the other month and I was a little bit in awe of the 4 year old stallions jumping 1,2m min. I went back home to Small Horse and we had a litlle cuddle.

I have NO idea basically - I'm happy to bring on a horse slowly. I am now in the (un)fortunate position that Small Horse loves jumping so much that we struggle to contain him and will jump anything put in front of him just for fun - includng fences......around the field. Not sure those 4 yr olds will be the same in 3 yrs.

 

[muddy_grey]

I worked on a SJ yard so we were probably a bit quicker! Once a horse could walk, trot and canter and stay reasonably balanced then we started jumping. Nothing big though. We didn't have XC so they never went. When I had my old boy I didn't do XC until we were jumping a course in control! You need to be able to adjust so they don't get too close.
As for the age - it depends on the horse. Some horses are just more physically and mentally ready. My boy was eaily jumping 1m20 at home at 4 and continued to compete with enthusiasm and was never lame until he was retired due to a field injury at 14.

Edited to add:
He was small and so matured earlier than others I have seen