Horse Jumping 8'-10' Wide Oxer...What Do You Think?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arevJGu1lOE

Ok so this video is of my horse Vinnie. He is an 8yo. 16.2hh OTTB. It was his first time free jumping and he had to jump this bounce his own way so it ended up being an 8'-10' wide oxer! In the video he was jumping around 5'. What do you think? What level jumpers do you think he could do? Grand prix? lol Thanks. :]

Answer 1

If your trainer allowed you to do this, fire her! You have a  talented horse so you shouldn't push him to much, it will ruin his confidence and he could really hurt himself. For a start a bounce for the first time free jumping?????? Either the striding was wrong or he is still very green. It would be much easier if you gave him 2 strides between fences and build them up gradually.

By the way:

12 feet per stride

half a stride for landing

half a stride for take off

bounce--12 feet

1 stride--24 feet

2 stride--36 feet

3 stride--48 feet

etc.

Answer 2

Hmmm, maybe free-jumping bounces is a bad idea? I also noticed on your "highest jump" video that you are spacing your bounces & one-strides too short. Badly set gymnastics can really shake a horses confidence, so please ask someone who knows to help you! The bounce in the lesson with Spirit video was set correctly.

Vinnie looks a little more hunter than jumper to me! Spirit would be a nice little jumper though - love those knees!

Answer 3

Wow first of all what were you doing setting up a bounce combination for a first time free jump?????????

If your wanting to pull muscles and damage other parts of his body thats a sure way to go about it,

He obviously hasnt done alot of jumping. And starting him like this is only going to ruin his confidence,

Perhaps get someone that knows what they are doing if this is the way you intend to school him.

Answer 4

i think its amazing that he can do that, but he didn't jump it completely, it was too wide. I think he stretched to the point where he can be sore for a long time. Even though he was having fun, and any owner wants to see that, but you have to reach a limit.

"You can't reach for the moon in one day because the speed will cause you to hit your head on a star."- riding instructor

Answer 5

Watching that and your previous video (highest jump so far) I can see that for his stride and size he 8'10" is too wide for a bounce for him and too short for a stride in between.  You should widen the distances or shorten them depending on whether you want a bounce or a stride to take off.

I have ridden a horse that did a big jump like that and she too had it down, infact she and I both came down too, with me underneath!  All 18.3 hands of her!  She was just keen and given a few inches she would have made it!

Even my instructor was impressed that neither of us were killed!

Answer 6

oh my gosh! is he hurt?!

and why did you put him on a bounce for his first free jump? it should be at least a verticle, more likely a crossrail to see how he does.

and.. you should try showing him before you even begin thinking about the grand prix.

Answer 7

LOL! That is insane. He didn't get hurt did he?  He'll make something nice for you..

Answer 8

I agree with "Saddle Sore" you need to FIRE YOUR TRAINER, what the h**l does she think she is playing at she is going to kill you horses confidence. Did you not see him struggling in the air trying to clear that!?!? Not only that you can cause him serious rear end problems letting his rear end collapse on the ground like that and get caught between the poles. It appears to me that you trainer had no-friggen idea how to free-jump a horse and it pains me to see this happening to such a talented animal. Yes with his scope he could go far, but your going to take all that scope away from him making him jump an oxer he cannot clear. You need to make you bounces 12feet and if he cannot do a bounce he is obviously not balanced enough or conditioned enough in his back end to be on it upon landing and be able to push of again w/o striding out again. Also you should not be doing bounces with your horse when he has only been jumping for a couple months! Please do yourself and your horse a yourself a favor and find a reputable jumping trainer to help you, and not a back-yard horsey one who thinks they know what they are doing. Anyone can call themselves a horse trainer, but that does not mean they can ride or train worth a c**p! Poor horsey, I hope you get him out of there before your trainer ruins him!

On a good note, he is beautiful and has enough scope to go far, I would say he would not even blink an eye at the level 5's so he can go far. Plus he looks brave if he is able to jump that mess he was jumping in the video!