How high can my horse jump??

Question

I have a QH/ standard bred he is about 15.3hands and he is 20 years old. When he was younger he used to jump about 4.6 feet now I jump about 2.6-2.9. How much higher do you think this guy can go. He is a really good sport and he can jump anything. He isnt too old because he goes over the jumps fine and he really enjoys it. Thanks for helping!!

Answer 1

Well, i used to take my 11 yr old TB over crossrails, and he was lazy and i thought "oh, well i guess no higher" But then he had a stroke, and he is now blind in his right eye and pees involenteraly. {{NO ONE TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS< VETS HAVE CHECKED HIM}} So, i cantered him over a small log, thinking he would just canter over it, and he started jumping 3ft before the log, when 3 ft+ in the air, and landed 3ft after. Don't underestimate him! Your horse could easily jump 3 1/2 i think. Just trot/canter him around a three foot jump a couple of times, then walk him stariaght into it. Then trot him into it. Then canter him into in, and actually go over. He will stop if he can't do it. Only do that about once a week though, so that he doesn't hurt himself =]] He should be fine.

Answer 2

he may go over the jumps fine now but doing this long periods of time could give him arthritist *sp lol* because of his older age. I am not saying he cant jump that maybe you should give him supplements if you want to bring him in shows and such just to keep his legs strong. Be best to just talk to your vet incase he can think of anything stronger or better for you horse. Good luck!

Beautiful breed too my friend had QH/Standard bred too

Answer 3

See how high he's willing to jump without a rider before tryign anything. If you want to ride him over the jumps, increase them by one hole each time, and when it gets too hard then you know that's how high he can go

Answer 4

he could probably do around three feet but ake sure not to overjump him

Answer 5

Since your still jumping him, limit it to once a week. This will keep his joints in good shape, and won't wear him out.

Most horses can do three feet easily, so he probably can too. If he is having any trouble at all though, stop.

Make sure you don't over jump him.

Answer 6

Check with your vet.  It all depends on his condition and soundness.  Personally, at that age, unless he got a really clear call from the vet, I would not jump him more than 2'9".

Answer 7

You can't tell just by looking at it. A good way you cvan find out is to ride him over bigger and bigger jumps every time you jump him. When he keeps refusing one, its probably too high. Also, you can use a lunge line and keep trying higher jumps

Answer 8

Well it seems as if your horse is willing to do anything you want him to do... ( what a good boy!!! ) You can keep raising the jump until you feel uncomfortable with the height. If you are calm and collected your horse should be too. Just don't push him to hard or he could land hard/wrong and bow a tendon which takes a long time and a lot of patience to heal. HOPE THIS HELPED! :)

Answer 9

Get a vet's opinion on this one, it will be the best choice you ever make.  A vet can take x-rays and radiongraphs to see how sound your horses joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. are.  Once you know this you will know how much higher your horse will be able to handle without causing to much stress on his legs and body.  I know of a quarter horse, who was papered, and he was 44 years old and still doing short stirrup and cross rail classes which I thought was a lot for a 44 year old but he was sounder than most teenage horses.  Then there are some horses who at 9-10 years old can't jump bigger than 2'6" due to injuries.  So let your vet make this call, then you won't have to blame yourself if something happened because you didn't know what his limits were.  It sounds like he is a nice guy who would be willing to do whatever you ask of him so be gracious to him and don't ask him to do to much.  It is definately a good idea and very smart of you to be using splint boots, no matter how old a horse is they help with the impact and keep the horse from brushing their legs together.  Have fun!

Answer 10

i think he can go to about 3 ft

Answer 11

It really all depends on how flexible his joints and ligaments are. If you start to notice him stiffing on a certain joint to area, you'll know to start taking the jumping down a notch. It would help him if you started giving him joint supplements just so that he will be less susceptible to joint and ligament problems later. I would not jump him higher than 3'2''. 20 is getting up there in age, but as long as he shows no sign of arthritis, keep on riding him. I would limit jumping to twice a week, and doing a small course once a week.

If you are excelling in jumping, i mite suggest looking at a younger horse for sale or lease. This way you don't have to worry about pushing your horse too far.

If you have any more questions, please let me know.

Answer 12

i wouldnt jump him much and the higher you jump the less often you should do it because itll wear out his joint. i did know a 23 year old tb who was still competing at 3'6 jumpers at that age though. have a vet tell you

Answer 13

Believe it or not, there have been numerous horses in the Olympics in both the jumping and eventing fields well into their late teens and early 20s.

Only your horse can tell you.  As long as he is willing, jumping in good form (elbows up and no hanging knees or hocks) and does not show signs of soreness or ill-wear after jumping, he should be OK.  

The most important issue is safety.  Jumping is a dangerous sport that should not be undertaken lightly.  Be careful what you ask your horse to jump, the make-up of the obstacle is often more important than the height.  Should your horse misjudge a take-off, height, or spread you want the jump to be forgiving and safely collapse without catching your horse's legs and causing a rotational fall.

Also, make sure your position on his back and your leg and hand aids are safe and correct over the jumps.  The higher you go, the more important role your positions and techniques will play in making sure both you and your horse get over the jump safely.  

NEVER jump alone, NEVER jump without a certified helmet, and I would not recommend you jump higher than 3' without a qualified instructor to review the position and techniques of you and your horse.

Sounds like your horse really enjoys jumping -- lucky you!  Have fun!

Good luck!