Someone said that I shouldnt have a horse because i dont know how to jump..?

Question

there name is flying mop dog..are they right, I love horse riding and my horse wont fly over a fence like he said, or will she?

Answer 1

i have a horse it doesn't necessarily mean i jump but who ever said that is a stupid showjumping brat

Answer 2

they are right. If you cant jump that means you arent balanced yet, then you fall easily, cant canter, fall off when the horse bolts and end up with broken bones.

It also means you havent been riding for very long, so you most probably know nothing about how to look after a horse - so.. just dont even go there.

ok then chazzi - How long have you been riding? oh and you asked a question titled 'how many girths does a western saddle have?' so either - you ride western and know nothing about horses - - or you ride english....so then my points are backed up completely

jenstrie - i am not disputing that you are a good rider, i bet you do have good balance. yes you may not jump, but you did learn to jump so you do have good balance and control.

none of what i just said applies if you ride western - sorry to those riders, i am sure you ride brilliantly

lambofgo.. - you hit the nail on the head  'you don't jump UNTIL you have a secure seat'

i am sure dressage riders know how to jump or they wouldnt be where they are, its the basic foundations of english horse-riding.

I was merely saying that she shouldnt have a horse because she cant ride well enough yet and is very likely to fall - she needs more experience

Answer 3

Some people never learn to jump. It is not in their disipline so they don't need to learn it.

You learn to jump on a good horse, it dont matter whose horse it is. Yours or your trainers. If you try to take her over a 3' fence just becaues she is your horse and you can thn you will hit problems. Just continue working with your trainer.  

Answer 4

I think her statement was a little misguided, I mean, learning to jump is not imperative to your safety on a horse but you should really try not to take things like that so personally. Horses are not ambitious like humans. They don't strive to reach goals like learning to jump and achieving the perfect dressage moves so whether you just take a horse out for a hack or train for the olympics, it's not going to make a difference to him. It depends on what YOUR goals are and whether he's sound and willing enough to help you achieve them. It sounds like your horse is not sound enough to jump so whether you wanted to jump him or not, you would have to find another partner to learn with.

Answer 5

If i under stand this right, they said since you don't know who to jump so you should not own a horse.  No they are wrong. Not every riders or horse jumps.  Some very experienced  riders never learn to jump, it's just something they have no interest in. Ignor that person  

Answer 6

Why would you even listen to someone that obviously is trying to discourage you and attempt to destroy your confidence in yourself?  It must be someone who has no confidence in himself and is afraid that you are going to do better then he does.  If you love horse riding, and you don't want to or aren't ready to jump, then don't worry about it.  If your horse was going to fly over the fence with you, it would fly over the fence without you, does this horse have a habit of taking off like a plane over the fences?  

Answer 7

ive had horses for years now i ride all the time and i dont jump my horses

if YOU wanna jump then start small  but dont listen to other ppl its your horse not theirs  if you wanna jump   jump  if not dont

Answer 8

Absolute rubbish!!! If you enjoy riding it dose not matter if you can't jump. I've been riding on and off since I was about 15 years old (I'm now 56) and I can't jump unless the pony or horse knows what it is doing! I've won or been placed in every competition that I have entered for and I haven't had to jump for any of them! If you want to jump and your pony/horse likes to do so, then fine, there are plenty of riding schools that will teach both of you to do just that. If you don't, then that's fine, carry on and have fun. I can assure you, you can have just as much fun WITHOUT jumping!!!!!

Answer 9

I have a horse and not being able to jump really doesn't matter. The best thing about horse-riding is the freedom to do what you want - gallop around and stuff :P

Don't listen to your friend! You don't need to be able to jump. (But I think it's fun to try because it's realy really easy).  

Answer 10

Oh please! You can learn to jump and there are other things you can do with a horse other than jumping. The horse can learn to jump better and so can you. It takes time. don't listen to what that person says unless he/she is a riding instructor.

Answer 11

I think as long as you know how to take care of a horse, and you *can* take care of a horse, whether you know how to jump or not shouldn't matter.

(as Katie mentoned) Lots of people never learn to jump because jumping isn't in their discipline. And most of them own horses and have no problem. I say ignore those ignorant comments!

Good luck :)

Answer 12

Why do you worry what others think?

Answer 13

Wow.  There is a ignorant statement.

Of course you don't need to know how to jump.  MANY dressage riders don't jump, most western riders don't jump and several well known jockeys are afraid to jump.

Not knowing how to jump is not indicative of not riding for a long time either.

Riding, in whatever discipline you choose, is just that... your choice.  If you don't want to jump, you don't have to and learning to jump isn't going to make you more secure when/if your horse bolts.  Have a secure seat is... and in my barn, you don't jump UNTIL you have a secure seat.

Musical - actually, a lot of top dressage riders don't know how to jump.  They never learned and have no interest in doing it.  A good friend of mine raised and trained a recent USDF Horse of the Year and she's never jumped a fence.  Ever.  

I also think this whole talk of "be prepared to jump a fence" is a bit overdramatic.  Most horses, having bolted and not being regular jumpers, will go around an obstacle or they won't jump it and will come to a stop.  

Flatwork is where you develop your seat and balance... if you have that and your horse really does bolt, your horse isn't going to jump something so big you will fall.  And as for the broken bones thing, how many here have fallen off over a jump and NOT broken something verses fallen off over a jump and have?

Answer 14

No what I was saying is that it is important for everyone to be able to jump IN CASE the horse takes off. I think it is important that you get some lessons on jumping as a precaution. There is a difference. Your question was how many people owned horses who couldn't jump my answer meant that you should be able to jump.

Horse girl: I am not a showjumper nor am I a brat. I am simply safety conscious.

Here is what I said in the previous question: "If you can't jump then you shouldn't have a horse. What happens if it takes off and is heading towards an obstacle."

This is not me saying that you should have your horse taken off you or that you need to be a good jumper. What I was saying is that is important that you know how to jump. If a horse takes off and is heading towards a fence then you it is important to know a jumping position or you could lose your balance and fall.

Where did I say your horse will take off. I said it MIGHT take off. Horses are unpredictable. Even the calmest horse can get a fright. Your question was basically asking whether you should take up jumping and I was saying yes you should if only for safety reasons. Please don't jump to conclusions about what I was saying. Perhaps I phrased it badly but I think you will find that many of the answers I have given on this section have been genuine and helpful.

To all those who said I am a brat or a showjumping brat I suggest you look at the full picture in the future before you come to your conclusions. For the record I am actually a fan of flatwork more so than jumping and if you look at the answer I gave to that question you will see that I at no point said her horse would take off.

I would also say that I am a little suspicious now as to why a number of my previous questions that were all resolved (the most recent being 2 weeks old) were deleted TODAY despite being genuine questions so much so that I appealed them.

If you don't like jumping don't but there is a big difference between don't want to and can't.

Angel C: I was actually an assistant in many beginner classes which often were teaching children how to jump.

HELZ: I'm right here. How about you read my answer before saying I'm a stuck up jumper. I already said I actually prefer flatwork!

Answer 15

omg i think i saw that and though WHAT!? it doesnt matter! you do what you want to! if you're happy not jumping then fine. They clearly just like to insult people its what i call bitter! I had a pony that couldnt jump because of his huge pointed paces. So what?

lol dont worry :)

Answer 16

i know people that are amazing competetive riders and have never ever jumped!!! don't let it get to you! it means nothing that you don't jump!

Answer 17

Anyone who can properly care for a horse can own a horse!  Even if they never ride it.  Owning and what you do with a horse are two different things.  There are millions of horse owners who don't jump!  What a ridiculous thing to say!  I've had horses my whole life and don't jump.  I can, it's just not the type of riding I do.  I choose to trail ride, just for my own pleasure.  I've competed but for me it takes the fun out of it.  We jump the occasional creek etc. but most times I don't jump anything.  I have excellent balance and can stay on for pretty much anything a horse tries.  I don't fall off, can lope bareback and I don't break bones!  Tell me I can't own a horse and you'll have a fight on your hands.  You ride your horse as much as you want--jumping or not!  Enjoy every minute.  Horses are incredible creatures and a bond with your horse can be more rewarding than with some people!  They are honest, loyal and sensitive.  Good luck

Ok, I went back and read your original question and Flying Mop Dog's original answer and can understand how a young person could have misunderstood Mop Dog's response.  Surely, Flying Mop Dog, you could have put than another way that wasn't quite so harsh and extreme.  You DID say "if you can not jump, you shouldn't own a horse".  Your second answer of clarification was much more explainatory than your first one.  If you had said it that way the first time, all of this could have been avoided.  Just because you know what you meant doesn't mean that a reader will.

Answer 18

Of course not. You can do whatever you want with your horse. My friend is excellent at dressage, owns her own horse, and doesn't know how to jump. Unless you want to do a sport that requires jumping (like show jumping, hunter jumping, or cross country), there's no need to know how.

Answer 19

There probably just a stuck-up jumper, ignore them!

You don't have to know how to jump to own a horse, as long as your flatwork riding and handling skills are up-to-scratch. I presume you can walk, trot and canter as well as being able to do all the yard jobs like mucking out and tack cleaning. If you answered yes to all those, then you've got a good right to have a horse! And remember, a lot of Western riders don't jump at all :)

x

Answer 20

the person meant you should know how to balance in case a horse you are riding takes off over a fence if you ever lose control.. for safety measures.. not that everyone needs to know how to jump.

also, dont underestimate your horse.. i was cantering/running in an arena during a show and my horse decided she didnt want to turn so she ran up to the fence and jumped it instead of turning.. i never thought my horse would EVER do something like that, but its safe to know how to stay on if you ever get yourself into a situation that calls for it..

Answer 21

i think this has been blown out of proportion! i can see both sides.

people who are for non-jumping owners owning horses:

- the horse may just be a companion

- those 4 year olds you see on the tiny ponies don't know how to jump, a pony can teach you!

- if you have a really quiet pony, it is very unlikely that the horse will spook and jump to escape.

people who are against non-jumping owners having horses:

- you may get a really quiet pony or horse who you love, but after a year, you find that you want a pony who can jump so that you can compete and do pony club. it's really difficult to part this way.

- if you do get into difficulty and you have to jump to escape the situation you could have a serious accident because of not having enough balance over the fence.

- if you wanted to do pony club, you would have to jump and it would be really sad as you would feel let down.

i'll let you make your own choice, but please don't take something like this to heart, yahoo answers often asks people to share their opinions and you can't change someones mind without their consent.  

Answer 22

they are wrong, you can have a horse and not jump, you dont even have to be of a very experienced ability, aslong as you have an experienced person to help you out, and guide you .Hope this helps.

Answer 23

its no big deal if you cant jump a lot of people dont jump

Answer 24

If jumping is not your discipline, and your horse takes off to a fence then you have the wrong horse! I know horses that, for one reason or another, hate jumping. At the same time, I know some for whom a life without jumping would simply not be worth living! If you don't want to jump, then don't! If you do ever want to learn, then get a good trainer and a knowledgable, safe horse.

Answer 25

THERE IS ALOT MORE TO HORSES THAN JUST JUMPING!!!!!!

i hate that, even a the olympics they ONLY JUMP

don't worry about it, i personlly hate jumping, and i ride in ALL disciplines and everything else, just do what you enjoy doing

Answer 26

... there is people who own horses but don't even ride does that mean that they shouldn't own a horse because they don't ride and probably don't know how to either...

i understand where the person who said that is coming from but perhaps the horse may not like jumping and neither do you so just stick to what you and your horse enjoy most and the fact that you dont know how to jump means you have the enjoyment of learning which will give you something to work on with your horse

have fun x  

Answer 27

you don't need to know how to jump.

i've lived around horses my entire life, i lived on a farm growing up. just because you don't know how to jump doesn't mean you aren't experienced with horses or you haven't been riding that long. i knew a trainer that was in his 50s and had been riding since he was a kid, and he didn't know how to jump, and had never been severely injured. he's one of the best riders that i know.

&&just because you're unexperienced doesnt mean that you shouldn't have a horse either.

you can have a horse no matter what your experience level is. just make sure that the horse is safe for you to ride at your experience level, and make sure that someone with alot of experience shows you how to do things and is around you and approves of that horse.

alot of riders are full of themselves and think that they know everything about horses. you can ride horses for 10+ years and still not know c**p.

i've been around every type of horse and every type of rider, and i know that alot of riders are not exactly horse smart.

anyways, you don't need to know how to jump to be a safe rider. just make sure that you understand what is safe around horses and what is not, and that your horse is right for your experience level.

Answer 28

I saw that question and answered it, they had a point, she never said your horse would "fly" over the fence etc, you are taking it out of context and bad mouthing someone who was just stating their opinion. She was simply saying what would you do if your horse came to an obstacle and needed to jump it.

Get the facts straight before you ask ridiculous questions.

Answer 29

Not everyone jumps, i don't.  I do have a 17 hand Thoroughbred that does and i will be taking lessons to give this a try.  Doesn't mean i will do it more than once LOL I'm old it may scare the crude out of me LOL

Answer 30

well they are prob some stuck up brat who thinks they know everything about horses u r probably very good at what you do! s***w em'

Answer 31

Lots of people own horses and don't know how to jump.