The Lazy Jumper

Q. My seasoned jumper is a “been there, done that” kind of horse. But lately he’s been dropping rails, almost always on verticals. At horse shows, the first round or two he jumps clean. After that, I can’t seem to get him to pay attention to the jumps. He’s barely making an effort. Any suggestions?

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A. A veteran campaigner like your horse is the perfect horse to learn on. However, many of these wise fellows get a little lackluster in their performance once the novelty of a new set of jumps wears off. They begin to jump flat, without an arc or bascule to their flight path. That sends the jump rails tumbling to the ground, especially with verticals. As you’ve probably learned, if you “gig” your horse with spurs to make him jump with more enthusiasm, all you get is more speed, not more effort. But there is help!

Here is a simple exercise to use at home and at horse shows to encourage your horse to sharpen up: Set a modest vertical jump about 2’6” to start. Then place one ground pole 10 feet in front of the vertical and one the same distance away on the landing side. Now pick up a working canter and approach the jump on a steady, even pace. Make sure you maintain a consistent rhythm. Don’t try to manufacture the perfect take-off spot to the ground pole. Instead, allow your horse to canter over the first ground pole in stride, jump the vertical, and then rock back on his hocks to re-balance so he can then canter over the second ground pole. You can repeat the exercise in both directions.

The goal is to force your horse to think about his jumping effort. In negotiating the ground poles, your horse has to create a rounder arc through the air, which in turn leads to a clean jump.

You can add some drama, especially at horse shows, by draping a rub rag or saddle pad over a vertical in the warm-up ring. When you’re ready to go into the show-ring, your horse’s attention will be focused on each jump, which will lead to a better round. Of course, keep in mind that older horses like yours may begin to jump flatter due to arthritic changes in their joints, so you should consult your veterinarian if the problem continues.

16 years ago

Cindy Hale

Cindy Hale’s life with horses has been filled with variety. As a child she rode western and learned to barrel race. Then she worked as a groom for a show barn, and was taught to harness and drive Welsh ponies. But once she’d taken her first lessons aboard American Saddlebreds she was hooked on English riding. Hunters and hunt seat equitation came next, and she spent decades competing in those divisions on the West Coast. Always seeking to improve her horsemanship, she rode in clinics conducted by world-class riders like George Morris, Kathy Kusner and Anne Kursinski. During that time, her family began raising Thoroughbred and warmblood sport horses, and Cindy experienced the thrills and challenges of training and showing the homebred greenies. Now retired from active competition, she’s a popular judge at local and county-rated open and hunter/jumper shows. She rides recreationally both English and western. Her Paint gelding, Wally, lives at home with her and her non-horsey husband, Ron.

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View Comments

Logan says:
January 14, 2010 at 4:56 am
At home my horse jumps the jumps pretty well, but when we go to horse shows he skips the jump or stops right in front if it. What can I do make sure he does not do that anymore?
Emily says:
November 3, 2010 at 10:48 am
I once had a horse that would do that - she would be great at home and when you get to a show with the different atmosphere and environment the horse reacts differently. I made sure I always walked my horse around the course (if you are allowed too) and to look at all of the jumps and make sure she is ok with everything. The jumps are different at shows and can be a lil scarey for some and they stop. I have noticed if I go early and just let her walk around and look at everything she is much more relaxed. Hope that might help some.
mimic says:
January 9, 2012 at 6:01 pm
You could try to make the jumps more exciting to jump, maybe by adding some brighter colored poles to the jumps. Or add some ground poles. But before you jump them you could walk around and let your horse see all of the jumps that you have set up. I had them same problem with my old horse too.