Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: What qualities make a horse a good jumper to you?
Here are their answers:
“I firmly believe that a good attitude and good work ethic are some of the most important attributes to make a horse a good jumper. Even if they do not possess all of the natural ability, if they have a good attitude, you can teach them to be a very competitive horse at a level they are comfortable at.
Alternatively, they can have all of the physical attributes, but if they do not have a good attitude, then their chances of success are greatly reduced.” –Andrew Bourns
“I think a good jumping horse comes from a lot of components: conformation of the horse, balance of the canter, and the natural ability to jump with the same style, regardless of the distance presented to them at takeoff.”-Shane Powell
Read more from Shane here.
“A good jumping horse is not an easy thing to find:
-For the hunters, the horse needs to be soft in the neck and bring knees up and even–not too much behind but not belly down either.
They shouldn’t jump too fast; rather, be slow and soft and wow you in the air with beautiful knees and make the act look effortless.
-To be a good jumper, an equitation horse needs to be similar to a hunter, but not as drastic with their knees or height of belly.
They can’t be skimming the jumps, but should be very flat-backed and soft so the rider can stay with them easily for the sake of holding position. An equitation horse should also make everything look very effortless.
-In the jumpers, it truly depends on the division. The higher the jump, the more loft I personally like, but I mostly think they need to be well balanced and effortless, and I like a fast jump, not too slow and high in the air.
Most of all, for all three disciplines, there should be NO leg hanging or legs down and no belly to the jump because leg hangers in any division of jumping are dangerous. A free, soft neck is necessary too–shouldn’t feel like a board. Finally, a good jumper looks natural and soft and like they are able to clear the obstacle easily!” –Dana Hart-Callanan
Read more from Dana here.
“A good jumping horse has to jump square up front, use their back, push evenly off of both hind feet, and most importantly, has to be brave!” –Johanna Hyyppa
“A good jumper is a horse that’s adjustable and can go forward and back with ease. With experience, a good jumper should be able to read a fence, whether it be a vertical or oxer, an airy jump or one with filler, and use their body and effort level appropriately to get to the other side.” –Jaden Perry
“A good jumper is bold and confident, can maintain a flowing, rhythmic canter, and demonstrates a proper bascule—that beautiful arc a horse makes over a jump.
Whether I’m selecting a horse for my students or myself, the non-negotiable quality is a sensible, dependable temperament. Above all, I need horses that will genuinely look after their riders, ensuring both safety and positive experiences in the saddle.” –Ada Haensel
