jumping horse in snow.

I don't know where to put this so I'm going to put this in horse training. If I put it in the wrong section please feel free to move it :)

I jumped my horse in the snow the other day and I have people who say it's stupid and dangerous to the horse. He never showed signs of not wanting to jump and we checked to see if there were any ice patches that he could slip on and there was no ice, anywhere around. If my horse didn't want to jump or would have refused the jump I wouldn't have done it at all.

I want to explain the jump so, it makes more sense to the HF community. :) There was a barrel laying on the floor and a pole on top of the barrel and the other side of the pole was laying on the floor. So, it was pretty much a ground pole but, with one side propped up on the barrel.

So, what's your opinion on jumping a horse in the snow?

Personally, I wouldn't do it. Even if there is no ice underneath, snow can ball up in the hooves and cause a slip upon landing. I have seen people do it, but I wouldn't risk it.

The slip yes - and also the balled snow can do a lot of soft tissue damage on landing. Solid part in the middle of the hoof but the remainder of the leg will 'keep going'.

I jumped off a bucking horse and landed on a pile of dirt with my instep only. I tore every ligament in my ankle due to the uneven landing.

You see, my horse hasn't been getting ice balls on him. It's odd because, I know that a percentage of most horses do get ice balls but, he doesn't have not one on him. :/

Perhaps - however do you want to chance his leg and soundness for a very long time?

My horses are both barefoot, so don't usually get iceballs that stay for any period of time. However, when watching them in the paddock, I can see the snow clumping under the foot, and find tons of hoof-imprinted chunks of snow all winter. I just would not want to take the chance that even a lightly packed ball of snow would be in my horses' hooves in that instance when you decide to jump them. Even though they usually fall out quickly....it only takes one time to get both horse and rider injured.

I agree.

BF (who is barefoot) came walking up onto the mats that are in the over hang and she looks like bambi sliding on ice. She had just enough snow packed in her feet that it she was slipping all over.

I can not imagine trying to jump anything with the risk of them having an ice ball.

I don't jump in the snow. Heck, I don't even jump when the ground is even remotely hard! Haha

Okay, yeah I see your points. Makes sense.
This has nothing to do with the jumping issue but, I check my horses feet every time and I mean there isn't even snow in his hoofs. I mean absolutely nothing.

On the flip side, foxhunters go out all winter, and do jump in the snow.