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How Many Times Do You Jump A Week/Boots.

6K views 34 replies 35 participants last post by  MercuryCrying 
#1 ·
What are your thoughts on jumping more then once a week?
Do you always have boots? Never have them? Only when riding?

- I personally only jump once a week (twice PUSHING it). Due to the reasons of: I show/train away from home ALOT. I've done 7 weeks in a row now eaither at shows or another pony club working him. I don't jump at home very much. I just don't feel the need to jump offen as Chinga is a confident and nice jumper. I don't over work my horse but I do like to push him. My coach and I both know what we {Chinga and I} are capable of.

- I was resently told that I will "Never become a Pro Eventer Jumping once a week". This was told to me by a girl thats been to two competitons in her life and her horse DOES NOT jump, he just refuses due to her riding. I'd rather be a lower level eventer with a horse with sound legs then a high level eventer with a horse that is half sound.

- I'm also VERY protective of my horses legs, his ALWAYS booted up even out in the paddock. I think I've ridden once this year without boots .. obsessive I know. But seriously, it takes me very little time to wack some boots on Chinga.

- I guess overall I do not think my horse NEEDS to be jumped more then once a week. Its not like his going to forget in the next six days. I've gone three weeks non-jumping and then his been excellent and perfectly capable.

- I also think about the importants of DRESSAGE. Our dressage still needs work, ALOT more then our jumping and jumping is only dressage with speed bumps. If he can't hold himself nicely because he's been let run around the jumping paddock 6 days a week, how is our dressage meant to look nice? "Flatworks boring". Your horse will get bored with jumping if you do that every day. Theres plenty of ways to make flatwork/dressage fun.

- Medical reasons, I'm not even going to go into this. It will end up in a rant. Basically all I'm going to say is, jumping puts ALOT of pressure on your horses legs and even with excuses like "My horse wears boots". Still doesn't make the pressure go away.

-- My overall thoughts, I jump once a week WITH boots and only with my trainer or at a show. Because no matter how advanced my horse or I get we still can't see things from the ground like she can. -
 
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#2 ·
Well, when I was actively competing and showing I was only jumping once a week, like you. However now it's about once every two weeks or so, and I always put boots on for jumping. Not always for flatwork, but always for jumping.

It's gotten to the point where even if I was actively competing, though, I probably wouldn't be jumping much more often than I am now, at least not with Willie. He knows his job, he's incredibly well trained and is a very talented jumper. I wouldn't worry taking him to a show even if he hadn't been jumped in 2 weeks. So it depends on the horse, for me.
 
#3 · (Edited)
It depends, if we're jumping big we jump once that week or two. If we're doing things like trotting baby cavaletti's so I can work on position or if we are walking a small jump then i can jump twice that week.

My horse always wears boots unless we're showing in the Hunters.

I will sometimes jump 2-4 times a week but riding different horses.
 
#4 ·
I jump once a week, and we do anywhere between 2'7" - 2'11".

Nelson is a very talented horse who knows his job and he knows his job well, so there is no reason to jump him that much. Jumping breaks down our horses joints overtime, and there's no reason to overdo it.

I always wear boots when I jump, never go without. I have read studdies about how our horses front legs take alot of trauma when landing off of a fence and how neoprene helps absorb that trauma. I want to protect my horses legs as much as we humans possibly can while we ask our horses to do these strenuous jobs.
 
#5 ·
I used to (when my instructor was holding his weekly jump lessons) jump once a week there and possible a couple of jumps at home another day. My riding area is too small to jump in properly and I see no point in only being able to jump him one jump at 90cm (which is our competing starting height) because I don't have the space or the equipment to be able to practice any higher.

I'm looking forward to lessons starting again because while Riley is a great jumper, I'm not so much. I get complacent, forget to put my leg or get him to an icky distance and then sit there and expect him to fix it. I need to jump semi-regularly/regularly because <b>I</b> have a mental block when the heights go to 1.1m and above and just freeze. If I put my leg on and actually <b>RIDE</b> him he jumps fine.

Regarding flatwork getting boring, it can when you're in the same paddock doing the same circles so I've just recently started riding him up alongside the old train line through my town and doing our flatwork while we hack it. I tell ya, nothing makes a more comfortable trail ride then a collected horse who feels like he's floating!

We wear open front jump boots, back ankle boots and front bell boots when we jump, and bell boots at all times when I ride (he over-reaches and has shoes on so I don't want to risk it)
 
#7 ·
If im competing i jump 4days before hand for 20mins and thats it.
If i have no competitions i dont jump i school and hack regularly as she(my jumper) is very fiery i try not create situations that wind her up.
The rest of my guys i might jump every 2weeks and maybe pop a log out hacking.

I boot up when its srenuous like big jumps or hard hacking the rest of the time i dont
 
#8 ·
We have a very talented jumper at our barn who does better at shows if he is jumped several times the days leading up to it, but other then that he might get jumped once a week....maybe twice the occasional normal week.

We have a couple of school horses that jump a couple of times a week, but none of them do much over 2' for most of the lessons, with maybe one lesson a week being 2'6-2'9. One large pony mare jumps 3' but only with certain kids. All school horses are booted/polo wrapped, depending on who is riding. I prefer to ride "my" monster in open front boots.
 
#9 ·
I jump once a week in lessons and sometimes on "jump days" that my trainer holds.

But the other 2-3 times a week that I am able to get up to the barn I focus on flat work and getting him to use his body correctly. I don't think you need to jump everyday to become a great rider with a great horse. You need to have a safe healthy horse that is in good shape and happy with what he is doing
 
#11 ·
I jump once or twice a week with boots. During my lessons, we jump up to 3', but most of the jumps are 2'3" to 2'6". I might do some crossrails or small verticals another day. The rest, flatwork, dressage, maybe a trail ride. My horse loves to jump, but I want to preserve her for the long haul.
 
#12 ·
I don't jump at all at home except for a log or two out on the trails.

The only time I actually jump is once a month at PC and any comps I may go to. Worked really well for me - I got my last jumping orse up to B Grade SJ and really skilled CC before I sold him and he is now eventing at prelim/pre-novice with a young girl. I don't jump much anymore.

I never use boots nowadays - I would chuck some on for CC but general riding and the small amount of jumping I do at PC no. Bundy has never gotten used to them and is constantly trying to kick them off which puts himself and others in danger.

Though I am saving for a pair of SMB's in Teal for Latte cause they would be ADORABLE!
 
#13 ·
hi, sorry i have just registered so have no idea how to do this thing!!! i dont know how to start my own post haha and was wandering how you get involved in xc competitions, my horse absolutely loves it and i dont know where to start? i do it a lot but never competitions... and my comment to this post is that i jump once or twice a week, but if i go for a ride on the beach i often jump groins sometimes, i know some people disagree with that but my horse is always clearing them no doubt, i where boots all the time when xc jumping or on the beach and i where them if i am jumping 3 ft or up but usually when just under 3ft, i dont bother,
 
#17 ·
I love my jumping, so i jump many times a week, nothing big so its not going to kill her, but we jump big sometimes, and she always gets at least one day off. Brooke almost always wears boots, id hate to think shewould hurt herself because of my laziness. we jump a lot of logs and solid jumps, so its really important for us.
 
#18 ·
I used to jump 4 or 5 times a week, but now that I'm jumping larger things (as opposed to 2 feet maximum, 2 feet bare minimum now.) I usually stick to 3 times a week max. If I jump any more than that its only one or two short rounds of fences.
I don't use boots at all. Why? I don't know their purpose, no one has taught me, and I don't own a pair. The only boots I see around here are boots for leg crossing, overreaching, and protection boots for horses that knock a lot in the front and back. Maybe later in life I will get into them.
 
#19 ·
on average, i jump my horse about 3 times a week. he is learning to jump, and when hes got it down good, i will deffinately jump less. once a week we will have our intense training session, like yesterday, when we got to 2'6" the highest we've gotten too so far (so they arent huge) and the other two will be popping over a them a few times, or small bounces and grids, also on those days we warm up, jump for like 10 minutes, then do LOTS of flatwork, collection and bending. he gets 1 or 2 days off, depending on the weather and we do lots of hillwork/hacking out the extra days.

i have a pair of hard shell open front boots for jumping, that i ALWAYS put on when we're going to be jumping a lot, but sometimes im trying to save daylight and i slack when its not going to be too intense, and hardly ever for flatwork days. since he is learning, he is more likely to crack a rail with one of his legs, and its better to be precaucious than to have a bruised leg.
 
#20 ·
Well, I always use boots or polo wraps when jumping, front and back, but that is mostly because of my trainer's preferences and the horses I ride. Not all horses need boots always...
I jump whenever I have lessons. Once a week during school and 3-4 a week in the summer. However, I do two courses MAX a week higher than 2'6, everything else is lower just to work on position/striding/gymnastics/etc... . That is out of about 15 minutes of jumping a lesson. It really depends on you and your horse as to how much jumping you two need to feel prepared for shows.
 
#21 ·
i own competitions horses and am very ott they are in stable bandages in the stable no turnout due to risking injuries booted rugging a lot so i wouldnt worry, you sound a bit like me! i jump mine 1-2 at home and then at a competition at the weekend it all depends on how fit your horse is age suppleness ect
 
#22 ·
acoording to my instructor = I dont jump enough - as I used to only do it in lesson... now I try once a week at least.... so it keeps mine and eye on form

re the comment I was resently told that I will "Never become a Pro Eventer Jumping once a week". This was told to me by a girl thats been to two competitons in her life and her horse DOES NOT jump, he just refuses due to her riding. I'd rather be a lower level eventer with a horse with sound legs then a high level eventer with a horse that is half sound.


I wouldnt even listen to a comment like that she obviously has no experience....
 
#23 ·
When my horse is in full work (he isn't at the moment) I jump him up to 4 times a week and ride him every day if i can. I always put boots on him when I ride him, not just for jumping. He wears over-reach all the time and splint boots. I sometimes put open front jump boots on him if we are jumping a little bigger and for competitions.
 
#24 ·
My horses almost never wear boots. My gelding fox hunts and I refuse to use boots out hunting because they usually get trashed or lost or sticks and mud get in them.

My mare I put boots on for jumping lessons or harder jumping. I jump her up to twice a week but usually only once.

I think its good for horses to jump with out boots to build strength. I also think its good for them to nick themselves a bit so they are more careful and think about their feet.
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