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For those of you who have done both... jumpers or eventing?

7K views 51 replies 12 participants last post by  MIEventer 
#1 ·
Hey guys,
I am an eventer of 5 years and i LOVE it to death. But recent social events have made me think about switching to jumpers. I event in the midwest and the horse community is small. It's sad to say but the situation has gotten to the point that has made me want to switch disciplines ( it's kind of a sensitive subject for me so I would not like to talk about in any further than that...) My horse loves both and is very bold and brave. She has done events and small jumper shows and enjoys both.
I would still do cross country schoolings here and there because my horse loves it so much (I enjoy it too) but I would want to mainly compete in the jumper circuit.
For those of you who have competed in both, which did you find that you preferred and why?
all input would be very helpful in making my decision! Thanks so much!
 
#2 ·
Well, I've been Eventing since I was 18/19 and am now 33 - so I'll never leave :)

Do what you feel is right and what you enjoy. Don't let anyone around you control your life. Don't let them make you decide what you want and don't want to do.

If you want to event, then event.

This is about you and your horse - no one else.
 
#6 ·
I've only done a little of eventing (however I'm gonna start doing more this year), but I do mostly jumping. ;) I like jumping better...although, eventing is pretty fun. I like the feeling of being 'open', rather than in a ring. It gives the horse more 'outside' experience, too. They sure act different in the showring full of jumps than in an open field! :P
 
#7 ·
Well - let me get more particular for you eventerdrew

1) Stadium Jumping is nothing compareable to CC
2) CC is nothing compareable to Stadium Jumping.

What I mean by that is - you can NOT jump a CC fence the same way you would a stadium fence. You can't approach a CC fence the way you would a stadium -

These are two completely different venues, two different styles of riding, two different worlds.

The terrain is much different, as we obviously know. And the fences are as well - which doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out - lol.

So, what do you prefer to ride?

Me - point me at a 3'0" CC fence and I'll do it without a blink of an eye. Point me at a stadium - competely different reaction out of me.

For me - CC fences are welcoming, inviting, natural, homey. Stadium - open, spacoius, not inviting, intimidating - bleh. I do it because I have to, but I don't enjoy it.

When I do flat work - I would far wrather do it out on the CC course, out on that well groomed ground, between the fences - I just feel at home out there. I am happy as a clam just being out on that cc course.

When I was a working student at the Eventing/Fox Hunting Barn - I would walk out into the middle of the CC course, sit on a fence and eat, while looking at every single fence in detail.

There have been days where I would get on my horse, ride out into the middle of the CC course, and just stood there looking at the fences with this huge grin on my face.

There is no better feeling in the world.

When I look at my horse, I get this over exuberant feeling of pride. He is one athletic, all round horse who is unstoppable when he does his job. He is my wings.

When I close my eyes, all I can see is Nelson and I Hand Galloping between each fence out on a CC course.

Let me ask you - what are these 2 sports to you?
 
#8 ·
yea, MIEventer has a point. You hae to approch a Show jumping jump at a fast, but bouncy canter, on the CC you can go alot faster, and not as a bouncy of a canter.
 
#10 ·
In Stadium and Sho jumping alike, your canter has to be bouncy and more rocked back on the haunches, so your horse has alot of bounce to get over the rails to clear the jumps without knocking a pole. In Show jumping you would try to go faster than eventers would in stadium.
Out on the CC you are going alot faster than either stadium or show jumping, and you arn't woried about keeping a nice bouncy canter, just getting over the jumps and going fast
 
#13 ·
In Stadium and Sho jumping alike, your canter has to be bouncy and more rocked back on the haunches, so your horse has alot of bounce to get over the rails to clear the jumps without knocking a pole. In Show jumping you would try to go faster than eventers would in stadium.
Out on the CC you are going alot faster than either stadium or show jumping, and you arn't woried about keeping a nice bouncy canter, just getting over the jumps and going fast to beat the time. You might colect going towards a Teckehaner or sunken road
 
#15 ·
Acctually, no. Whenever I was at a show, my mom was riding too, or I was just schooling there. I don't have any pictures of me showing Blue, or any other horse, at all. I am only 14.
 
#18 ·
In Stadium and Sho jumping alike, your canter has to be bouncy and more rocked back on the haunches, so your horse has alot of bounce to get over the rails to clear the jumps without knocking a pole. In Show jumping you would try to go faster than eventers would in stadium.
Stadium and Show Jumping - are the same exact thing. Regardles if you are at a Hunter/Jumper show, or at a Horse Trial.

In a Jump Off, I can see going "faster" but in an average round, it is about Rhythm, control, balance.


Out on the CC you are going alot faster than either stadium or show jumping, and you arn't woried about keeping a nice bouncy canter, just getting over the jumps and going fast to beat the time.
I highly disagree with you here, and if this is what your coach is teaching you, find a new one.

You NEVER ride the clock out on CC, that is a fast way to trouble and danger. You ALWAYS ride your horses Rhythm. Just like in Stadium.

Yes, one would Hand Gallop between fences, because we want to lighten the load for our horses over those distances - but when you approach a CC fence, you damn well better be rhythmic, under conrol, your horse light and responsive to remain under you - and you ride that CC fence totally differntly than you would a Stadium Fence.

You might colect going towards a Teckehaner or sunken road
You're speaking of a Coffin Canter.

~~~

When I say you cannot ride a Stadium Fence the same way you would a CC fence - is I mean by form.

Those fences out on that CC fence should never be under estimated - NEVER - whether you are doing a GAG fence or a Prelim Fence. Regardless - the rider should remain solid, deep, tall, lifting their horse up into their aids - never flat.

You NEVER ride the clock, and if your coach is teaching you that - find a new one.

This is a sport to be respected - period.

Also, regardless if you are in stadium or out on the cc course - you always approach a fence in a rhythmic tempo, strait, rounded, light, responsive.

The riders form - differs.
 
#19 ·
I would disagree with you in the fact that stadium and show jumping are the same. Show jumping is the disapline, and it is much more technical than stadium, which is what eventers do. Eventing stadium courses and show jumping courses are very different, show jumping is harder thand a stadium
 
#21 ·
I have to agree. I've always been taught that Stadium and Showjumping are the same.

I definitely see where you are coming from MIEventer and thanks for the great advice. Again, I would NOT be quitting XC cold turkey. I would still do schoolings and the occasional schooling show to keep my horse in eventing in case I decided to switch back. I could never truely quit XC because my horse and I love it so much. But the situation is very very complicated. It also has to do with trainers. In the midwest, there aren't very many good eventing trainers and it is difficult to find a trainer who will even work with my horse (she's REALLY hard to work with but once they see her jump they usually change their minds. lol) and my current trainer, who is the most amazing trainer i have ever worked with (competed @ Rolex and trains with BDJ and is great with my horse) is moving to Germany in June and i will be left trainer-less, stuck with the eventers i despise the most.

I just don't know what to do :/
 
#23 ·
Where there is a will, there is a way.

If your heart and soul belongs to eventing, then fight. stick with it and give it your best.

Really learn as much as you can from your current trainer before he heads off to Germany and stick with that. Even when you ride under less competant coaches, you will still have the strong fundamentals of how to properly ride a CC course - and how to properly ride a Stadium course.

Stick with it. Easier said than done, I know - but keep searching.

~~~~~

Stadium Jumping and Show Jumpers are the same thing.

As WikiPedia says:

Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping" or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers, sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events, and sometimes show jumping is but one division of very large, all-breed competitions that include a very wide variety of disciplines. Jumping classes may be governed by various national horse show sanctioning organizations, such as the United States Equestrian Federation in the USA. However, international competitions are governed by the rules of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).

I invite you to go to a Jumper Show and watch a 2'11" class. Then go to an Event and watch a Novice Jumping Phase and tell me if you see any difference what-so-ever.

Show Jumping is a fancy name for Stadium Jumping. The fences in the arena or stadium, are called stadium fences. Jumping is done in a Stadium or Arena - hence, stadium jumping. Show Jumping is the same exact thing.

Show Jumping or knows as Jumpers - is a phase or competition based on whether the horse jumps the fence or not, retains faults, and gets the course done in the alloted time. Faults are given if there is a refusal and if there is a knock down.

The jumps are colorful and fun. Where we fine oxers, verticles, double oxers, water jumps and etc, etc.

You find BOTH these in Hunter/Jumper shows, and at Events. There is absolutely no difference what-so-ever between the Stadium Phase in Eventing, or Stadium Jumping at a Jumper show. The rules are the same, the faults are the same, the fences are the same, the way you ride the course is the same, the rules are the same. No difference bewteen Stadium and Show Jumping.

No difference at all.

Eventing is about the best of the best. The best of all 3 disciplines. Dressage, Stadium Jumping and Cross Country.

I'd sit down and discuss this with your coach.
 
#27 ·
Little off topic....
Anyways I wanted to voice my opinion cuz I have alot of experience with wanting to leave a sport. I would ask you what are your goals for you and your horses? Do you want to go to the olympics or do you just want to compete every once in a while. If you could also tell me what events your referring to. Try not to let other people get to you. I know its hard but in the end its worth it.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I emailed my

At the lower levels, they are moderately more complicated, but not much. You don't start getting the trickier friend in Florida who competes CIC*** and CCI*** and this is what she said:

"I can see what she is coming from because, yes, the show jumping courses are substantially more complicated at a certain point. That certain point that they become more complicated is about 3'6"-3'9". Guess what? That's when they get complicated in eventing, too, because that's when the CIC/CCI's start.

Combinations and turns until the above mentioned levels. The ONLY exception to this, IMO, is pony jumpers simply because how competitive that division is and how high the jumps are relative to the mounts (a 3' course on a 14hh pony is equivalent to a 3'5" course on a 16hh horse).

Coming from ~1.25m show jumpers and going to ~1m stadium, yes, it is ridiculously easy. However, I don't look at P stadium as being a cake walk. Yes, it's easy to just do it on a good horse, however, it is very difficult to do it WELL on a good horse who is at a much higher fitness level than most SJ horses the day after XC.

The way I look at it? It's the same. I wouldn't approach a 1m show jumper course any differently that I would approach a 1m stadium course. You ride the rhythm the same, you ride the striding the same and you approach each fence exactly the same way. No difference.

There are some minor variations in the rules - you don't have to salute the judge before you being a round in Stadium Jumping, but you do in Eventing. There's no jump-off in eventing, another obvious one.

And a standalone jumper course at a Show Jumping event will probably be a bit longer and more difficult, that a jump course of the same height at an event - only logical since the event horse also has to do a dressage test and cross-country! And in jumpers a lot of the most technical riding happens in the jump-off, which you don't have in eventing... an event jump course is going to be ridden more conservatively than a jump off.

But really that's all little stuff, the bones are the same... eventing jumping and show jumping are more similar than say, hunters and show jumping.

I don't think she is right to say that show jumping is "harder" - if you take a showing jumping course versus an event course and that's all you looked at, well sure, the show jumping course is harder. But the show jumping course might be the only round the horse does that day, whereas the eventer also has to do a dressage test and a cross-country course. Again, you do not ride them any differently. A stadium fence is a stadium fence, regardless.

I always found stadium to be hardest phase of eventing. Even when the course itself seemed straightforward, that was deceptive, the challenge was dealing with the fatigue and keeping concentration and energy up to get around AFTER doing the two other phases."
 
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