[Angel5000]

HElP me and my horse are werstern riders and my mom signed me up for jumping in english i don't know crap about english but im willing to learn. if you have any adivce please tell me it will be much aprecitated.

 

[CecilliaB]

What do you mean she signed you up? Are you going to be taking lessons?

 

[PBritton2U]

I agree...please clarify. It sounds like your mom decided to enter you in some fence classes at a show and you don't know how to jump. If so--ack!--it's not as 'easy' as it looks. Now, if it's a cross-rail class, and your horse is trained to do trail, you might (emphasis on MIGHT) be okay. If not, I say scratch the class.

If, however, she signed you up for lessons, I say go for it. What you'll learn over fences will help you become a better rider. But I sure hope you'll be using a school horse. Some so-called trainers will put a beginning rider on an equally green horse (so they can learn together! Like...yeah, that makes sense!) The result is a disaster. Just take care.

Pamela Britton-Baer

 

[White Foot]

English and western are very similar..

 

[Angel5000]

srry bout the confusion im talking about 4H!

 

[Scoutrider]

srry bout the confusion im talking about 4H!

4-H showing, project, or a clinic/lessons? If you're showing in a jumping class without any experience jumping, I say scratch the class and look into some lessons if you are interested in jumping. If you're signed up for your project year as English/jumping, I'd advise switching back to Western for this year and taking some English lessons, maybe showing English in some small open shows for experience if you're up to it, then signing up next year for English performance project (or whatever it's called in your state).

 

[Angel5000]

Thanks for your advice ill remmemeber it thanks

 

[White Foot]

Well if it's a 4-h class you won't be jumping things extraordinarily high, probably poles... I would take lessons until your 4-H class? or show?

 

[Scoutrider]

Well if it's a 4-h class you won't be jumping things extraordinarily high, probably poles... I would take lessons until your 4-H class? or show?

Erm, 4-H does have some fairly challenging jumping classes, hunters, jumpers, and EQ, even at the local level. If the OP is entered in a 4-H Hunter Hack class, I wouldn't be overly concerned as long they have a decent seat. There are only 2 fences and they are probably under 2 feet. If the OP is entered in Working Hunters, or any other "course class", I'd be more concerned considering the potentially increased height of the obstacles, the issue of counting and managing strides, etc.

 

[White Foot]

Erm, 4-H does have some fairly challenging jumping classes, hunters, jumpers, and EQ, even at the local level. If the OP is entered in a 4-H Hunter Hack class, I wouldn't be overly concerned as long they have a decent seat. There are only 2 fences and they are probably under 2 feet. If the OP is entered in Working Hunters, or any other "course class", I'd be more concerned considering the potentially increased height of the obstacles, the issue of counting and managing strides, etc.

I volunteered when I was younger for our local 4-h club. I'm not saying the classes aren't challenging but alot of them are made for the youth/beginner riders in mind. The most jumping our riders did was all under 1ft.

 

[Angel5000]

Thanks Scoutrider and whitefoot your really helpful my horse is part throughbred so shes light weight!

 

[White Foot]

Good luck

 

[Scoutrider]

I volunteered when I was younger for our local 4-h club. I'm not saying the classes aren't challenging but alot of them are made for the youth/beginner riders in mind. The most jumping our riders did was all under 1ft.

At the club level yes. I'm an assistant leader, and our individual club shows don't usually even include a jumping class (the club is loaded to the gills with little leadline kids and gamers, lol). Our county show though tends to be full of overclassed kids, teenagers, and horses once the jumps are set up. All I'm saying is that, depending on what exactly the OP has been "signed up" for, it may or may not be a problem. I wish I hadn't left my rulebook at school! I could look up the height divisions. Granted there might be differences from state to state, but I imagine that jump height divisions and the like are relatively standard.

 

[Angel5000]

thanks im going to go to the clincs right away

 

[PBritton2U]

English and western are very similar..

::Slaps head:: You're kidding me, right? Seriously, you didn't really mean that did you kiddo? Nothing could be further from the truth. English and western are MILES apart.

Pam
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[PBritton2U]

Thanks Scoutrider and whitefoot your really helpful my horse is part throughbred so shes light weight!

Umm...your horse's weight or "lightness" has NOTHING to do with your ability to jump.

Please, be careful if you decide to do this. I've watched people on the Quarter Horse circuit--experienced riders--nearly break their neck because they thought it would be 'easy' to do a hunter hack class. It's not, not, not!!! At least take a lesson or two beforehand.

Ooi!

Pam<---a 4-H leader who would never, EVER allow one of my kids' parents to enter their kid in a fence class with out proper training!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[White Foot]

::Slaps head:: You're kidding me, right? Seriously, you didn't really mean that did you kiddo? Nothing could be further from the truth. English and western are MILES apart.

Unless the horse reins than no. The only major huge difference is the tack. But from what I've read the horse is TB that has been used as a western horse, but he was singed up for an english/jumping? class, which means the horse was trained using direct contact, not neck reining.

 

[PBritton2U]

The only major huge difference is the tack.

I am seriously baffled by this observation and wondering if you're doinking with me. It's possible you're joking, I suppose,'cause if you're not... Well, wow. :shock: .

Okay, so let me just say this: At the Quarter Horse World Show this past year, there were more than a few "western" riders that qualified in hunt seat equitation. How they managed to do this is a long story that would involve a rant on my part and so we won't go there :-|, but suffice it to say, a few mostly western riders were in the hunt seat eq. finals. Problem was, they had specialized english judges at the WS. Those judges asked these "western" riders to drop their irons. Honey, you should have SEEN the poop hit the fan. It quickly became apparent who were the "men" and who were the "boys". English is NOT western. It's about supporting your upper body with your base and riding slightly (very slightly on the QH circuit :wink in front of the verticle, not on your pockets. It's about maintaining contact--the RIGHT amount of contact--with your horse's reins. It's about picking up the right diagonal without having to look and, if you know what you're doing, being able to do this without your stirrups. Ooi! I could go on. (The class winner was an absolutely stunning rider, by the way. You can watch her "winning run" on AQHA.com.)

Biggest problem I see with people who go from western to english is that they lose their base (lower leg) because there's no big-honkin' fenders on an english saddle to hold that leg in place. All we have are these little strappy things that cause most western riders to lose their balance and just about fall off. Never mind that we ride with our irons shorter than the average western rider. It can be dangerous. Nine times out of ten they end up hanging onto their horse's mouth for dear life. That, in turn, upsets the horse--chaos ensues. I've seen it a hundred, no a thousand, times.

I keep stressing to the OP to take a lesson or two before attempting to jump. I suspect that when she realizes how hard it is to hang on in that wittle postage-sized-stamp of a saddle, she'll scratch her classes. But I could be wrong.

As far as the horse being TB and so it should know "direct" rein, I have to disagree here, too. (Sorry!). Many TBs never even make it to the track. Many are sent directly to any Tom, **** or Harry that is willing to break them. Who knows what they used in that horse's mouth? Ya know?

I'm not trying to come down on you or nothin'. Seriously. (Although I recognize it might feel that way.) I just really diagree with what you're saying and I've tried, truly tried, not to come of sounding like Queen B of the Universe while pointing out the fallacy of your observation. I hope I've succeeded.

Hugs!

Pamela Britton-Baer

 

[Void]

I am seriously baffled by this observation and wondering if you're doinking with me. It's possible you're joking, I suppose,'cause if you're not... Well, wow. :shock: .

Okay, so let me just say this: At the Quarter Horse World Show this past year, there were more than a few "western" riders that qualified in hunt seat equitation. How they managed to do this is a long story that would involve a rant on my part and so we won't go there :-|, but suffice it to say, a few mostly western riders were in the hunt seat eq. finals. Problem was, they had specialized english judges at the WS. Those judges asked these "western" riders to drop their irons. Honey, you should have SEEN the poop hit the fan. It quickly became apparent who were the "men" and who were the "boys". English is NOT western. It's about supporting your upper body with your base and riding slightly (very slightly on the QH circuit :wink in front of the verticle, not on your pockets. It's about maintaining contact--the RIGHT amount of contact--with your horse's reins. It's about picking up the right diagonal without having to look and, if you know what you're doing, being able to do this without your stirrups. Ooi! I could go on. (The class winner was an absolutely stunning rider, by the way. You can watch her "winning run" on AQHA.com.)

Biggest problem I see with people who go from western to english is that they lose their base (lower leg) because there's no big-honkin' fenders on an english saddle to hold that leg in place. All we have are these little strappy things that cause most western riders to lose their balance and just about fall off. Never mind that we ride with our irons shorter than the average western rider. It can be dangerous. Nine times out of ten they end up hanging onto their horse's mouth for dear life. That, in turn, upsets the horse--chaos ensues. I've seen it a hundred, no a thousand, times.

I keep stressing to the OP to take a lesson or two before attempting to jump. I suspect that when she realizes how hard it is to hang on in that wittle postage-sized-stamp of a saddle, she'll scratch her classes. But I could be wrong.

As far as the horse being TB and so it should know "direct" rein, I have to disagree here, too. (Sorry!). Many TBs never even make it to the track. Many are sent directly to any Tom, **** or Harry that is willing to break them. Who knows what they used in that horse's mouth? Ya know?

I'm not trying to come down on you or nothin'. Seriously. (Although I recognize it might feel that way.) I just really diagree with what you're saying and I've tried, truly tried, not to come of sounding like Queen B of the Universe while pointing out the fallacy of your observation. I hope I've succeeded.

Hugs!

Pamela Britton-Baer

^ this!!! I have to say its probably easier going from English to Western then it is the other way around. Both disciplines are harder then they look when it comes to show ready finesse. Any backyard rider can do whatever they want and do okay but yea... thats why I specified show finesse.

And also agree on the Direct/Neck reining. My horse is an Off the track thoroughbred. He raced until he was 4 and a half and you know what... the horse knows how to neck rein. Also with TB's from the track you have to teach them to be light on the bridle. Race TBs basically lean on the bit the entire race, and they need to be light in either disciplines which is a challenge in itself.

 

[Angel5000]

Woow thats alot but thanks ill try to remmember it all