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  Discussion on Help Trainers I need input on my green horse
Author Message
Member:
sarah37

Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 11:16 am:

Please look at the video on the link www.youtube.com/nero4hockey. It is the very 1st time he has ever jumped over anything. He is very green. I need input on weather he is a good prospect. Does he have good potential? Help me. A lady scammed me in buying him. I lost 4-5 buyers because of her. E-mail me at sarahnero@yahoo.com
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 1:54 pm:

Sarah,

You would be doing your horse a great favor if you would refer to some of the time-tested books on teaching horses to jump, and would give him a chance to learn his job rather than running him diagonally into a vertical with no ground line. I personally like Bill Steinkraus's book, but there are others.

He clearly has a good mind to do as you ask (which is to cross an obstacle on a lunge circle). Whether he has jumping talent isn't clear-- his form in this video is obviously poor, but he seems to be given no chance at all to do well. This is not a reliable or kind way to teach a young horse to jump!

Don't know the situation, but I see nothing on the video that should be blamed on the horse. If you are going to jump him, give him a shot at success.
Member:
sarahb47

Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 2:53 pm:

I agree with Elizabeth's statements -- he's a sweet-looking horse, seems to have a good mind and didn't get rattled or scared about rattling the rails, but he won't learn to jump this way! I certainly wouldn't show this video to a potential buyer -- the poor horse is clearly misjudging the height and takeoff spot, because he hasn't a clue about what he's doing.

Bill Steinkraus's book is good. So is Micklin's. And I recently published a book, Jump with Joy, that outlines a step-by-step program for starting a green horse over fences.

Experienced trainers would never ask a horse to jump an airy, single-rail vertical without a ground line as a first jump. That's one of the hardest fences to judge and jump, even for an experienced horse. Jumping talent must be developed through progressive exercises, beginning with good flatwork, proceeding to correctly spaced cavalletti, crossrails, and small grids. Jumps must be built correctly to encourage the horse to learn to use his eyes, make good decisions, find his balance and strengthen his body.

My recommendation would be to send him for a month to an experienced trainer who specializes in starting green hunters, and give him a real chance at success. He looks like a real sweet guy -- trying hard to understand what he's supposed to do, but getting anxious because he doesn't have a clue.
Member:
babychop

Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 4:45 pm:

I think both Elizabeth & Sarah have hit the nail on the head girl. Not much jumping experience here but I've noticed a ground rail helps immensely for that kind of jump. I think it's a stellar idea to send him out for a month!
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