Different horse sports ask horses to perform very different movements. For example, the sudden sharp movements of a cutting horse are very different from the controlled dance of a dressage horse. Not surprisingly, these different movements place different stresses on the horse's body. Arena footing that is ideal for one horse sport may not be suitable for another sport.
Topics: jumpers, GGT Footing
Conquering horse jumps is often an intimidating venture for your horse. However, with these simple steps, some time and patience your horse will learn how to jump like a pro.
First things first, your horse must learn to walk before he can fly. Set up some ground poles about 2-3 footsteps apart and have your horse examine and smell the poles. You want to make sure that he is comfortable with them before he attempts to walk over them. After he has been given the time to investigate, put a saddle on him and warm him up, away from the poles. Once he is nice and warm, dismount him and walk him over the poles a few times until he is comfortable with the footing and gets used to the sound that the poles make when he hits them. Once he realizes that this is no big deal you may mount him again. Walk him over the poles a few times, praising him every time he successfully completes this. Next, move the poles about 4-5 footsteps apart and trot him over the poles. Once he is comfortable with this, move the poles 7-8 footsteps apart and canter him over the poles. Repeat this until he is completely comfortable with this task.
Topics: jumpers
The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) was founded in 1967 from a design by Robert E. Cacchione, a sophomore student at Fairleigh-Dickinson College in New Jersey. The association was founded on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of economic means. The emphasis continues to be on learning, sportsmanship and teamwork. IHSA competitions have eliminated the expense of shipping horses and even owning horses to enable all students to participate.
Topics: College Equestrian, jumpers
When considering an arena that will be used primarily for jumping, there are many factors to consider. Perhaps the most important is the level of competition that will take place in the arena. If the space will be used competitively, then USHJA guidelines should be consulted for size requirements and other details.
The United State Equestrian Federation recognizes a range of competition levels for Hunter Class and Jumper Class events. Each level has its own requirements for ring size and additional facilities.
Topics: jumpers
In April 2014 the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) released a White Paper describing years of study of the effect of various horse footings on the health of horses competing in the FEI sports and regular racing. The full document can be downloaded from the FEI. The following is a brief summary of the FEI's findings about jumping horses and footing.
For many equestrians, no arena is complete without a set of safely constructed horse jumps ready to be set up. From grand prix jumpers to green horses still learning to move with even, powerful strides, horses at all levels (and their riders) benefit enormously from schooling over jumps.
Topics: Arena Construction, jumpers
