Horse Jumping is a Fun and Entertaining Sport

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:17:02 +0000

Those who ride horses know how much fun it is to put their horse through their paces in the corral. It is even more fun to fly through the air on the back of a trusted horse. Horse jumping has also become a popular sport. It is so popular that it is recognized by the Olympics and is a sport that can earn a rider and their horse a gold, silver or bronze medal. Horse show jumping is not only popular for the riders, it is also fun for spectators to watch. There is a beauty and grace to the horse and rider when they go through the obstacles perfectly and make each jump seem effortless.

A horse jumping game is typically based on how well the horse cleared the obstacles and how quickly the course was completed. Horse show jumping games come with big money and titles that the horse and riders are awarded. Many people want to learn how to do this type of horse jumping because it is so much fun and it is very profitable for those who are in professional competitions. Those who would like to try this sport should familiarize themselves with the horse jumping equipment that is going to be needed before the begin jumping their horses.

There are even races that include jumping horses over obstacles, which is called a steeplechase race. This not only includes jumping fences, but also water filled ditches. This horses and riders that run these races need to be of the highest in athletic ability. The steeplechase races date back to the eighteenth century and are now more commonly known in Europe as National Hunt Racing. Jumping is a natural ability of any horse and they use this ability to navigate the track at incredible speeds.

While this can be dangerous to both rider and horse that do not make the jumps, it can also be exhilarating for those who do finish and win. There is a huge amount of people who love going to these types of races to see the horse riding jumping. Many simply go for the same reasons that car racing is popular. They want to see the accidents and mishaps. While these accidents are not common, they do happen and it is a sad part of the sport. Most times, the riders and horses have minor injuries. The worst case scenario is having a rider die or a horse being put down due to broken legs. Thankfully this is not common.

Horse showjumping can take a toll on the rider and the horse. Those who are planning to begin studying this sport are going to want to be in good health and they also want to be fit as well. It takes just as much working out time to train for this sport as for any other sport. A person who is not physically fit can have more accidents or a harder time trying to train a horse. Horse jumping can be difficult to train a horse or rider to do so a trainer may be required in order to get the horse and rider working together.

The cost of having a trainer should be figured in before making the decision to purchase a horse for the specific purpose of horse jumping. Even if the rider is used to jumping horses, the horse may not be trained for it. Unless there is firm knowledge of how to train a horse for this sport, professional help should be sought. It may only take a few sessions to get the horse used to the obstacles that it is going to face when involved in a horse jumping show.

When purchasing a horse for this purpose, it is important to look at their lineage. You may want to choose a horse that is from a line of jumpers. The odds are the genetic inclination is going to be for jumping as well. This is not always the case. You can bring the trainer you are planning to use to look over the horse before it is purchased. The trainer can check the strength of the legs and haunches to make sure that they are strong enough for this sport.

With the popularity of horse jumping along with steeplechase or National Hunt Racing, horses are being bred with the qualities needed in mind. While a horse may look like a natural jumper, there may be some things in its personality that are going to make it skittish when attempting some of the higher or longer jumps. Be patient with the horse if possible. If the horse does not want to jump, it may be time to consider getting another horse to do the jumping instead. You cannot force a horse to jump when it does not want to.

Horse Jumps: Look Before You Leap

Horse Jumps: Look Before You Leap

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:13:05 +0000

Horse jumps, for the most part, used to be two posts sunk in the ground with wooden poles set on pegs across them. After some time, horse people decided that way too many horses that did not complete the jump were getting injured too frequently. A secondary solution was searched for and found in the newer materials available today. The majority of horse jumps for sale today are constructed from durable, weather proof PVC plastic and tubing. Besides being much safer for the horses, these have a much cleaner and neater appearance when set up properly.

Wooden horse jumps have been phased out of use for the most part. While some of the old school jumpers still use them, there is too much risk to the horse and rider should a misstep happen. The PVC has some give to it, where the wooden poles do not bend at all. A trip and fall by a horse and rider close to one of these could result in serious injury to either of them. The wooden jumps also get weather beaten if left outside and need constant attention whereas the PVC jumps are virtually maintenance free.

Plastic horse jumps are also much more lightweight and portable than their old style wooden counterparts. With only a few pieces and no moving parts, these can be packed into the back of a pickup truck or trailer and transported to a show or fairground with relative ease. The standard length of the poles is ten feet, so care must be taken to secure them well if in the back of a truck and be sure to tie a red flag to the protruding end for visibility.

When it comes to the kids and miniature horse jumps, there is no lack of styles and types available. A search online will reveal smaller versions of the adult sized horse jumps along with bright colors to make any jump course fun for the whole family. These are made from the same durable PVC as the larger ones and are easily rearranged to make the courses even more challenging for younger riders.

Horse jumping equipment has come a long way from the old wooden pole days. There are brush jumps and low walls complete with flower boxes and faux rock wall finishes. By using PVC to construct these, the need to bring them in every day out of the weather becomes non-existent and this is very helpful if a course needs to remain set up for an event that is lasting more than a day or two. Horse show jumps such as these are easily purchased or if you have the inclination and a little skill, made from materials purchased at your local building supply.

To make a horse show jump is quite easy and will take you very little time at all. Following the same basic pattern as the ones you buy, use 4x4 timbers and build standards to hold the poles, being sure to make them so the holes match precisely on both pieces. The only drawback to making your own is how to hold the poles on to the standards, you will have to purchase the same type of jump cups that the manufactured ones use and drill holes for those to match. Be sure that the heights you are drilling at match the same standards as the purchased ones so they fall within the regulated heights for jumps for horses.

If you do not mind spending a little time building these, this is the best alternative for a cheap horse jumps. If you have the money or need these to be a bit more professional looking, then by all means, purchase the manufactured ones from a company online. These will make any local club show shine with a very neat and clean look to the whole course set up. If saving money is in the plan, then do brief search online to locate some used horse jumps. These will be easy to find and odds are that they are in very good shape, as many people will upgrade over time and want to get rid of their slightly used ones.

Once you have either purchased or built your horse jumps, then you can begin to train your horse to jump over them if he has not been taught to do so. To make horses jump takes a little time and patience but is accomplished fairly easily. Start him out by having him cross over just a pole laid out on the ground, he will just step over it but that is fine be sure to be doing this at a trot. Then after a few days of this, add a slightly larger pole and continue to do the same thing. Once he is comfortable and jumping over the ones on the ground you can graduate him to one in the standards at the lowest setting and build up from there.

Horse Jumping is a Fun and Entertaining Sport

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Horse Jumping is a Fun and Entertaining Sport

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