Horse more likely to get injured at 3'6" than at 3'3"?

[BrownMareDon_tCare]

Hi all- I’m looking for a little collective advice from the group.

As background (sorry if it’s lengthy, I wanted to try to address any questions up front): 12 year old DWB gelding. Healthy and hale, in a program. He is ridden five to six times a week, jumped once, maybe twice a week- once by me in a lesson, once by the pro. The jump sessions by the pro involve jumping once around a course, so maybe eight jumps, by me a couple of different patterns during a lesson so maybe 10 to 12 jumps. Jumps are set between 2’3" and 2’6". We do not jump to height at home. We show once, occasionally twice a month for a total of no more than 15 shows a year. At shows he does one warm up class during the week with the pro and my AO division. Horse receives all recommended maintenance and but for what I describe below has been happy and healthy and seems content with his job.

We stepped up to the 3’3" in 2021 and did that with no health issues. Stepped up to 3’6" in 2024 and showed that height until July when he came in from the field after regular overnight turnout with some swelling at the top of his right front tendon. Diagnosed as a check ligament strain. Thankfully he was never lame. We rehabbed to vet’s specs, farrier got on board and adjusted his angles and after a number of months of rehab and legging up have been able to get back to showing the 3’3" for the last three months.

I would like to move back to the 3’6". Mostly for selfish personal reasons relating to goals and dreams, etc. and because due to my and his ages, it’s a little bit of now or never. Vet has okayed going back to that height.

Here (finally) are my questions: due to already having had a check ligament injury, is he more likely to have another one if we move up heights? Does this type of an injury suggest he may be more prone to other injuries at the higher height? In general, does jumping higher make him more likely to be injured? I know the more we ask of them the more likely they are to get injured, but is there a significant difference in the strain on his body between 3’3" and 3’6"? I don’t want to sacrifice his health and soundness by following my silly dreams.

Any thoughts, anecdotes or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Ponyplusaninch]

There’s so much nuance in what goes into a long, sustained career.

Footing the horse is on regularly, the horse’s conformation, how accurate of a rider you are, what’s the fitness prep look like, what’s the maintenance look like, after care, what shows (and level) the 3’6’’ is at–there are some shows where I wouldn’t hesitate to put my horse in a 3’6’’ class because it’s very forgiving. Others (WEC or WEF) where I would hesitate because they are not afraid to make those oxers wider and the lines ride longer.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to put a horse back at the 3’6’’ height that’s been conservatively managed and doesn’t show signs of stress schooling full courses at that height (rubbing rails, needing longer recovery periods, etc).

I also think it’s important to be realistic, despite the check ligament injury, how long you want to keep the horse at 3’6". The horse will inevitably have a longer, healthier career the fewer high jumps it jumps–that is simply how horses work.

Is it just this year you’re thinking about? two more seasons? What is the long term plan with this horse–do you plan to sell at some point or keep forever? Lease out?

I think knowing the answers to those questions can help influence decision making.

[BrownMareDon_tCare]

Thanks so much for your thoughts! I knew that no matter how much information I put in my post, I was going to miss something.

The horse is mine for life (poor guy), no interest in selling. I also don’t anticipate ever leasing him. I am likely only going to be showing for another two and a half, maybe three years at which point finances (and possibly his age) will dictate that he gets a more relaxed career/ retirement.

[Ponyplusaninch]

I think if you’re OK knowing there may be a higher risk of stepping down to a much lower level (or even early retirement) associated with continuing the 3’6’’ for the next few years, then keep doing what you’re doing and let him tell you if he’s not feeling it anymore.

To be clear: this is not me saying it’s a high risk to continue showing at the 3’6’’, just that it does carry more risk than simply staying at the 3’/3’3’’. And even more risk than just keeping the horse at 2’6’’ forever.

[CBoylen]

Depends on the horse. If the 3’6” is easy for him, probably not much more risk than the 3’3”. If he’s one of the many where it’s a bit of a stretch or he tries a lot harder, or he takes more prep for that height, then it carries more risk.

[RAyers]

Fence height has little correlation to injury, if the horse is conditioned and trained appropriately.

You say you have done “legging up.” How so? To me this means you have been working on different surfaces ranging from hard stone to soft sand (https://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/resources/bramlage.pdf). I leg up on asphalt and dirt roads doing walk and trot sets up to 1 hour in duration. This increases tendon, ligament, and bone mass. At the same time I do speed work (3/4 speed gallops) on hills (50 meter elevation change in 500 meter distance).

NO! You don’t need to be that intense. However, hacks on trails, working in places that are not an arena, riding across multiple surfaces, e.g. grass then sand, can do an amazing job to improve ligament strength.

My last upper level eventer was retired sound at 18, jumping around at 4’. From his very last competition.

[LazyA1]

He did not hold up to 3’6". IMO they do or they don’t. He is only 12. To me the question is this. Do you have the money to retire him if your risk-taking ends badly? Why not just step him down and let him have a long career with you or others. Years ago, I had an A/O horse with a soundness issue that I got greedy with. He’s sound now! Let’s win ribbons! I very much regret that. I would have much preferred doing the adults for longer. He was a great one.

[Lost_Shoe]

Thoughts from an old-school horseman:

1. 3’6” is low for a fit, sound, capable horse. If he is handling 3’3” currently, he could likely also jump 3’6”. Caveat: ask your vet if the vet thinks your horse has height limitations due to the healed check ligament injury.

2. 15 shows a year is a lot. I know it is the new normal for show barns, and that this is their business plan, but that still does not mean that your horse must partake in every show the barn goes to. That is a lot of jumping, day after day after day.

3. At 2’6” and under, horses are observed to hold up well, show after show after show. To hold up at 3’6” and I would argue 3’3” as well, to give the horse the best chance possible at a long show career, the horse must be fit. In addition, periods of rest, and legging back up following the rest period should be built into the schedule.

4. Fitness means more than just cardiovascular strength. It also means slowly building up tendons and ligaments. This is best done by long slow distance workouts on a variety of footing, and incorporating hill work if possible.

5. Fitness work and rest periods may well cut into that 15 show/year schedule. Personally I would rather show less frequently at 3’6” than go to all the shows but jump lower. But to each their own.

[Hoofbeat_Heartbeat]

I think it’s super horse dependent, as people have mentioned above. 3’6” for some horses is their warm-up. So, less stress on the body I would think, to be in that division.

My guy also turned 12 this year, and we show in the 3’6” AOs. This season we will be doing the 4’ high performance and some international derbies which I am super excited about (more wear and tear for sure). 3’6”-3’9” is when my horse starts to “use himself” over the jumps and actually try. 4-5 shows maximum for us since our show season just started up here in the PNW, and I don’t have the ability to show out of state during the earlier months at the moment.

He gets worked 5 to 6 days per week, and I try to do lots of hill work/hacking out on gravel road with trotting. We do jump to height at home because I’m not showing all that often, and it keeps it more interesting for him.

[StormyDay]

IMO a check ligament injury is probably more due to footing than what height you are jumping. Could be arena footing, could just be not ideal pasture footing.

[Janet]

@StormyDay

IMO a check ligament injury is probably more due to footing than what height you are jumping. Could be arena footing, could just be not ideal pasture footing.

The question isn’t about what CAUSED the check ligament injury (it apparently happened in turnout, so not jump related at all). The question is about changes in the conditional probability of a FUTURE injury.
(I don’t know the answer.)

[StormyDay]

My point is that as it’s unlikely the height the horse was jumping caused the injury it’s also equally unlikely that it will cause it again in the future.

[Rel6]

@LazyA1

He did not hold up to 3’6".

Seems like a huge leap to make when he came in from turnout with the injury. If no swelling when turned out, then swelling when he came in, seems far more likely he did something in turnout. OP asks a lot of valid questions about how to weigh a return to the height, but nothing in the original post reads as the horse just not holding up to the 3’6".

[anonevent]

I agree with considering the footing quality first. Also, I would get new farrier views to confirm that the angles have stayed correct. Those things alone could make all the difference.

You can do a lengthy warmup and cool down on the flat, and ice tendons afterwards to give them the best support. Just proceed with caution.

[Foitin]

Ug, I could have written this post myself and have asked myself this question many times. I had a horse that would canter over the 3’3. We moved him up to 3’6, he was decently successful at big shows. He got hurt, we rehabbed him for nearly a year (swimming, etc.) very slow process. We gradually worked him back up to the 3’6 and he was better than ever, jumping very well with good step: he had a great Upperville last year, for instance: he was always good there with the big ring and built jumps. 6 months later, he hurt his other leg: we’re guessing there was some compensation going on. We have not been able to get him anything more than serviceably sound. We’ve decided to retire him.

Another case: currently have a 14 year old horse that can do 3’6 (was doing juniors last year), he can easily do 3’3, but I’ve decided finally to show him at 3ft. Is this actually necessary? Probably not. Showing him lately, however, I’m reminded that its not just the height of the jumps, but the spread and the length of the lines. At 3ft this horse can go slow and basey in all the lines and easily go up them without making big efforts. Its a different story being in the main hunter rings, where the jumps are generally more built, and doing a handy, for instance, where those rollbacks can get slow and the horse sometimes has to launch himself, or when he’s got a turn back to the 2-stride and is underpaced and must make a big effort out. These variables are interesting to consider. Having to turn back to a meaty 3’6 oxer or an already long 2 stride in a hilly ring or ring without the greatest footing might be too much for a horse that can seem very solid at 3’6. .