Where I am from there are no walk-trot classes over poles in official competitions, I think the lowest height for official competitions is 75cm (I am talking jumpers, no hunters here). And also I must have misunderstood - I meant 2 starts per day, not per whole competition weekend.
In line with what everyone else has said, it totally depends on the horse. if this is a AA/premier show over 5 days… there’s a chance these classes are all spread out:
wed: two 3’6 conformation OF and two green OF (4 rounds)
thurs: same as above plus two hacks, maybe the green incentive (5 rounds)
fri: derby (one, maybe 2 rounds)
sat: 2 AO over fences (2 rounds)
sun: 2 AO over fences and the classic (3 rounds)
yes, it does seem like a lot to me but it’s likely not the case the horse is doing more than 4 rounds a day. I’m not saying yes, it’s reasonable, but with a very fit horse in a good program, certainly do-able. And I am sure (or at least I would hope) said trainer has a good regiment for maintaining said horse.
There is a local schooling show that offers championship awards for each division at each show (like normal). The hunter divisions are typically 2 over fences and an under saddle, although there is a a division with 3 over fences (one is an EQ round) a flat and an EQ flat. They offer 3 jumper divisions but lump all six jumper classes together for the championship award. To be eligible for to champion you have to complete ALL the classes in the division. This means that the jumper riders must compete in all 6 jumper classes to be eligible for the championship, whereas, at MOST, hunters only had to compete in 3 jumping/ over fences classes to be eligible for a division championship. These were not high classes probably .75-1.0, however I don’t think ANY horse needs to be doing 6 courses and 3 jump offs. I think that show facility is not making the correct decision as they are motivating (for lack of a better word) young or green riders, likely with shared school horses to over jump their horses in hopes for a championship. The riders are more so at fault but schooling shows in that area target more inexperienced riders who may not realize the detriment to their horse.
As far as my personal opinion, the MOST I would do is 4 over fences classes and less as the height rises. As my mare and I move into the 1.10-1.15 she will only be doing one or two classes a day as I don’t feel the need to jump her more than that. For younger horses, especially coming up through hunters where flat classes are included in the division, it is more complex. I would think that one division at a schooling show would be sufficient as all your classes are likely to be in one day. In a rated show where your classes are more spread out I would think 2-4 classes per day (so maybe up to 3 or 4 divisions? I don’t go to rated shows and have not shown a hunter at one) would be acceptable as long as the horse is fit for it.
Ok so I know I am late to this and likely still considered more eventer than jumper but wow. That’s like a ton of umcomfy amounts of jumping.
If I do a 3 day jumper show I do 1 division (3 OF rounds) and Maybe one lower height round on one day as a warm up. At home we jump on average twice in 12 days. I prefer once a week but sometimes it helps to school an idea once every 3 days. I do more flatting, hillwork, gallops and days off. My guys are on a 4-5 day a week schedule.
I can’t imagine the joint wear and tear on a horse as described in the OP.
Scary stuff.
Em
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I think the OP scenario is a pile of jumping, regardless of height and days. If my horse was going to show five days in a row, it would be two, possibly three jumping classes a day. Two divisions and a couple of assorted warm up/eq divisions is more than enough. If I was filling the conformation, I would have dropped the other green division. I would also choose between incentive and derby. Not both.
At my barn I have never known anyone to do more than 3 hunter rounds or 2 jumper rounds a day at a show. The number of classes per day often depends on the length of the show. For example for a one day show, it wouldn’t be uncommon for the hunters to do 3 over fences and a under saddle or two and for the jumpers to do 3 rounds if there weren’t any other shows the next weekend and the bigger jumpers (1.15+) would likely still only do one round. During a 3-5 day show, the hunters would often do 2 over fences per day, with under saddles on whatever day they were scheduled and the jumpers would do 1-2 rounds a day depending on various factors. Most of our hunters are children’s/adult or lower so they definitely are not jumping big fences. My provincial horse federation has made a rule that no horse can do more than 4 over fences a day because of a certain trainer entering all her horses in every class that horse and rider were capable of doing like x rail hunters- 1.10 jumpers :no:
2 hunter divisions is what I would consider normal or max for a sound, fit horse. So an open division (conformation OR greens) and a jr/ao division. Or 2 open divisions if the horse really needed the miles and no weekend classes; I think 4 jumping classes in one day, especially at 3’6 or higher, is a lot but possibly more forgiving for a horse when pro accurate and horse doesn’t have to contend with missed distances. I wouldn’t do this for many shows though. And I’d drop to one division if also in derby and incentive. If the horse does more than 1 week of showing in a row, I would scale back in the next week(s) to 1 warm up and 1 division. Or use the open as a warm up and no low or modified classes. And not show more than 2-3 weeks in a row.
For equitation horses no more than 3 jumping classes per day, preferably 1 on the open days — eg, 1 jumper class on Wednesday and 1 hunter class on Thursday to get in the rings prior to eq/medal days (or warm up in both rings on Tuesday/Wednesday and get Thursday off). Jumpers that are jumping bigger fences do even fewer classes, maybe 3/week, or 1/day but maybe not all 5 days, depending on height. And in all cases, as little/no lungeing and fewest warm up jumps as possible.
A horse may not immediately go lame doing more in a week, but I doubt they will hold up long term or even for a full season. And even if they’re not limping they may get increasingly body sore, especially being stalled and if they’re having to help out the rider a lot.
