For some reason cross country jumps over 2’6 terrify me. I’m not sure if its because the jumps are solid, but they just look so intimidating. I’ll jump any size showjump over them
Was just talking to a friend about this tonight.
Yes, cross country jumps scare me. Those jumps don’t move – there is no give and therefore horse AND rider are more likely to fall. Not to mention the different terrains involved…I do not jump cross country jumps. Nope!
Not to say that show jumping is never dangerous…I totally realize this whole sport is a danger in itself (have seen it with my own eyes) but there’s just something about cross country jumps that intimidate me!
But, plenty of people argue that XC fences are good in a way because the horses perceive them more accurately than show jumping fences and thus jump more confidently and cleanly (assuming you put them in right).
The bigger stuff freaks me out. So do down banks for some reason. Even small ones. I’m fine walking down them but trotting or cantering? I don’t think so.
Just goes to show how far hunters have come from their roots–unless all y’all ride jumpers. 
You ought to try foxhunting.
Yes, I find them so intimidating! I’d much rather go jump around 1.50m than jump a 3’6’’ fence that won’t fall down. It took me several years to work up the courage to jump some biggish logs that we have at the farm - and when I finally did it, I had a blast, but I was nervous!!
Yes, they are scary looking! Although, I think it would be fun to do the lower stuff on a seasoned horse. I have got to give it to the cross country riders, they have got major guts, endurance, and strength!
We have a small XC course at our barn and everybody gets to have a lesson “up top” as we call it. We are a H/J barn but everybody gets to experience cantering and jumping in an open field with solid jumps. We have solid jumps from 12" to 3’3" and some regular jumps standards with fill are added so there’s something for all! There’s options’ for higher heights at some of the jumps too, just like a hunter derby. The horses love it and although it can be a bit intimidating, the riders have fun too. It’s great schooling for a hunter derby.
I really appreciate solid fences. I don’t have the same fear you do, but I think it’s a rational fear.
However, I think we do horses a great disservice only jumping artificial fences set in jump cups. Jumping solid fences cross country is a wonderful way to develop horse’s jumping ability and handiness. I used to use solid XC fences to sharpen up show horse’s form and get them to pay a little more attention.
I absolutely agree that horses can tell the difference and treat a solid fence with more respect.
The area that I used to ride had a lot of hunt panels either made of telephone poles or old railroad ties. These were absolutely solid, not held together with rope designed to break like the ones you used to see at events. Once I got over my initial “Yikes!” at the construction, those fences rode beautifully.
My suggestion to you would be to start with coops, the most forgiving of fences. It is almost impossible to jump one wrong. Next, try simple rail fences with a definite ground line or even the ground line rolled out a bit. At some point, you’ll like the way your horse feels over solid fences so much that it will help with the fear.
I would also recommend auditing some cross country clinics with eventers and learning the technique and theory behind riding various types of fences.
Yes! We have a x-country field and I really would like to try some of them but I am definitely intimidated. I think if I took one of our more seasoned out-of-ring horses (many that do paper chase and fox hunts regularly) I could get over it.
I know what it’s like to put my face through a jump that will fall down (although it has been quite some time since that has happened…knock on wood). I shudder at the thought of what will happen if the jump is immobile!
The ropes actually don’t break, they’re just as solid! You will only see breaking if the fence has been fit with a frangible pin or something similar.
But I agree, it’s always good to have a healthy respect for solid fences!
I do think most of you h/j people don’t give yourselves enough credit… you’d all probably be perfectly fine riding some bigger (>2’6") XC fences with very little risk. And it makes a huge oxer in the ring feel much less intimidating. Plus, its really, really fun!
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7202125]
Just goes to show how far hunters have come from their roots–unless all y’all ride jumpers.
You ought to try foxhunting.[/QUOTE]
Amen, sistah!
I was until we finally got out there and started schooling some. Rode some pretty game horses early on, learned quickly, and yes, fox hunting absolutely helped with my confidence and guts. Went Training a couple of times and had an absolute BLAST!! Can’t wait to get my new guy out around some BN stuff and go from there. I don’t know what he’ll do as a hunter or jumper yet, but my hope is that he can play at some horse trials eventually at Training, and maybe even Prelim one day. As someone else said, I have a healthy respect for XC jumps, but all I want to do is get out and jump them.
I agree with the clinic auditing. Or heck, go ride in one!
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7202125]
Just goes to show how far hunters have come from their roots–unless all y’all ride jumpers.
You ought to try foxhunting.[/QUOTE]
Have fox hunted and shown hunters — don’t do either anymore. Just show jumping. And I do agree with you that hunters have come away from their roots, big time!
Despite having started riding around the hills and avocado groves with no saddle doing all the normal things younger people do riding out unsupervised, CC fences at competition heights scare me too.
Although I will gallop in a big open field jumping gullys and whatever as well as anything at 2’6" inside or out-and have-on the (TB) show Hunter. Done tricky Jumper courses up to 3’6", gymnastics to 3’9" out and once a 4’ show course with the back rails dropped (Ky, Stoneleigh Ring) and I did add on that one, mare did not have a 14’ step.
You bet I always went for a good gallop at the KHP along the CC course, trainer always said “Don’t jump anything…but look on the landing side before you do”:D;)
I LIKE having fun, even at my advanced age. But not if it involves down a steep hill and/or an honest height/width CC jump, no thanks.
Not my cup of tea. Didn’t care for hilltopping much either. Different strokes and all that. Heck, I don’t even like coops anywhere. But I like the precision required to lay down a good trip, even in a small sand ring.
That’s why we have all these different disciplines.
To the OP,
Why should you be terrified? Horses don’t want to fall or get hurt either. They are very intelligent when given the opportunity to make decisions for themselves (provided we, as the rider, are quiet and centered) and are very unlikely to cause themselves injury. Most accidents we hear/read about are the result of rider error, whether it was taking a tug at the wrong time, disrupting the horse’s balance, or running them off their feet, again disrupting their balance.
I personally feel there is as much risk in an arena as there is on XC, especially as the fence heights go up.
Cross country is more about TRUST. Trust in your horse to make smart decisions and trust in your ability to be quiet and not make foolish moves. I think that is where our fears come about. We don’t trust ourselves or our horses.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151885789497622&set=vb.624807621&type=3&theater
You don’t have to jump what you don’t want to, but pushing your comfort zone will expand your abilities and confidence. I feel that too many riders become locked into the perceived “safety” of the ring and lose motivation to push themselves.
I think they look like fun… except anything involving a ditch. Trakehner, coffin, etc. I have depth perception issues and I will happily leave those obstacles to someone who is better able to judge them than I am.
The rest provide a great incentive to not lean up the neck. It hurts more when you go headfirst into a coop than it does when you go headfirst into a rail. Just ask me. I know. :lol:
Eventer13,
Long before “frangible technology”’ I was auditing a clinic when a rider hit the second element of a technical combo HARD, and the rope broke and one end of the telephone pole rail broke away from the support, saving the horse and rider from more serious injury.
The clinician (Who, IIRC, was Lucinda Prior-Palmer Green) went on at some length about how that was safe fence design, and if the fence hadn’t given way, it would have been a rotational fall.
So I assumed from that, that the logs roped together thing was a deliberate construction technique, quite unlike the way the local hunt used to construct panels!
But we all know what happens when we assume…
[QUOTE=findeight;7202355]
Despite having started riding around the hills and avocado groves with no saddle doing all the normal things younger people do riding out unsupervised, CC fences at competition heights scare me too.
Although I will gallop in a big open field jumping gullys and whatever as well as anything at 2’6" inside or out-and have-on the (TB) show Hunter. Done tricky Jumper courses up to 3’6", gymnastics to 3’9" out and once a 4’ show course with the back rails dropped (Ky, Stoneleigh Ring) and I did add on that one, mare did not have a 14’ step.
You bet I always went for a good gallop at the KHP along the CC course, trainer always said “Don’t jump anything…but look on the landing side before you do”:D;)
I LIKE having fun, even at my advanced age. But not if it involves down a steep hill and/or an honest height/width CC jump, no thanks.
Not my cup of tea. Didn’t care for hilltopping much either. Different strokes and all that. Heck, I don’t even like coops anywhere. But I like the precision required to lay down a good trip, even in a small sand ring.
That’s why we have all these different disciplines.[/QUOTE]
I’m with you. I definitely enjoy getting outside the ring and going for a good gallop; we are fortunate to have some decent land to ride on still and it’s excellent for freshening the horses up and having some fun.
But real XC jumps… coffins, trakehners, fixed tables of real height ? Mmmm, no thank you.
I am far from timid but those are just too unforgiving of a horse or rider mistake, and frankly IMO, very, very few (show) hunter riders have adequate training to tackle those sorts of obstacles correctly. Not my idea of fun.
That doesn’t mean that the horses/riders couldn’t learn, of course, but the skills needed to show off a hunter in a manicured sand ring are different than what is needed to execute a decent sized cross country course at speed.
FWIW I make no judgment about which is better or worse; they are simply different.
XC jumps come at different heights, same as show jumps. In fact, the XC fences are lower (max 3 ft 11 in or 1.19 m) than the stadium ones (max 4 ft 1 in or 1.24 m) at Advanced level eventing. The height is measured from the point at which the horse takes off. So the deep ditch, the solid table etc are more about making the rider think that making life difficult for the horse.
All horse sport is risky. We just differ in how we chose to take those risks.
