I own a very scopey but young and green horse, and have only been riding him for about two years now. We just had our first show and have another in 4 days, but I am worried about pushing him to hard. Currently we are showing at .95 meters, but schooling at 1.15 meters. He is handling it extremely well, but how fast is too fast? He is 6 y/o, but a warmblood. We are planning on moving up to 1.15 next year. Will he be developed enough at that point? Would 4 shows be to many? He has never been lame, is under the care of a very skilled vet and farrier, but as you can probably tell I worry about him. Am I just being paranoid? He has 1.60 scope, but how long would you take to go up the levels? 
Heellllooooo… anyone?
Horses develop differently. Also depends on YOUR ability to find all the distances. 1.15m with all good distances is a lot easier than 1.15m with chips and longs.
4 shows with how many classes? Good footing? Is he fit? how long between shows?
Is he naturally brave, or likely to get scared easily?
I think your questions aren’t getting answers, because so much of how to move a horse up depends so much on the horse and the rider.
Or the questions aren’t getting answers because the story has been revised yet again and the details are not consistent with the details in other stories in recent posts. Check the post history and read them.
Just call me a mean old poopy head but not going to waste time formulating an answer.
[QUOTE=findeight;8318966]
Or the questions aren’t getting answers because the story has been revised yet again and the details are not consistent with the details in other stories in recent posts. Check the post history and read them.
Just call me a mean old poopy head but not going to waste time formulating an answer.[/QUOTE]
This ^^^
roamingnome and findeight, are you two like a pair, just running around bothering people? Let off! How am I changing my story, YET AGAIN?
For the nice people, he is relatively fit, not racehorse fit but good enough that a lesson cooldown on a normal day is only 10 mins.(on the safe side). He is very brave, and we are working on our distances, and most are consistant. He has his changes down. The shows will be 2 in spring about 1 month apart, and 2-3 in fall a month or two apart. I do not know about footing yet.
You move up when you are doing well at your current level (consistently putting in clear rounds and ribboning), your horse and you are finding nothing much challenging about the height and questions, and both of you are confident in the work and each other. It has more to do with any of that than with age or time or whatever.
Going from .95 to 1.15 is quite a jump (no pun intended, honestly) in terms of difficulty and questions asked. Why not do the 1m for a while and then move up to the 1.10m? Are you aiming for the High Ch/AAs? Most of those don’t get to 1.15m for the regular classes- often 1.15m is only for the Classic.
[QUOTE=foursocks;8319532]
You move up when you are doing well at your current level (consistently putting in clear rounds and ribboning), your horse and you are finding nothing much challenging about the height and questions, and both of you are confident in the work and each other. It has more to do with any of that than with age or time or whatever.
Going from .95 to 1.15 is quite a jump (no pun intended, honestly) in terms of difficulty and questions asked. Why not do the 1m for a while and then move up to the 1.10m? Are you aiming for the High Ch/AAs? Most of those don’t get to 1.15m for the regular classes- often 1.15m is only for the Classic.[/QUOTE]
We have 3 more shows this fall that will determine whether we move up next year. At our one show, we did .95 and were clear and won all four rounds. I realize one show cannot determine when we are ready, hence the reason we are doing a lot of schooling shows. We are planning on starting at low Ch/AA for a bit to get the feel for it and a bit more mileage and then moving to the Highs. At this point, my trainer thinks we just show and get the experience and move up as it goes. He is still learning, and so am I, that is why we are going passive-aggressive. We are schooling consistently at 1.15, with the occasional bobble, but he needs show experience. But thanks for the advice!
OK I think moving up that much so soon after your very first show with this horse might be a bit much for the him as, I think, he only has one other show under his belt which was back before you bought him?
Normally would suggest you ask your trainer to ride a big move up class for you since its a big move for you and him but since trainer is 85, not sure that’s going to work. But that is what most trainers would do to introduce both horse and rider to a new level when both are new to it and the horse very new to showing.
[QUOTE=findeight;8319557]
OK I think moving up that much so soon after your very first show with this horse might be a bit much for the him as, I think, he only has one other show under his belt which was back before you bought him?
Normally would suggest you ask your trainer to ride a big move up class for you since its a big move for you and him but since trainer is 85, not sure that’s going to work. But that is what most trainers would do to introduce both horse and rider to a new level when both are new to it and the horse very new to showing.[/QUOTE]
thanks for an honest and nice answer. The lady who could ride him while I am laid up might be able to show him for me, or I have one trainer(not mine-a friend) who would love to ride him for me. The shows this fall would be at .95 as well, and if he is having problems we will back off and not move up. I would like to move up, but he is still young and has a few more years. That also means he is very impressionable, and I do not want him to have a bad experience. Maybe what I can do is if I send him off to a trainer to show while I’m out I can have them introduce him to a new level… IDK. I’ll figure that out sometime later. But our long term plan is aside from this first jump(no pun intended), to try to make .10 up a year. Unless he is struggling, of course. Is this to fast? Or not even possible?
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8319572]
thanks for an honest and nice answer. The lady who could ride him while I am laid up might be able to show him for me, or I have one trainer(not mine-a friend) who would love to ride him for me. The shows this fall would be at .95 as well, and if he is having problems we will back off and not move up. I would like to move up, but he is still young and has a few more years. That also means he is very impressionable, and I do not want him to have a bad experience. Maybe what I can do is if I send him off to a trainer to show while I’m out I can have them introduce him to a new level… IDK. I’ll figure that out sometime later. But our long term plan is aside from this first jump(no pun intended), to try to make .10 up a year. Unless he is struggling, of course. Is this to fast? Or not even possible?[/QUOTE]
I would be prepared to not move up next year, you said you’d be out of riding for 6-7 months right? Starting in January? That puts you in June/July for when you’ll be able to get back in the saddle. While your horse may/will be fit, you will not. I spent most of this past June/part of July unable to walk. I am riding now, but my muscles are GONE- not just riding muscles, all my muscles.
Once I got the OK to ride, I only had the energy to ride my retiree for 10-15 minutes maybe 2x/week. I’m only now getting back to riding my 6yo-and I’m still sore after every ride, even riding 3-4x/week now. I had plans to show this fall, but those are being pushed off til next spring/next summer.
I think it’s ok for your horse to show and to move up when he is confident at the .95, then the 1.05/1.10, etc. It will depend on the horse on how fast he moves up. If he shows and is doing well, I don’t see why he couldn’t be doing the 1.15 next year- it might be with your trainer/friend/whomever though.
Also remember, your horse could do higher classes with them while you stay at a lower level with him until you’re back in shape/comfortable. It’s quite common that a trainer may do a 1.20 or 1.30 while the student will do the lower levels.
[QUOTE=roamingnome;8319601]
I would be prepared to not move up next year, you said you’d be out of riding for 6-7 months right? Starting in January? That puts you in June/July for when you’ll be able to get back in the saddle. While your horse may/will be fit, you will not. I spent most of this past June/part of July unable to walk. I am riding now, but my muscles are GONE- not just riding muscles, all my muscles.
Once I got the OK to ride, I only had the energy to ride my retiree for 10-15 minutes maybe 2x/week. I’m only now getting back to riding my 6yo-and I’m still sore after every ride, even riding 3-4x/week now. I had plans to show this fall, but those are being pushed off til next spring/next summer.
I think it’s ok for your horse to show and to move up when he is confident at the .95, then the 1.05/1.10, etc. It will depend on the horse on how fast he moves up. If he shows and is doing well, I don’t see why he couldn’t be doing the 1.15 next year- it might be with your trainer/friend/whomever though.
Also remember, your horse could do higher classes with them while you stay at a lower level with him until you’re back in shape/comfortable. It’s quite common that a trainer may do a 1.20 or 1.30 while the student will do the lower levels.[/QUOTE]
thanks, that is probably what I will do. I am trying to reschedule my surgery for a better time so that I miss less shows, but no promises. After my first one I was back on within 4 months(don’t tell my doc) and in shape within another month, by everyone gets fit at different levels. I will try to see if a better rider than me can show him at a higher level.
Think your health might be more important then horse shows plus serious brain and spinal surgery is going to be very difficult to reschedule with the surgeons and hispital already booked.
You are very young yet, lots of time to move up. Maybe you can get some kind of partial training ardanged during your recovery even if current trainer cannot do the riding. Must be somebody else since you are in a full service barn that goes to shows.
[QUOTE=findeight;8319682]
Think your health might be more important then horse shows plus serious brain and spinal surgery is going to be very difficult with the surgeons and hispital already booked.
You are very young yet, lots of time to move up. Maybe you can get some kind of partial training ardanged during your recovery even if current trainer cannot do the riding. Must be somebody else since you are in a full servjce barn that gids to shows.[/QUOTE]
planning on trying to get some sort of training for him. Maybe we will just end up doing .95 or Lows for another year. You never know though, and I hope I can move up next year.
Be patient. My take is wait to move up until (i) you and your horse are very confident at your current level, and have been that way at at least a few shows (ii) you consistently put in smooth, well-executed rounds (good distances - hardly ever a truly ugly/scary jump), (iii) I don’t this necessarily applies at .95 because people fly around like maniacs at that level - but as you get to higher levels - you should be placing well at the prior level.
There is a huge difference from .95 to 1.15. progress incrementally - first to 1 m, then 1.05, etc. Do well at the Low Ch/AA before going to the High Ch/AA.
When it’s time to move up, start the show with schooling classes at your confident level and then progress from there, only if it’s going really well.
When people move up too quickly it goes like this: move up, crash or start getting refusals, lose confidence, move down, move back up, repeat … Better for you and your horse to slowly progress in a consistent way and you will actually achieve your goals faster in the end (and have a horse that stays happy with his job).
To summarize your various threads:
The horse is a green 6 year old and if you can keep him in training while you recover you should. He can get training and miles and be ready for you when you start back.
As he will have more training and miles you can get confident together at the lower levels (when you start back) then move up accordingly. There is no reason to rush it with a 6 year old.
Moving from 0.95m to 1.15m is a huge jump in difficulty - not just because of the accuracy required for the height, but because of the technical questions asked on a course at 1.15m vs. 0.95m. A horse must be much more rideable to successfully jump around 1.15m - that’s why a lot of horses/riders get stuck at 1.10m and below. I cannot think of many 6 year olds jumping around 1.15m with an amatuer rider unless that rider is very seasoned at the higher levels.
[QUOTE=Spud&Saf;8320040]
Moving from 0.95m to 1.15m is a huge jump in difficulty - not just because of the accuracy required for the height, but because of the technical questions asked on a course at 1.15m vs. 0.95m. A horse must be much more rideable to successfully jump around 1.15m - that’s why a lot of horses/riders get stuck at 1.10m and below. I cannot think of many 6 year olds jumping around 1.15m with an amatuer rider unless that rider is very seasoned at the higher levels.[/QUOTE]
This. This. This. This.
I know so many people jumping well at 1.10 and then move up to 1.15 only to go right back to 1.10 or even a lower level because they blew their confidence.
Also, schooling 1.15m at home is not at all the same as showing it. It’s a good sign, of course, but I used to regularly and successfully jump my former horse 1.2m at home and I could barely get him around a 1m course at a show. Take your time. If you are good enough to win at your current level you can and perhaps should move up. If you aren’t, you need more experience. That is life.
My take on all of these posts is that you are searching for some sort of certainty- in both your horse’s talent and your own abilities- so you can have a nice schedule worked out and have everything all plotted. Horses don’t tend to care about those things, and their own foibles and the mental game of horse showing can wreak havoc on the best laid plans.
[QUOTE=foursocks;8320127]
Also, schooling 1.15m at home is not at all the same as showing it. It’s a good sign, of course, but I used to regularly and successfully jump my former horse 1.2m at home and I could barely get him around a 1m course at a show. Take your time. If you are good enough to win at your current level you can and perhaps should move up. If you aren’t, you need more experience. That is life.
My take on all of these posts is that you are searching for some sort of certainty- in both your horse’s talent and your own abilities- so you can have a nice schedule worked out and have everything all plotted. Horses don’t tend to care about those things, and their own foibles and the mental game of horse showing can wreak havoc on the best laid plans.[/QUOTE]
you have basically summed me up-I like to know everything, have a date for it, and be able to have a plan. And I have yet to meet a horse that did not enjoy ruining those plans:lol:
Of course schooling at one level does not mean showing at it! I may be green at this, but even I know that. My point was that he can do it consistently, not that he’s ready to show at it. Honestly, the higher the jump, the more he focuses and listens.(to a point of course). He thinks we are just playing at .95, is best at about 1.25 (yes we have gone that high) and starts to get jump-happy any higher. And that level has gone up the more I ride higher jumps.
