Are there any trainers that specialize in taking retired steeplechase horses and turning them into mid to upper level show jumpers?
I would love to talk to a few of these trainers about the development process. Contact info would be greatly appreciated.
I think most steeplechase horses get recycled into foxhunting among the community of steeplechase owners, trainers and employees. I’m sure some end up as show jumpers though.
Maybe Hunter’s Rest will see this thread and give you some info.
I have one I hunted but I never considered asking him to change his jumping style; he was fabulous just the way he was and still stands as the most thrilling horse I’ve ever ridden.
Frank/Laura Chapot famously took Von Csadek (won Maryland Hunt Cup and Virginia Gold Cup) to the jumpers. Laura Chapot, I understand, has a big slowwww hurdle horse I started several years ago in the level 5 jumpers now.
No one trainer jumps to mind as ‘specializing’ in taking 'chasers into jumpers but lots of them go on to excel in further sport careers. Flatterer (5x Eclipse champion) was a good dressage horse after he retired, I believe.
No alms for hte poor bedraggled retired/retiring steeplechasers, though. Most are owned/trained/managed by excellent horsemen with their fingers and toes in other aspects of horse sport with easy access to after-racing homes for them.
Just wanted to add, more specifically with the NH horses over here, it does probably take a little longer to “redo” the jump on these guys, especially fast hurdlers. The ability to jump is there, but extra flat work and jump gymnastics to teach a horse how to jump properly, is required. That’s why quite a few do end up in the hunting field. I have one who’s turning 16. He re learned fairly quickly and my goodness he would take anything on. Everyone says they will be careless over a pole, but I haven’t found that to be true. Yes, I’m sure some are, but some purpose bred jumpers are careless as well.
When most young NH horses start they do loose jumping as a part of their program and the further along they get in training, the more you ask for speed and a low, quick, efficient jump in which you aren’t loosing time in the air.
Terri
The best - the VERY best - horse I ever rode was an ex-steeplechaser. This was in the UK though and in the mid-70’s so I got nothing that will help you, except to say I think they can make awesome upper level jumpers. He was an Irish TB, huge (17.3) and incredibly quick on his feet, as in catty. Could corner like you wouldn’t believe. And brave, forget about it. I honestly believe that this horse was just so happy to be off the track and doing something where he didn’t have to contend with other horses and the chaos of racing, that he thought anything you could throw at him in a stadium course was a piece of cake. Best. Attitude. Ever. 
I think what they looked for was 1) a survivor - a horse that had kept himself in one piece for a long time chasing can be surmised to have a certain amount of “gymnastic” ability 2) they knew he had way more scope than he needed for the chasing hurdles 3) the Attitude. Apart from that, I gathered that training him was pretty much a matter of setting the work in front of him.
The Chapots have a lot of experience with Steeplechase and timber horses. Frank used to get a lot of them in for training…to teach them how to jump before they went racing. And many would come to him after their racing was done. When I was there, probably half the string were x-racers. Von Csadak was just the most famous (and a very very cool horse–just had a bit of an adversion to water/liverpool jumps). He was one of my favorite horses.
The Chapots in general have a lot of experience with TBs and Laura rides them well. (Gem Twist was full TB).
Anyway…to the OP there are quite a few eventers who take on ex-steeplechase/timber horses and I’m sure there are jumper riders although that world is currently dominated by the warmbloods. The process isn’t much different than reschooling a lot of horses. They have to learn to jump more from power than speed. Lots of gymnasitcs and flat work. But most of the really good Steeplechase horses were taught to jump the same way any other horse is taught to jump…you just have to re-build up their muscles and give them some time away from the races. My recollection was it didn’t take that long for them to “get” that it was a different game.
It would seem that timber horses jump more like sport horses than hurdle horses, so probably less to re-train. Not that hurdle horses don’t have the jump, but timber horses are where I’d be tempted to look first.
My guy was a hurdle horse and whenever he could, he jumped like a hurdle horse, but knew not to try to brush through anything hard; he just elevated the flat jump a bit. And yet if he had to turn two strides after a jump he jumped it like a show horse. He was so smart and such a cat.
But I can ceretainly see your point about looking at timber horses first.
not really though. They still jump pretty flat and from speed…they just do not brush through their fences.
The ones like Von Csadak that did the big fences (MD Hunt Cup, VA hunt cup etc) still had to learn (or really re-learn) to jump up and around from a slower more collected canter. But they had a lot of scope and natural ability to start. I just remember Frank saying how long it took to change Von Csadak’s muscling so that he could jump more up and around rather then leave from a longer spot and longer stride.
Thank you for your responses. My current jumper was a steeple chase horse. He is, hands down, the best horse I have ever sat on. I would love to find another like him (his previous owner made him up as a project - she doesnt have others). Im thinking that I might need to buy a prospect and turn him over to my trainers to install the flat work. Im an adult that actually has to work for a living and I dont have the time or talent to do make one up myself.
How would I go about finding a reputable steeplechase owner? Im sure with the number of hoses out there, there is bound to be a trainer who is willing to sell me something.
Where are you located? I know several trainers in VA (as does Hunter’s Rest), but the eastern PA or MD crowd might be closer to you.
Just remember, these horses aren’t most likely going to be priced like cheap, $500-1,500 flat track TBs, as most of the trainers live in hunt country, and a lot of their horses are hunted during the off season, so there is a market for them.
sent you a PM
When most young NH horses start they do loose jumping as a part of their program and the further along they get in training, the more you ask for speed and a low, quick, efficient jump in which you aren’t loosing time in the air.
Just from reading here, it sounds like these types of horses would have good minds - smart and catty. With the flatter jump described, and the atleticism, I bet that they would maker terrific equitation horses. Has any of them gone that route?
