What do we think about a trainer doing a horse in a pro division during the week (2’6"), and the owner (me) showing in a small division (2’) on the weekend?
I used to think nothing of it, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s too much jumping.
ETA: particular horse in question is young and fit, but doesn’t show a lot. Won’t show again until spring.
How much is the horse ridden in a regular week? How much prep/warm up does the horse need at a show? How many classes in the division? Is the horse also doing schoolings every day?
If the horse is fit than it shouldn’t be a problem.
In a regular week, he gets ridden 5 times (2x pro rides, 2x ammy rides, 1 hack/trails).
Not a horse who needs a lot of prep, so he may get 5-10 minutes on the lunge the first two days. He does need a fair amount of warm up to get really going forward freely, but mostly just at the walk and trot.
Each division has 4 O/F rounds and an under saddle. He’s doing one schooling round on day 1 but that’s it.
I think you’ll find many, many people see no issue with this - even if they won’t admit here to showing in many, many more classes weekly themselves.
It’s definitely not uncommon for horses to do double divisions at a multiday show, especially in the lower heights. I would think that if the horse is fit, and received appropriate aftercare (hoof packing, icing, etc) during the week he should be OK- especially since this isn’t an every-month thing for you guys. The only thing I would say, I would maybe consider only having him do 2 of the jumping classes in the trainer’s division if he goes in and feels good. No need to overjump if he’s well prepped and the focus is on your division.
I wouldn’t do it every week of the year, or too many weeks in a row, but I don’t think it’s an inappropriate question for a horse whose general level of everyday fitness is up to the task.
2’6" and 2’ are a bouncy canter stride for most horses. Yes, it is a jump the horse is doing, and there is concussion on the limbs, but this is a different situation than the horse doing the 4’ performance during the week and the 3’6" juniors and a derby on the weekend. (And people do that too, but it’s not something I would do with my horse.)
At 2’6", it is no issue. Even at 3", not really. I think once you are showing 3’6", you need to pick and choose.
I think it is fine as long as you are able to stay out of his way and he can make an easy jump. I am about to lease a horse to a pre-adult rider and in the lease, we are planning to say a limit of 6 jumping class per show and nothing above 2’9’’, so that’s about 1 division, an equitation class and a schooling class with a trainer, or some other combination. She is a little dainty, so this may be pushing it. Still considering.
I show my experienced mare in the 2’-2’3" division and she’ll sometimes go with a pro during the week in the 2’6". We take care not to prep much beyond a light hack (she doesn’t need much more than that anyway) and just 2-3 warm up fences and that’s it. We show about 9 times a year, some 2-3 day shows, some week long ones. With the best of care, listening to your horse, being mindful of footing and temperature two low divisions like that should be easy for a horse to manage.
Definitely fine. I shudder a bit at the 4’ Performance followed by JR or A/Os but not at your scenario. Sounds like the horse is in plenty of work to be fit for the endeavor. Good luck!
Echoing the general consensus above - horse sounds like it’s going decently well to be fit enough and the fences are basically exaggerated canter strides. Still I’d cut the pro down to maybe two O/F and no hack unless for some reason the horse actually needs it.
If you really want to know if he’s fit enough, you can also look at how much time you’re going to ask the horse to spend WTC per day (3 min per OF, say 5-7 min trot and 3 min canter per flat, plus some padding for warmup) and make sure he can do that in intervals several times a week. Also ice legs/poultice wrap and pack feet to help with general upkeep.
I think it’s pretty standard these days… especially if it’s pro for first division and ammy for later in the week. If it’s a USHJA division and we’re just using the early week for schooling, we’ll sometimes only do part of the division and skip the hack. If it’s more of a green incentive or Young Hunter division where we’re going for circuit champion, then horse does full division.
Honestly, I think in some ways it’s less pounding then having some heavy prep to get horse ready for ammy and less frustation/threat of more green mistakes for horse/rider in warmup and first classes.
Shouldn’t be any issue at these low heights assuming nobody pounds horse into the ground and jumps 20 fences “warming up”.
Agree that it shouldn’t be too much for the ordinary semi-fit horse. Even if the pro were doing the 3’, as long as the height wasn’t a stretch for your horse (and 3’ is well within most horse’s wheelhouse), it’s not a big thing.
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