What Can You Learn from Sending a Prospect through a Jump Chute?

[phippsie62]

I’m guessing you can see something about form and also scope, but is what you see a good predictor of jumping performance under saddle?

And how do you know whether this youngster would have the stamina for twelve consecutive jumping efforts, as in a course, at that level? Would you have to rely on pedigree and conformation to give you a clue?

Also, how would you get some idea whether a particular prospect has the mind, including the desire, to excel under the pressures of the show ring?

Thanks for insights…I’m trying to educate myself before shopping for prospects.

[Training_Cupid]

Sometimes all you can learn is whether or not the horse is trained to go through a chute.
What is the age of the horse and what are you looking to do with it? Do you have a trainer working with you?

[beowulf]

@Training Cupid

Sometimes all you can learn is whether or not the horse is trained to go through a chute.
What is the age of the horse and what are you looking to do with it? Do you have a trainer working with you?

And how lazy a horse is :lol:

With my guy he learned quick that it was easier to jump out of the chute than it was to actually go through the chute. :lol:

[Peggy]

How well the horse jumps without a rider. Some will translate and some won’t.

See how they react to a bad jump or a rail–do they come around and jump it better, or do they lose their enthusiasm. That, and asking them to do simple things on the ground (walking away from friends, walking in a circle, asking them to yield away from pressure on their sides) will give you an idea of how they will react when pressured a bit.

This may also be helpful:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/hunter-jumper/177563-does-how-well-a-horse-free-jump-relate-to-how-well-they-will-jump-under-saddle

[phippsie62]

Thanks, Peggy–that archive forum thread with video is really helpful. And the simple ground tests too.

To answer Training Cupid’s question, I’m looking at 4-year-old jumper prospects with a lot of close relatives (dam, sire, sibs and half-sibs) who’ve competed at 1.30 and above. The jump chute tests are on video, which is a whole separate issue, so I didn’t mention that–just wanted to know about the value of the jump-chute exercise itself.

Pedigree doesn’t seem like a slam dunk when I consider the sheer number of foals from a particular sire, because they can’t all be great jumpers. So pedigree is a factor, but it seems like the horse in front of you is most important.

[Training_Cupid]

For 4 year olds I’d look at how they go under saddle, not through a chute.

[buschkn]

I have found that it correlates very well, with all the young horses we have brought along. But I agree that at four you should also be able to ride the horse and get a feel for how it handles the jumps. Obviously free jumping you can jump them bigger than with a rider when they are young. I’m rarely on here but am happy to answer more questions if you have them, as we have raised and developed a lot of jumpers. You can email buschkn at aol dot com or through our website ShowjumpersForSale.com

Good Luck in your search!

[MontysGal]

@beowulf

And how lazy a horse is :lol:

With my guy he learned quick that it was easier to jump out of the chute than it was to actually go through the chute. :lol:

Problem solvers!! LOL

I am following because I’m interested but from a hunter perspective. I personally watch the horse as he leaves the grid/fence to see what he does - playful head toss? Gun it? Immediately drop his head, lick/chew and trot? A lot of that speaks to personality, especially when you’re watching over video only.

[NancyM]

If the horse has already done a lot of free jumping work, you can see his form, his scope, his power. If a horse has NEVER done any free jumping before, and this is his first time, you can see his natural responses to a jump. Some don’t naturally know what to do, how to get over it. You can see his attitude to jumping, whether he is interested in it or not. How quickly he learns. You can find out if he has “natural” style, or whether he is going to need exercises to develop his style (form). But whether he is going to be a BIG jumper or not, you are not going to be able to foresee the future about that, because there is so much more to jumping a big course than you can see free jumping. Personally, I don’t like to give “bravery tests” to young horses, green horses by trying to jump them BIG when free jumping. Some people do. I am looking for his “natural” responses to being asked to jump, how he feels about it. What division he ends up being best suited for in the long run is something you find out over time. You may think he is going to be a jumper, but he ends up being a hunter, equitation horse, or eventer. You can’t say for sure in advance just by free jumping a prospect.

[ladyj79]

@beowulf

And how lazy a horse is :lol:

With my guy he learned quick that it was easier to jump out of the chute than it was to actually go through the chute. :lol:

I also owned this horse!! When I went to college she went to an FEI show jumper…for a year. And then she became a broodmare, because it just was not her thing at all!! And no one listened to the dumb 17 year old who went, nah, she hates this :lol::lol::lol:

As for the value of the free jumping exercise, it’s been deemed incredibly important for the inspection and approval process of breeding stock by every registry of note.

I would agree with those who say if looking at a four year old, it’s good to be able to see the free jump, but is more important how they are going under saddle. When a friend was a young rider in Europe she had a young horse, bred through and for the state program. Free jumped 2.20, everyone was beyond excited for this horse to get going. And she was unrideable. The best riders in the country tried to start the mare, but she was beyond dangerous. She was so terrible, she was not even wanted for breeding. As far as I know, she is still sitting in a field, because my friend loves her, and the only other option is to put her down.

So, yeah, the nice thing about many four year olds is they’ve been started. And for a 1.30 horse, I think if the horse is well-started and the pedigree is full of horses who’ve been successful above 1.30, you’re probably pretty good to go. 1.30 are late six year old/early seven year old fences, so there’s a lot of time to develop from four.

[fordtraktor]

At four, I think having a pedigree where a lot of the MARE LINE siblings have been competitive at bigger heights is a really good sign. If a mare has already produced a few upper level jumpers, then your horse is likely to be pretty decent.

But honestly the jump is often similar under saddle, but so much more goes into a successful jumper…being brave but not so brave they aren’t careful, long term soundness, good work ethic and listening skills, ability to bounce back from little mistakes without getting rattled…the jump needs to be there but my best horses haven’t been the scopiest ones. It is such a roll of the dice.