Who has transitioned from hunter/jumper to eventing?

[greysfordays]

This makes a lot of sense. I agree it might be two different horses. To be fair, I wouldn’t be looking for something I could do the 1.30m on if I switched to looking for an eventer. I would be happy cruising around the 1.10m.

I ask bc I tried a horse this year who evented to prelim, and then switched to jumpers and was doing the 1.40s. He had an incredible gallop, and was bold in the most delightful way. And in budget. Unfortunately he didn’t vet. But it got me thinking.

My vet has shown me a couple who are scopey but too careful for upper levels of eventing. They are probably fine to toodle around lower levels and do some jumper shows. And they are all much less expensive than the pure showjumpers I’m seeing.

I agree I should try to take my horse cross country schooling with someone. It makes sense someone would want to give me a few lessons first, and that sounds like a worthwhile investment.

I just worry about my horse mentally, he was poled as a young horse for stallion approvals and he is super suspicious of poles on the ground. He will leap over a pole on the ground but canter it quietly once it’s on a jump. I do a lot of ground work to get him to relax, even buying squish poles and getting him feeling calm even if he touches it.

He is also not what I would call sure footed, his proprioception. Ive slowly been able to set him up less for changes in grade and terrain when we are on the track, but I do get nervous with him when we canter the gentle downhills. This guy is my absolute heart horse, I’m pretty protective of his headspace and anxiety. Maybe too much so.

But this is really helpful advice. I agree I’m in a no-man’s land here without a full time eventing trainer. Thank you!

[Willesdon]

[quote=“greysfordays, post:41, topic:756102, full:true”
I agree I should try to take my horse cross country schooling… I just worry about my horse mentally…
He is also not what I would call sure footed, his proprioception. Ive slowly been able to set him up less for changes in grade and terrain when we are on the track, but I do get nervous with him when we canter the gentle downhills. This guy is my absolute heart horse, I’m pretty protective of his headspace and anxiety. Maybe too much so.
[/quote]

Running cross-country offers a lot more freedom for a horse as the rider can’t micromanage but rather has to develop trust in the horse. That is hugely beneficial for a horse’s mind. What will likely make him less clumsy is to ride him over varied terrain, even finding the roughest bits to ride over, and allow him to quietly pick his own way, to slip and slide a bit, to scramble here and there, to learn to balance himself and sort out his own feet without his rider setting him up at all. Long rein and very quiet rider. It will help you develop confidence in his ability too. This does not require speed, that comes later.

[NichtNixen]

Not sure in which direction you’re 2-3hrs from Galway, but there’s definitely trainers in the SD and LA areas. Going or volunteering at an event/schooling day might give you a chance to meet or find a trainer close enough to meet with on a semi-regular basis.

A local FB group or post on Eventers of the West or similar might also net some options.

[saturnalian]

@greysfordays I definitely recommend trying to see if you can school an xc course, even if tiny!! I’m also a lifelong H/J rider and decided to take lessons last summer. I, too, was most nervous about xc. My former horse was very clumsy and had fallen a few times throughout the years I had him, so I totally had the same fear of letting the horse gallop.
XC was an absolute BLAST. I loved it! It’s so different from H/J - works out completely different muscles. Even the horse rode so differently over SJ than other horses I’ve ridden.
I honestly found dressage to be the hardest part of it all, but since you enjoy it already, I think you might be sold after going cross country once!

[aregard]

@greysfordays

What I’m thinking is wouldn’t it be better to just buy a going eventer who can teach me the ropes of cross country but could also cross enter into some jumper classes in the near-term for fun?

I don’t think so. The member of the partnership who is new to the changed elements of the sport (jumpers versus eventing) is you, not the horse. You’re the one who needs to learn to read the ground, the lighting, the question, and then guide the horse into and away from the question successfully.

Keep looking for the young horse to bring along. You obviously know how to ride, how to manage the horse’s life and learning, so bring a good-footed youngster along while you climb the hill.

[Rel6]

As someone who started in hunter/jumper world and has since evented a bit, I think this downplays the confidence an experienced eventer can bring to the table. I did my first event on a cross country machine and that was invaluable. Even now, with more events under my belt, it is still the phase I am the least experienced in and therefore the least confident in and I find going around on something that knows that job to give me a lot of confidence in that phase.

[Fiesta01]

@onlyTBmares

She’s a little too enthusiastic, might bounce a one stride, but is super athletic, I think you know that kind of horse.

Sounds like she’s missing her XC and is getting a little bored with only jumping in the ring.

[Fiesta01]

@onlyTBmares

Sounds like once you cross over to the dark side you never go back

I ended my riding career in the dressage world (was in my 60’s when my last horse was retired from under saddle), but I always missed my eventing days. I really do find eventing people much more friendly and always willing to help each other out. There is just a more congenial atmosphere at events.

Welcome to the dark side. You’re going to love it.

[Fiesta01]

@RizenPhoenix09

Personally I always rode the “wrong” breed. Sorry, not sorry I will always be a TB girl.

That is always sad to hear. I’m from the generation that if you weren’t on a TB, you were on the wrong breed.
TB Girl Forever.

[aregard]

@Rel6

it is still the phase I am the least experienced in and therefore the least confident in and I find going around on something that knows that job to give me a lot of confidence in that phase.

2 horsepeople, 3 opinions.

I’d be more concerned about a person who doesn’t understand the questions mounted on a horse that has no stop in it’s vocabulary, than I would be about a person who does understand the questions mounted on a horse that’s going, “Are you sure?” But there are problems with both combos, aren’t there?

[Rel6]

I don’t personally think “experienced eventer” means “has no stop in its vocabulary.”

It doesn’t have to be either of the combos you’re presenting.

[Ponypuff]

I learned the hard way… through embarrassment and a thorough chew out in the warm up ring… but absolutely fair! Learn the rules first.

[Ponypuff]

Just noticed how old the OP was… I’m sadly too busy to follow people here… but I wonder if the OP got to get her toes wet in this sport? I moved from HJ to Eventing only a few years ago and I LOVE IT!!! Briefly…

1. The people… HJ just got toxic and elitest and the coaches atleast in my area wanted you to drink their koolaid, and follow them like blind cults. Eventing, the people are just fkin amazing! They are there for a good time - safe - but they know how hard this sport is and expensive. And they stand up for each other when they hear railbirds being awful.
2. The cost… yes three saddles more then one style of coach - but they also don’t look down on you when your saddle isnt’ the oolalafrenchpoodlehide2025 model that MUST be custom made for each ass cheek and your horse. And there is so many ways money is saved… braid yourself - could you imagine the horror or the fallout with the braiding mob, trailer with a buddy and split the gas, you can decide which of the three if any you want to have your coach help you with at the show, and if they aren’t going you can catch ride with another coach without it appearing in the International Equiner (like the enquirer for equestrians)
3. So many levels, and just cuz you may be sailing through your novice dressage doesn’t mean your ready to move up with XC or Stadium, so no pressure that you have to go big or go home.
4. You have to learn to ride AND jump without a coach screaming in your ear from the sidelines. As my coach told me… pick a line and ride the rhythm - stop getting so caught up on how many strides and it looking pretty… RIDE! Don’t perch RIDE! I’m not going to run down 10 acres to yell at you to add leg or count your stride for you. Learn to ride the distance, all of them, ugly ones also!
5. Horses - again you don’t need Daddys LilMorgtage flown in from Germany. I’ve seen ponies at a 4 star clean up, Arabs, TB on their second career, QH’s even some full drafts powering through the water.
6. Oh did I mention water? Hell ya, nothing more fun then cantering your horse through the water! Provided you stay on!

Before switching HJ people used to tell me Eventers did everything half ass cuz there was 3 different disciplines… Master of none… But actually I’ve never met more safer and safety conscious riders then I did when I met event riders. They don’t just hand their horse off to the groom, the level of trust and confidence in their partners is so refreshing, and they focus a great deal on their flat work / dressage so their jumping just gets better.

As someone else said its not cheap, but its nothing compared to a HJ show!! And sadly we do depend on volunteers which makes the sport somewhat harder. Plus we need more land to get our XC on. But there is a whole new generation of little riders that I see are seeing how amazing this sport can be.

I will never go back… Logs forever!

[greysfordays]

@Rel6

I don’t personally think “experienced eventer” means “has no stop in its vocabulary.”

It doesn’t have to be either of the combos you’re presenting.

Exactly. I think something that has seen the questions and is confident in the answers is helpful? It feels like my trying to take a careful young horse eventing is a bit of green on green? I worry we might both talk each other out of things

I cannot imagine that as a newbie there is any horse that would make me feel SO confident, that my own self-preservation learned in the hunter jumpers is going to evaporate. But something that won’t hesitate in front of my first ditch or puts in a safety step if I get too slow to a novice jump? That feels like a good way to learn.

@Ponypuff

• The people… HJ just got toxic and elitest and the coaches atleast in my area wanted you to drink their koolaid, and follow them like blind cults. Eventing, the people are just fkin amazing! They are there for a good time - safe - but they know how hard this sport is and expensive. And they stand up for each other when they hear railbirds being awful.
• The cost… yes three saddles more then one style of coach - but they also don’t look down on you when your saddle isnt’ the oolalafrenchpoodlehide2025 model that MUST be custom made for each ass cheek and your horse. And there is so many ways money is saved… braid yourself - could you imagine the horror or the fallout with the braiding mob, trailer with a buddy and split the gas, you can decide which of the three if any you want to have your coach help you with at the show, and if they aren’t going you can catch ride with another coach without it appearing in the International Equiner (like the enquirer for equestrians)
• So many levels, and just cuz you may be sailing through your novice dressage doesn’t mean your ready to move up with XC or Stadium, so no pressure that you have to go big or go home.
• You have to learn to ride AND jump without a coach screaming in your ear from the sidelines. As my coach told me… pick a line and ride the rhythm - stop getting so caught up on how many strides and it looking pretty… RIDE! Don’t perch RIDE! I’m not going to run down 10 acres to yell at you to add leg or count your stride for you. Learn to ride the distance, all of them, ugly ones also!
• Horses - again you don’t need Daddys LilMorgtage flown in from Germany. I’ve seen ponies at a 4 star clean up, Arabs, TB on their second career, QH’s even some full drafts powering through the water.
• Oh did I mention water? Hell ya, nothing more fun then cantering your horse through the water! Provided you stay on!

YES to all of this. #3 is something I hadn’t considered, but it absolutely resonates with me! But all your points especially how toxic hunter/jumper culture can be. I literally get weird looks when I say good luck to the competitor after me when I’m leaving the ring. It’s bizarre. But thank you for the encouragement!

Unfortunately, it looks like my jumper needs to step way way down or be retired. He needs time off to try to clear some fluid in his hind suspensory. But my vet views it as a degenerative issue we will be fighting as he stays in work. She’s not sure doing beginner novice eventing is feasible for him.

But she recommended an eventing trainer at Galway and that I should be able to find a horse that has done at least prelim that I could have fun in the 1.10m with while I’m trailering out for cross country lessons and dipping a toe into eventing.

[dmveventer]

@greysfordays

It feels like my trying to take a careful young horse eventing is a bit of green on green? I worry we might both talk each other out of things

As someone doing this right now, can confirm on the talking each other out of things

And I did lease an experienced low-level eventer for a few years before I bought my green horse. I’m not asking him to do anything I haven’t mastered myself on other horses, and he’s a pretty solid citizen as far as green horses go. I just don’t have as much xcountry mileage and am not the boldest rider out there, and he doesnt have the experience or confidence yet to pick up the slack. It takes AGES to not only get exposed to all the technical elements of xcountry but actually start to be confident doing them, and then confident enough to give a young horse the confident, accurate ride they need is a whole other thing. I’m getting so much better about being assertive and confident and supportive for him, but it’s not 100% and this definitely would have been a terrible combination if I was brand new to the sport.

Until you’ve done it you don’t really appreciate how much things like terrain and footing can impact your ride. I almost fell off on one of my first xcountry schools when I rode too fast through what looked like a very mild dip in the ground, and I’m really glad I made that mistake on the packer who just stopped and rolled his eyes while I sorted myself out. On a green horse mistakes like that can be unfair and possibly dangerous for you both.

[Ajierene]

@dmveventer

As someone doing this right now, can confirm on the talking each other out of things

Oh man, I feel this! I am not exactly green anymore but I did bring my mare up from the ground and I have some confidence issues jumping. She LOVES to jump but she can definitely feel my vibes. A few weeks ago I was out cross country by myself (mostly trail riding) and I “happened” upon a cross country course (don’t ask questions…). I haven’t jumped cross country in over a year due to her issues and the me being away for 6 months. Well, little intro jump, shouldn’t be a big deal, right? We’ve jumped some pretty solid Novice jumps. I wasn’t so much worried about the jump as I was about exuberance after the jump and the fact that no one was around (not ideal if I fell off and injured myself).

So there I am just STARING at the jump as we were approaching it (due to the anxiety because of aforementioned concern) and she just every so slowly started kind of side passing while trotting and staring at the jump herself like “what do you see mom? Is it monsters? Is there a demon there that my pony eyes cannot see?” and yep…refusal. Slowest refusal ever.

So, I girded my loins, picked a tree top to look at and smooth sailing after that (no excessive horseplay after the jumps so my anxiety was for naught).

I did start eventing on her dam and it was green on green and we had a bit of issues due in part to that. I ended up on some schoolie types between dam and my precious, perfect angel and that did help a lot.

Anyway…yeah…learning is always better when one of you is the teacher.