Horses Arabian

Arabian Horses............?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aTwDdX0RD-Q Ok, first of all, i know im not a great rider/jumper, i have been around horses all my life (im 16), only hacked out and stuff until i really started riding in Feb 2008 *ish*, but only recently in mid 08 started jumping.......anyway....more to the point, do all Arabians do this when jumping?...90% of the time he jumps more than 1/4 than he has to! Thanks x (& I've never had jumping lessons, so please dont pick up on the jumping!) Thanks "LopeSlow" XD He is 19!!! (20 in Feb) He hasnt done much jumping in the 14 years weve had him =) But the vet did say back in 1994 "Get rid of this Horse he will kill you one day"!! He is great with children, a 6 year old was riding him bareback not so long ago... & To the first answer, it's not a gallop, and cant you read? I said not to comments about the jumping!!!

Public Comments

1. No, not all Arabians do this. Horses that are being galloped hellbent for leather to the jumps without any balance or technique do this. Please get some jumping lessons before you get hurt.
2. My jumper is a half Arabian--one of the most athletic, willing jumpers I've ever ridden, but he too often did this. I've found that a lot of it isn't actually due to the breed as much as it is the individual horse. Most horses--any breed--will overjump when they are green, spooked by the jump, or just excited. How long has your horse been jumping? If he's new to it, he's more likely to overjump. Are you jumping "scary" jumps? Does he do the same thing over plain jumps that don't scare him? If he only does it over brightly colored or "scary" jumps he's probably just spooked by the jump and is ensuring that it doesn't eat him :). The excitement issue is different. A lot of "hot" horses (and others with lots of energy) will do it just like a very energetic kid will jump around a lot more than a quiet, lazy one. In this case, an Arabian might be more likely to do it because the breed as a whole is generally a "hot" breed. Not all Arabians are hot and some of them are lazy, quiet, etc.--just as some QHs (a typically quiet breed) are nuts. But many of them do tend to be a little bit more, uh, enthusiastic about their jobs (which is why we love them, right??) and that can be exhibited by overjumping even the littlest jumps :). If it's caused by being green, more miles o/f will take care of it--it'll go away on its own when he gains confidence. Same with the spook factor--as he gets more experience over "scary" fences, he'll quit (although any time he sees a brand new scary fence, he might revert to it!). If it's the excitement, it might fix itself as he gets older (how old is he?) or it might not. Lunging before you ride could help take the edge off, or maybe you need to challenge him more and give him something to focus on. I know my jumper will "play" a lot if I'm just doing easy little single fences because he doesn't really have to work to do it. When we do a difficult course at a jumper show over difficult fences, he jumps flat but always clear--an advantage in jumpers because a super round jumper takes more time in the air. He just has to have something to focus on. I think this is true for a lot of Arabs and perhaps yours just has too much talent to know what to do with it :). Edited (with addition of your extra details): He's 19? He looks great :). Arabians tend to love working--I'm glad you're still riding him so much. I watched your video and for the most part he just looks enthusiastic--which might be something that you can never change, but enjoy it and use it to your advantage (try jumpers...people are surprised when little Arabians end up beating the bigger horses in jumpers because of their quickness and athletic ability...have you ever heard of Russian Roulette [I may have spelled that wrong]?).
3. Dont worry about the over jumping, alot of horses do it, and to be honest its not a bad thing, it means he should have less chance of injuring himself when jumping because he shouldnt hit the fence with his legs. This is particularly common in arabs, i have 3 at the moment all in training and they all "over jump" but i am happy because none of them have ever hit a pole so have no damage to their legs/cannon bones. Good Luck with the jumping!
4. A lot of horses over jump, so it is not just arabs. A lot of the time it is a good thing.
5. Hi, I wouldn't worry too much. If he hasn't done too much jumping, hes just green and unsure of himself. It looks like he puts his head up and rushs at the jump a bit though, ( which can also be because he is unsure ). You could try some schooling on the flat, making sure he is able to shorten and lengthen his stride and really get him listening to you. There are some great training books/ DVD's which will show you how to built grids and jumps to help train him. If you can afford it, I'd really recommend getting a couple of jumping lessons to give you some advice on how to progress, and just to perfect your own position. ( I think you look pretty good for a beginner jumper ) Mainly though, he looks like hes doing an ok job of getting over the fence for you. Good luck.
6. It is not uncommon for a horse to 'over jump' but it is not a bad thing, hes gonna be less likely to hit the jumps. What I would suggest..is lunging him over jumps, let him jump it on his own. He looks like he feels forced to jump it, and doesn't really want to. So you need to get him to think about jumping it by himself (so he doesnt need to worry about you while your riding) but so he can learn to jump well without you first. He will eventually feel more comfortable jumping, and then will jump confidently, and maybe aven WANT to when you are on him.
7. No not all of them do that, it depends on the horse. My horse is a cob and he does the same. See if you can get some lessons on him so you know how to handle how he jumps. This way you will learn to. Good luck
8. Lots of horses overjump. What concerns me more is that you havent had lessons...you SHOULD. If you cant jump in a correct manner, you can totally ruin the horse. Is that what you want?
9. It has nothing to do with the breed; it is one or a combination of experience, the rider, training, and conformation. Best!
10. Hi ya - I currently jump 2 arabs and 1 TB my two arabs (both geldings) are very green, one is an ex racehorse and the other was a stallion doing nothing for 7 years until I got my hands on him! Yes they do tend to jump higher than needed - in a way i think they are very protective of their feet (thats why many horses argue or dislike going into water as they dont know what will happen to their feet) and hence they jump higher than normal to make sure they dont risk falling into the jump or hitting it One of my arabs and my TB jump very similar - the ex racehorse arab (kairo) has a real 'pop' in him and really tucks his head down when jumping - gives you the impression he is bucking! your gelding is very good after not being ridden for so long - if I were you, try and find some winter little jumping shows to attend - this way he will gain experience of a different environment and jumping in doors - you will learn whether he can handle the show environment, ready for summer jumping season 09 good luck - and always wear a body protector when jumping arabs!