14 year old quarter horse be jumping? She started jumping when she was nine and right now her owner is jumping her 2'9 but she struggles. And i was asking this because i am hopefully buying her if the vet check goes well today.
Thanks a bunch!
Answers:
Dude the answers you've received are uneducated.
What do you mean by the horse "struggles" to get over the jump? I know some horses when jumping will breathe heavy with the work, then right before the jump will take in a big breath, hold it at take off, then go back to their breathing. That's typical. More details would help a lot, otherwise when to retire a horse from jumping is on a case by case basis. It depends so strongly on the horse itself that no ideal age for retirement is known.
Someone who said that their friends horse was retired from jumping at 8yo doesn't know the whole story behind that situation. Most jump training doesn't start until a horse is 4 and older, so some kind of injury or poor jump training or even an unwillingness on behalf of the horse would result in a horse having to be retired from jumping at 8 years old. At 8 a horse is still learning to refine their jump training, so to be retired at that age is unthinkable unless through injury.
The horse's struggles, whatever they may be, could be the result of a short warm up and/or not enough exercise to keep the horse in shape for jumping 2'9. Additionally, if the person jumping the horse doesn't know how to see a distance to the jump, they could be getting horrid "spots" (take off spots) and if they are getting too close to the jump, then the horse has to struggle to clear the jump. Not to mention if the rider is jumping ahead, it has the same effect on the horse's effort to get over the jump. It's harder.
One of the most famous show jumpers whose name, of course, escapes me at the moment, continued show jumping until he was 17 years old. My own childhood horse was jumping 3'3 until she was 20 and it was only arthritis that made me retire her from jumping.
If the vet check goes fine then the horse should be cleared safe to jump 2'9. Did you tell your vet that you need a horse capable of jumping? If so, then your vet would be able to pick up any confirmation faults or health issues, including arthritis, that may restrict your potential horse's jumping career. So until your vet gives you the go ahead, do not trouble yourself over the age of the horse.
As for height, you should never jump higher than your horse is capable of. At 14 and jumping 2'9, the horse could easily learn to jump 3'3 as long as you have an experienced trainer to teach you and your horse.
I bought my first horse when she was 14 and we competed in equitation and hunter classes with a max height of 3'3. It takes effort on behalf of the horse at that height so do not confuse that with a struggle over the fence. Good luck and I hope you find your dream horse!
I wouldn't recommend jumping it at that age! It's to much on there legs! My friend just bought one about the same age and it was a jumper now it has to get shots in it's legs!
A 14 year old horse should not be jumping. My sister retired her quarter horse at age 8, and used her for a pleasure horse.
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