Jumping. How many times max?

[BeachRiding]

Currently I am jumping Gitcha around 3-4 times a week, he gets 2 days off a week and one light riding day. It is over very low jumps, like 2 feet max when I'm on him. Twice of that a week he is free-lunged over 3 feet spreads. He copes perfectly fine and barely ever sweats as I take breaks. Is this too much jumping for a nearly six year old?

 

[big-dreams]

From what I heard, your only supposted to jump a horse a max of 2 times a week but I could be wrong.

 

[Lovemyappy]

I normally did 2-3 times a week and maybe a free jump once a while.

Though your jumps are small for the most so its not a big strain on him. But I would think about cutting out maybe one or 2 jumping day(s) and work just on flat since it doesnt seem like you have a flat day.(other then your lite ride day) Even on days with no jumps you can do little polo courses to work on striding and distances.

 

[Nayds]

What you need to understand is Dressage is the foundation of your jumping. I was talking to Olympian Matt Ryan or was it Stuart Tinney??? One of the two, I talked to them both. They said that they will jump the horse only 1 - 2 times a week the rest is just Dressage. By doing so much Dressage you are improving their jumping!

 

[BeachRiding]

I do flatwork.

 

[Dina]

I jump about 2 times a week,or else I find that Chunky just starts to get bored so I alternate it with hacking or flatwork.

 

[Ms Kitty]

Depends on what level horse it is.

If it is a novice horse still trying to find the perfect jumping technique, then small jumps maybe 2-3 times a week (all sorts of exercises from gridwork to just one jump to doubles to free jumping etc.), spread evenly along the week doing flatwork/hacking in between. If it is a fairly experienced horse then I would do only 1-2 times per week, but at least one of them would be jumping nearly to the maximum heights (i.e. over the competition limit), the other one maybe a gridwork exercises.

Flatwork is the key to jumping. I know many SJers hate flatwork with passion, but it really is an important part of showjumping. The better you do on the flat, the better you will do on the jumps, both you and the horse.

Nina x