Should Draught Horses jump? Discuss....

domane

domane

Retired cob mum
Jul 31, 2005
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Recently read an interesting article about draught horses being more prone to hock problems - quite possibly due to them being schooled these days to "work from behind" when in fact they are designed to pull from the front (hence deep chest, big shoulders, thick neck) and not push from the rear so their hocks don't cope too well. With this in mind, should they really be jumping, bearing in mind their great weight? I know lots of horses "like" to jump, so if you had a draught that enjoyed it, would you let it or discourage it, bearing in mind it isn't really the right shape? I know all horses in the wild would occasionally drop down a bank or over a log, but that's not quite the same as repeatedly jumping and with a rider....

Thoughts???
 
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Oooh interesting thread!

My opinion is generally that everything in moderation never really hurts, so as long as the horse is fit enough to do the job and isn't being over cooked, then a bit of jumping every now and then probably won't do much harm. I think fitness is the key though, the horses' natural shape should be taken into account and more time spent gradually strengthening the hind limbs and joints would definitely help. Any horse would be liable to develop problems when worked at a level beyond it's fitness and given their additional weight this would increase this likelihood.

That said, when I say gradual strengthening I don't mean advanced dressage movements as to some extent that could be considered more strenuous as the pressure is maintained for a longer period of time.
 
Should any horse really jump? Should any horse be made to school/perform dressage movements etc? Think of all the injuries caused to all horses from doing these activities. It isn't only draft horses who suffer.

In my view it's all to do with the individual horse and making sure that the horse is of the correct fitness to do the job in hand. I don't like sweeping statements or labels being put on a certain 'type' of horse. Some draft horses are amazingly light on their feet and can do all sorts of things, while others will struggle to break into a trot. As with any horse, it's all about assessing their strengths and deciding what job they are best suited to.
 
There's jumping, and there's jumping.

There's draught horses and draught horses. The modern Shire and Clydesdale does nothing for me. Too tall to haul!

So they could probably jump and not do too much damage to themselves.
Personally, if you are going to buy a drught horse why jump? Buy a jumping horse. If you want a draught horse don't buy an arab.
 
IMO no absolutely not.

They are bred to pull not ride,they are not agile,they weigh up to a ton which is a lot of concussion upon landing,and then there is the hock issue as you say.
Clydes are also bred to be cow hocked (not sure about shires,but think they might be as well),I am assuming that although it makes them neat for stepping onto the furrows for ploughing,it might not be so great for being straight moving for any riding activity let alone jumping.
I'm not certain about that BTW,but it stands to reason that what would basically be considered a conformation fault in any other breed might well affect way of going and strength and longevity of the joint.

I have owned a heavy as many of you will remember,so I don't express this opinion through ignorance and assumption.That's not to say it has any merit and it is of course only my opinion.Personally though I don't think heavies are suitable build wise for jumping.
They can jump obviously,and perhaps for some of the lighter built ones small occasional jumping won't be too detrimental,but I never let anyone jump my girl when I had her.

I don't think they make the best all round riding horses full stop TBH.Not agile enough and a devil to keep fully fit for the work.Fine for a safe hack and perhaps low level activities (not jumping though) or even higher level *if* ensure they have enough space to move properly (pet hate of mine seeing heavy horses being worked in small schooling areas,too difficult for them and hard on the joints),and are kept fit and supple appropriately.

Agree with what said above really,if you want a horse that can do all activities,buy one suitable for purpose.You wouldn't buy a TB to pull a cart,why buy a carthorse for jumping??

*disclaimer* I am not generalising about ALL heavies,some are lighter built and modern bred to do different jobs now,I am also not referring to cross breeds,they are often very suitable for all activities.I am meaning proper heavy horses that are true to type and their original purpose.
 
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Kinda with Devonlass on this one. They are heavier horse so their joints DO go through a bit more wear and tear than your average horse, however Wally raises a good point though as well, you wouldn't buy a draught to go jumping. I have a HW cob and he enjoys pinging a fence as much as the next horse, but I don't let him do it to much as he is a heavier animal and I think the odd log on a hack is certainly not going to do any damage to him nor the odd low level show, but each week doing a course of 15 jumps - no I wouldn't let him.
 
It would make sense that the heavier set horses are naturally going to find it harder. If I owned a comtois or ardennes type horse is going to suffer some friction when jumping or trying to work like a dressage horse all the time.
 
Depends on the type of draught I think, but with mine, I'd say definitely not. Not built for it. Maybe the odd tiny log, or if he feels like doing it himself, but I wouldn't make him jump.
 
They can jump but best not to make them they are just to heavy and not put to-gether for it [well clydesdales anyway] They used to say a good clydesdale should be able to hold a tanner between its hocks.
 
Oh good - not just me then! :giggle: Jack "doesn't" jump.... dunno why, he is mysteriously stubborn/terrified of poles and it's a fight to get him to walk over one - and as I don't jump anyway, I don't bother. He'll walk over fallen branches out on a hack without a second glance though....

Arthur (3/4 Comtois) may have had poles introduced, just as part of his education, but to me he was definitely built for keeping all 4 tootsies on the ground - indeed in all the time I owned him I never saw more than one foot off the ground at a time... not a single buck or attempted rear....
 
I think it depends on the breed here, you could include cob into this. My youngster is a cob but only has 8" bone. I don't see why i wouldn't be able to do with her what i usually do.

I have seen a Shire doing dressage in an outline and that just looked wrong. I realise we have people who feel all horses are equal and they can, but the should comes into it.
If you want to compete-get something fit for purpose.

Now i don't school as in work from behind, she already has power from behind trust me! I think some of it depends on balance of the rider, fitness of the horse and what you are doing. The odd jump is ok surely?

I won't post the pic of myself jumping a Shire x ID, but the instructors view was nothing over 2.6 and clear round was 1.9.

I am going to turn this on its head and say well if a draught is considered something that shouldn't jump because of its weight and bulk, are you not then penalizing larger riders in a strange way?
 
newforest said:
I am going to turn this on its head and say well if a draught is considered something that shouldn't jump because of its weight and bulk, are you not then penalizing larger riders in a strange way?
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I was hoping we could stick to draught horses and jumping, if we can. The debate of heavier riders on them and whether they should be is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish that I don't want to get into on this fred.

For the record, I used to jump Cherry occasionally, when my nerves allowed. With hindsight, her technique should have told me that she shouldn't have been doing it - BUT if you headed her towards a jump, you had a hard job holding her back - such was her enjoyment.... shame I didn't share her pleasure!!!
 
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I'm on the fence with this one Draught Cross make good hunters and Percheron are pretty good at jumping Depends on the breed. Flora a no no her legs are to stumpy where as our shire mares are quite fine for draughts so maybe. Then you have the Irish Draught I would say not a problem.
 
Moet loves to jump, ok so in fairness she isn't a 'draught'....

although tbf i do agree that i wouldn't over jump a chunky.

I don't jump her big because of her previous leg injury, and only generally jump on fun rides.

If i wanted to jump i wouldn't go out and buy a chunky/draught.
 

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I haven't got enough experience to comment really, but it seems a bit like putting a weight lifter over hurdles. He could probably do it, but it would never be fantastic at it, and it would always be struggle.

Why not go with what they are good at?

It seems a hell of a lot of horse landing on the joints.
 
I thought Irish Draughts immediately as they jump like stags and are the foundation of many a showjumper and eventer.

Many of the French draughts like Percherons and Boulonnais are also good jumpers given the chance, and there are lots of ponies like Haffies and Fjords which have been draught/driving pomies for most of their breeding line but are now used for riding and jumping.

Great big heavies like Shires and Clydesdales, I think it would be like asking a Great Dane to do agilty. Hard on their frame and joints.
 
So, where does that put my horse Shadow? He's Shire x Cob, and he can pop over a jump?

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I wasn't actually thinking of IDs.... I was thinking more of the really heavy set draught horses... the ones you'd see pulling logs or ploughing.....
 
newforest said:
I think it depends on the breed here, you could include cob into this. My youngster is a cob but only has 8" bone. I don't see why i wouldn't be able to do with her what i usually do.
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Personally I don't consider cobs to be the same as heavy horses.Different size and build.Cobs to me might be heavy set or stocky but that's not the same as a heavy horse.
They have varying types of build as well that can be worlds apart (LW compared to HW for example are totally different animals).
TBH I don't think your average HW cob is ideal for jumping,possibly not such an issue as a true heavy but not ideal or suitable IMO.

domane said:
I wasn't actually thinking of IDs.... I was thinking more of the really heavy set draught horses... the ones you'd see pulling logs or ploughing.....
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I don't think ID's fall into the same category either,although termed a draught they are not of the same type as something like a shire or clyde.
 
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