Horse Jumping- A fast-paced, technical sport based on a very simple premise; the horse and rider who knock down the fewest rails in the fastest time win.

Ahhh horse jumping. Basically what every girl in the horse world swears by anymore. Even though a lot of people think that it's good for their horse, it can cause many problems in their later years.

Problem 1: The bits!

So to kick things off I'm going to talk about bits. So, in jumping, I've noticed that people like to keep short reins, and pull their horse's mouths apart. And it gets worse when they use the dreaded tie down, and not giving the horse his head. This is a horse jumping naturally without a rider.👇🏻

This horse can use his head to help him clear the obstacle. But here's a horse with a rider. 👇🏻

The horse has a very limited range with his head, which makes it difficult to balance himself while going over the jump.

Problem 2: Tying the mouth shut.

This is one of the worst things about jumping.

     Basically, why they need to tie their mouth shut is because of the tight reins. The bit rubs against the roof of the mouth, and that hurts! So the horse will try to put their tongue over the bit, to try and reduce the pain. And this just makes it worse, because the tongue is one of the most sensitive parts of the horse.

     So their solution? Tying the horse's mouth shut! That should work!

Notice how tight the band is.

     Yeah. It works great.

Problem 3: The height of the jumps.

     Horses usually weigh about 1,000 pounds. And all of that weight must me supported by four hooves. It's amazing that their hooves can handle that kind of pressure.

     But to add on to that, when you put a saddle and rider on that horse's back, it can add up to 200 extra pounds, depending on the rider and discipline. And their  hooves can still handle it! It's really amazing.

     But it gets too far when you add a 4 foot tall obstacle in front of the horse, and make him clear it.

     Now, horses naturally carry 80% of their body weight on their front hooves. So when you have about 800 pounds on the front hooves, and the added weight of the rider, that's nearly all of the horse's weight all on his front legs.

     So, when you ask him to clear the obstacle in front of him, he has to land. When he lands, 100% of his body weight is on his front, plus the rider's weight. It's not what the horse is built to deal with.

This is what landing looks like close up.

And if 4ft wasn't enough...

This horse is jumping about 7ft
     
This is going to cause the horse misery in its later years.

     And that brings me to my next reason.

Problem 4: Health issues

     Landing like that for the entirety of the horse's life will take a toll on his physical health.

Things that are common in old jumping horses:

1.) Arthritis
2.) Permanent Lameness
3.) Irreversible hoof cracks
4.) Fetlock problems
5.) Sway back
6.) Popped ligaments (these can be treated)

Notice how complex a horse's leg ligaments are. Most of it it only protected by 1 mm of skin.
    
     These are just some of the things you'll find in old jumpers.

     Imagine, you are an old horse. You spend most of your day in a 6x6 stall, your legs are in terrible pain, but no matter what you do you can't escape it. Your back is unnaturally dipped, and your old hooves are cracked beyond belief. Whenever you try and shift your weight to escape pain, your joints creak and crack. But in the end you end up making your pain worse.

      This goes on every day in old horses. It's pretty upsetting to know that your old best friend, is standing in his stall, in serious pain.

Problem 5: It's downright dangerous.

     More injuries are caused by showjumping, than professional football. That's mind blowing, considering that NFL injuries average at 400 a year.

     There are about 600 injuries a year due to jumping events. Some are just minor cuts or bruises, but some are life threatening.

Do you want this to happen to you?

But that's just the rider! There are other injuries that the horse can suffer as well.

     The amount of horses that lose their lives a year is mind boggling. 200 on average.

     And the injuries are usually pretty gruesome.

This horse probably clipped his front leg with his back leg while landing.

And this poor guy has permanent fetlock problems.

How can you help?

     I would suggest only jumping your horse a cross jump. No higher. That should be the only height that anyone jumps in my opinion.

     Let your horse's head go a bit. Don't hang on the reins, and never use a tie down or tie your horse's mouth shut.

      Be Careful!!!! Don't do stupid stuff. Don't jump too high, don't do things without thinking it through, and also remember, just because you wear a helmet, you are NOT automatically safe.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Exhibit A: So, basically what happens is this girl falls off her horse. She is obviously ok. But she starts to chase the horse mindlessly. She thinks she's safe because she has a helmet on. Then, because horses are fight or flight animals, instinct kicked in, and the horse kicked her in the head.

      Helmets don't always save lives people!

Sorry....

     I am so sorry if I offended you in any way. This is just my opinion, and everyone in entitled to theirs.

Cheers!
-applebreyer88