Jumping at 19

Last weekend Rain's owner, Kim H., asked me to jump Rain through the walk-through exercise I do with horses to help teach them to rock back on their haunches.  It starts with a ground pole, and I walk the horse over it once each direction.  Then my ground crew raises the jump to a vertical by one hole in the standard.  I walk the horse over it once each direction.  We raise it another hole, and walk over again both ways.  This continues until the we reach the maximum height the horse is able to do from a walk. 

I'd never done this particular exercise with Rain before, so Kim asked me to take her through it.  Rain is 19 years old now, and totally sound.  She loves her job teaching riding lessons with me, and takes such good care of her riders.  She was started under saddle around age ten, which is later in life than the average horse.  She'd spent her early years as a broodmare on a paint breeding farm. 

I actually prefer to start horses later, for several reasons.  When I teach them to be riding horses as adults, they are more mature mentally and have a much longer attentions span than youngsters.  They are also finished developing physically, so they are more likely to stay sound into old age than a horse who has had a lot of work as a baby whose body isn't ready for that kind of exertion.  Rain is a perfect example of this, as she is 19 and still happily jumping. 

In this ride I took her over a 3' vertical which she cleared nicely.  After she did that we changed the fence back to a crossrail to boost her confidence, and look at the amazing jumping form she showed! 

I love this photo of Rain standing and facing the jump with Miles looking on.  You can see in this photo how she has stepped well up underneath herself with her hind foot, lifting her back and collecting her frame.  This exercise is wonderful for getting a horse to really use their haunches and back, and it improves the bascule over fences.

For example, this is the 2' jump Rain went over.  She basically lifted her front feet, placed them on the other side, then lifted her back feet, but there wasn't much suspension or lift in her back. 

Then, after working the exercise a little, look at Rain's form over this fence, just 6" taller.  She is actually jumping, not just lifting her feet, rounding her back and stretching her neck out. 

I always tell people that I'm proud of my sporthorses, but I'm REALLY proud of my senior horses.  For Rain to be sound at age 19 and able to ride like this, while still enjoying her job is truly an accomplishment.