I'm a professional showjumper - AMA

[showjumper]

As the title says

Feel free to ask me anything!

Chemionte when I was younger I 'worked' with a lovely lad at the local riding school who did get a bit of hassle from his classmates about riding.

As part of his schools PE they did a half term of riding. When it came round he was obviously trotting and cantering around in his lesson on the yard owners daughters flash show hunter pony.

All the lads that had picked on him were flopping around on lead reins nearly crying when they had to trot. No one picked on him again.

Tack nerd here: what bits do you use and why? Do you have 'go to' bits for certain problems? What brand of saddles do you prefer to use? I'm guessing you have 2 or 3 saddles that fit you and they're used on every horse? Stirrups - do you stick to good old standard irons or use Freejumps/Acavallos/Tech/Jin/whatever else?

@weaselwords

I know that you said that you’d like to compete in the Olympics already, but do you have any other ambitions?

Thank you 😁
I would love to win anything a big class on a homebred! The feeling of winning anything let alone an international class or "title" on something home produced is second to none, I would love to do the same on a homebred 😁

@smerlin

What are your go to exercises for improving canter as you mentioned up-thread to focus more on quality of canter than calculating the stride.

As a novice, I tend to get a better canter when I'm jumping as I don't overthink it. When I am doing canter flatwork, am more likely to override it as I fuss too much!

Chances are your canter is better when you're jumping as you're allowing more impulsion! When "teaching" my babies to canter, I sit light in a two point position and allow them to canter forwards in their own rhythm. Don't worry about collection, don't worry about how it looks, just allow him/her to find their own tempo. Once they've learned to go forwards, in a rhythm, begin to establish more of a contact whilst keeping the impulsion. They can only "collect" once they have an established balanced canter in a contact. This can take hours, days, weeks... just depends on the horse and how naturally balanced they are.

Exercises I'd recommend - hate to say it but circles, circles and more circles. Start on a 20m circle, spiral in and spiral out. Sit up, keep the contact and the impulsion, let your horse worry about the balance. You should find the collection should come!

Canter poles are a great tool in helping establish a tempo. I will practice "distances" with two poles - 7 strides apart. Ask your horse to go in 7, then sit up, collect and ask for 8 then allow them to extend and go in 6.

Hope this helps!!! Good luck xx

@babyface

Thank you! She's a 14.2. I'm only jumping 90s at the minute as I'm taking things slow with her being a baby and all. Any leg strengthening exercises I could use? As my inside leg sometimes isn't strong enough sometimes to stop her drifting in.

I'm so sorry I missed this one!

You will hate me for this one 😁 but it works!
Hold your reins your outside hand, inside hand on your hip. 20m circles in canter. Practice this, first in trot then in canter for 10mins on each rein. Your inside leg has no choice BUT to work hard. The more it hurts the next day, the better you will be the next time you try it!! 😁

@weaselwords

Im sorry to hear your sister has had some issues 😢 from what you've said, it doesn't sound like she's done anything wrong, just bad luck, which happens!

Have you got any “golden rules” that help keep your horses sound?

Touch wood, I've been incredibly lucky with horses soundness and have not had to deal with issues like kissing spines. We did have a horse with wobblers a few years ago who we very sadly had to have PTS, it was horrendous.
In terms of golden rules, I am pedantic about legs. I swear by ice boots and always always always turn my horses out booted.

Or is dressage actually harder on horses’ bodies?

This is a tough one! I think dressage will strain a horse in different ways but ultimately I think you're more likely to get significant injuries jumping.

@LittleCandle lucky you, what an amazing experience for you! Although needed with security issues, I do think it's sad that there isn't much opportunity for members of the public to socialise with riders/grooms. Saying that I'm not sure I could deal with a big crowd whilst trying to tack up! 😂

@Spudlet excellent point!!
Farrier's generally tend to be male and imo an excellent career choice for anyone to move into!
Vets, physios, nutritionists... many interesting and well paid lines of work for boys if they catch the bug.

@WhyDidIEatThat

I’d love to know if you have any superstitions or rituals before big events.

I'm a little more relaxed now but I used to insist on eating a bag of chocolate buttons before my first class of the day 😂
Even now, I won't eat anything before I jump my first round unless it's chocolate buttons.

Before a big class my DH will always kiss the horse and ask them to bring me back safe... I think that's more for his nerves than mine though 😝

I do know of people that will only wear certain socks or have a lucky whip... I'm not that bad!

@TERFMcDuck

I'm also a huge, huge tack nerd. I will go through phases of a "favourite" piece of tack too.

Tack nerd here: what bits do you use and why? Do you have 'go to' bits for certain problems?

I have 12 horses on my yard in work at the moment so a little much to go through every single one!

I love my Neue Schules - the mouthpiece is so warm to the horses and although not cheap, I find the horses are really responsive to them. Most of my horses are in a Neue Schule of some type (not sponsored by them I promise 😂).

I don't have any really complicated contraptions in honesty. Two out of four of my top horses are in snaffles. My NS Waterford Jumper bit is probably a "go to" for the bigger, stronger ones that will lean.

What brand of saddles do you prefer to use? I'm guessing you have 2 or 3 saddles that fit you and they're used on every horse?

I'd prefer not to say if that's ok, I'm sponsored by a saddle brand and it's a little outing 🙈

My sponsor provides individual saddles for my top horses. They are all monoflap and super comfy!!

Stirrups - do you stick to good old standard irons or use Freejumps/Acavallos/Tech/Jin/whatever else?

I saved some winnings as a teenager and bought myself a set of Sprenger Bow Balance stirrups and haven't looked back since. I find them really comfy to ride in.
I haven't ever ridden in Freejumps/Jins. I'm aware they are currently really popular but don't know enough about them to comment.

@showjumper it was fantastic. The Royal International that year was the one where St James, Nick Skelton's horse, had an horrendous fall. I was able to find out the following day, from Steven Hadley and his grooms, that St James had been boxed home during the night but the news was good. Otherwise, we wouldn't have known until the next time the horse was competing. My DM also ended up chatting to Raymond Brookes-Ward while I was shopping one day. She clearly had no idea who he actually was at the time, but once I told her, she said she thought he seemed familiar! He was a lovely man.

DM also chatted up Graham Fletcher at Wembley a few years later. And was chatted up by the head course builder during one of the competitions. The BBC caught it on camera, and the commentator mentioned in passing that perhaps the course builder had a possible click! Such fond memories.

How many of bourse if excessive do you horses do a day?

*hours of excersise

I actually can't think of a lady farrier that I've worked with now you me tion that - lot's of blokes are saddlers too. Really skilled and interesting jobs!

I have more questions! When you're at a big show, do you get a chance to hit the tradestands? Or are you up to the eyeballs busy?

Also, do your horses get regular treatments like physio, sports massage etc as a matter of routine, like human athletes would?

And also, you said your horses get turnout - do you ever import horses that haven't had that experience (thinking of Dutch horses for example, where the horsekeeping culture seems to skew more towards stabling)? If so, do they need time to come around to being out in fields?

@LittleCandle can you pop over for a coffee please? Your stories are fab. I love hearing about times like these 😍 showjumping is very different nowadays - it sounds so patriotic and glam back in the day.

My (at the time, non-horsey) DSF had a very similar thing happen to him at my first Hickstead. I couldn't have been older than 9 or 10. He got out of helping DM & I unpack by chatting to a "really top bloke" aka Peter Charles. I was mortified!

@whymewhyme

All horses are ridden for an hour a day each - whether that's hacking, flatwork, fitness work or a jump as well as either going out in the paddock or on the horse walker too.

@Spudlet

It's great to see more but I personally haven't worked with one either.

When you're at a big show, do you get a chance to hit the tradestands? Or are you up to the eyeballs busy?

There is always time to go shopping 🤪 it's rare that I'm jumping ALL day at a big show. The shops are the best part aren't they?!

Also, do your horses get regular treatments like physio, sports massage etc as a matter of routine, like human athletes would?

Yes I have an equissage pad that I use on my horses weekly. They all have their backs checked and a good massage every 6 months.

And also, you said your horses get turnout - do you ever import horses that haven't had that experience (thinking of Dutch horses for example, where the horsekeeping culture seems to skew more towards stabling)? If so, do they need time to come around to being out in fields?

So far, I haven't had any that have had a particularly noticeable reaction. Some horses will of course take longer to settle into new places and routines than others! I have one who does struggle going to shows in Europe for long periods of time as he's not turned out there - we ensure that he is out of his stable as much as possible whether that's handwalking, hacking round the show ground or in the lunging ring. The only real thing I notice when importing is the face they pull when you offer them a polo or treat... I think it's only really in the UK they are given them!

Thanks @Spudlet . I’m not worried about bullying at the stables rather from his peers at school as @Frouby guessed. He already had some comments when he mentioned he was going to try it out previously. I think we will advise him to keep quiet about it at school to start with. It’s a shame but sometimes it’s better to be economical with the truth.

@showjumper, I'd love to, but I suspect your are in the south of England and I am in Scotland, so not quite next door, but I'd adore to chat with you. My first visit to Hickstead, I wrote to them to ask the best way to buy tickets (this was in the 80s) as DM and I were planning on going down. I was very kindly sent free tickets for that weekend. If I remember correctly, it was an Olympic trial. It rained the whole weekend, but we loved it. The next (and so far last) time we went DD1 was only 2. She really, really wanted a ride on what was possibly the most expensive horse on the grounds, owned by one of the foreign riders. She certainly had a good eye for horse flesh. Sadly, she turned out to be almost fatally allergic to them.

Hi showjumper.. thanks so much for taking the time to respond to dd.. made her day!
You definitely have her dream career. I read earlier that you got a degree after school. Is it something equestrian related can I ask? We have been discussing options after school - she would like to go working as a groom but I want her to get a degree, She is well able academically but VERY focused on her horse! Can you reassure us that staying in education will not hold back a career in horses (please!!)

@LittleCandle
Any time you are passing, you're more than welcome!
A shame it rained but sounds like a great experience for you. How unfortunate for your DD1. It's always the way though. My DSis is sadly the same, a very talented rider as a child, beautiful posture... and yet as a youngster she'd cry if DM suggested riding "no, no, they smell so bad!" 😂

@showjumper, I shall let you know if I am down your way. I'd love to have a chat.

@babyface
Bless her, no worries 😁
Admittedly I stayed at home and skipped most of my lectures to go to shows but did get a degree. No, nothing to do with horses at all. I chose my best subject at school (science based).
It was the absolute best decision that I made and didn't hold me back at all. I also feel "safe" in the knowledge that if for any reason my circumstances change, I have a back up. Horses full time are hard work and very much takes its toll. I would definitely recommend going down the route of Physio/nutritionist/farrier/vet as opposed to being a groom. It's a fab job but is very tough and the pay can be bad.
If she is insistent, tell her that when hiring my grooms, I'm much more likely to look at their experience than a grooming diploma etc.

xx

Hello, hope you had a good holiday 😊 do you miss the horsebeasts when you’re away?

That’s not my main question, I’m here for more tips on comfort in the lorry 😀

Very interesting thread, thank you.

My question is, can you be successful at top level if the horse doesn’t work with you and help you out?

I used to keep a horse at a SJ yard. The rider rode nationally and came from an Olympic family so very horsey. He was incredibly rough with the horses and really no good reason (not that there is ever a good reason, but he would swear and scream at nothing). He had massive tantrums and when he walked pass the stables all the horses would pin their ears back - i’ve never seen anything before or after. When he went to big competitions his horses always let him down. If he got an approach wrong they never helped him out, if there was a question of an extra effort, the horse never made it. I think the horses did it on purpose!