Interesting horse fact

[JuniorxMyxLove]

Miss Z - I think that the reason it's so important to ride the horse correctly and set them up right is because they can't see the jump for the last two strides.

Horses free jumping would do the same thing, judging the distance before the jump and the effort needed. I would think that they could still jump it even if they couldn't see it for the last step again.

It is possible to teach horse horse to jump on a command...otherwise blind horses wouldn't be able to jump. I remember seeing this video of this girl and her blind mare jumping. So obviously they can jump blind.

As for them jumping bounces...I think that they judge the jumps before they reach them, so by the time they're jumping the first in, say a 4 jump bounce, they're seeing how far it is to the 3rd/4th one. Maybe. haha i just confused myself.

I know it's partly me, but we had such an improvement in one lesson that I do owe the person some help. Their technique really helped me keep Leo from popping his shoulder out, and reminded me that "you're not there till you're in the air" haha

[Miss Z]

As for them jumping bounces...I think that they judge the jumps before they reach them, so by the time they're jumping the first in, say a 4 jump bounce, they're seeing how far it is to the 3rd/4th one. Maybe. haha i just confused myself.

Hmm, possibly, but I know on the odd occasion I've popped over some bounce fences, assuming they are all the same height and shape, I myself can't see how many there are until I get close enough to within 2 strides of the first fence, so if the horse couldn't see them either by that point, I'd be pretty scuppered!

The case of the blind horse is very interesting though. I suppose, in a case like that, you can teach a horse to jump on command, although I doubt you could play around with many different heights and widths of fence other than what the horse gives naturally since the horse cannot comprehend how it has to jump the obstacle. Maybe, since it is blind, it becomes more sensitive in other senses, and that is the reason why it responds to some sort of jump command. All I know is I couldn't be cantering along on any of the horses I ride, then suddenly take up jump position and expect them to leap into thin air as if they were popping a cross pole. That's sort of what I was getting at when I meant there is no jump command (other, I suppose, than in high school, which is not the same sort of jump a horse uses to clear a fence anyway.)

I guess I'm just not convinced, I just believe that with a horse being a prey animal, its vision would not be so limited as to not see what's two strides in front of it. Not really being a jumper anyway, I suppose it won't matter to me whether they see fences in ultra violet, as long as they can lengthen and collect and stay on the bit I'll be happy.

Happy riding!