Show Jumping – Alteration of the rules

Alternatively: The Refusal of a horse in front of the jump

Repeatedly it is noted on tournaments that horses refuse the leap over a jump apparently astonishing or vehement. The rider has to overtake the jump in free flight initially. The “Reiterliche Vereinigung” (FN) states:

“…if horses refuse at jumps this can have numerous reasons: lacking ability to be mounted, little faith in the rider and his help as well as fear of unknown things…”

From the point of view of various experts, you define show jumping as a discipline of equestrian sports in which horse and rider have to overcome a course made of several jumps in a defined order.

That definition is to find on various web sites.

However, we think – and base our proposition amongst others on the opinion of different, experienced riders:

Horse and rider overcome the jumps generally not in a defined order but together…

In our opinion, the rule type or rather the highest-official definition should be altered immediately, because this could be another reason for the phenomena described above.

Such incidents could not only be an actual refusal but an ineffectual try to jump compliant to the definition - à la first the rider then the horse.

(Annotation of the author: This not very business-meant article does not represent the factual or functional opinion of Frederic Tillmann or the owner of Lady Weingart!)