Teaching a horse to jump wire

[Auslander]

Jumping wire is an issue for riders, not horses!! I've hunted a lot in New Zealand, where jumping wire is the rule, rather than the exception. I never met anyone out there who specifically trained their hunters to jump wire - they can see it no problem, hence why they don't run through wire fences when turned out. It is a bit scary the first time you find yourself 5 strides out from a well built wire fence - but once you've done it once or twice, you'll be fine!

[k9h]

As daft as it seems, barbed wire is the safest of wires to jump. Should you catch it, it will just break. The best pace is trot. I've never walked up to wire & hit it or placed my coat on it. In a season I will jump at least 30 wire fences.
I will add I am hunt staff & have to keep with hounds & know & trust my bog tank to jump it!
I never taught him. In fact the first day I rode him & that was out hunting, I went for this tiny hunt jump in wire fence with ditch. Huntsman had just gone in front & turned left on landing. Dec started drifting left towards this 4' (at least) with ditch wire fence topped with barbed wire. I sat like a muppet think he'll stop & then I'll represent at jump. Only he didn't! He cleared the bloody lot! Huntsman said, what are you doing???!
My reply, he jumps wire now!!!
As long as your horse ain't blind he will see it.
I did damage the Tank with wire this season but wasn't jumping. I'd walked through a gap in fence onto moor to stop hounds, was a bit boggy. I'd gone nearly 10m before he came down, I thought it was the bog but when I got off, he'd picked up a strand in front of his hind leg & was caught in the hock joint. I cut the wire but he had cut him & bruised the joint. Another reason to carry wire cutters on you!
It is best to avoid jumping if poss but in my position, when I have to go I've got to go! I only have one bad pic of me jumping wire but will try & find it for you!

[tootsietoo]

Thank you sherston, very helpful. And auslander and k9h, reassuring. Obviously in the field you always have a choice, but sometimes you really really want to be there, and if you can trust your horse to skip over a one foot strand of electric fence, or some very visible sheep netting then so much the better.

[k9h]

http://www.nickgillphotography.co.uk...08_a/index.asp

Here is a link to our photographers page with 3 wire jumping pics on it.
Also I find as the years go on. That we jump more wire, as the farmers replace their fences & not the hunt jumps, as it is cheaper. If only they bothered to ring us we would go & do the hunt jumps! But to get ou t hunting & see aload of fences gone makes life harder!

[cheekyvimto]

i taught mine to jump where my jacket was. so id just take my jacket off lay it over the wire he would jump the jacket and then pop it back on easy and alot safer

[only_me]

A county show made a fake "barbed wire" fence using tinfoil type material shaped and was set onto the cups.
Hunting around me usually jumps a lot of wire which is why the fake wire fence was in the course, although it did have a bale underneath it to make it nicer
Try tinfoil

[tootsietoo]

thanks all.

[Vulpinator]

As a proffessional i have to jump wire sometimes only though to save hounds from a road or something simular my advice is if you dont have to dont do it. its not something you need to do unless your whipping in or the huntsman anything you do with wire comesas a risk so think carefully before you start.

[Herne]

Start on rope, move on to string.

[cheekyvimto]

Originally Posted by Vulpinator

As a proffessional i have to jump wire sometimes only though to save hounds from a road or something simular my advice is if you dont have to dont do it. its not something you need to do unless your whipping in or the huntsman anything you do with wire comesas a risk so think carefully before you start.

this comment is very true