Corner By Judy Wardrope One Variation in Jumper Hindquarters W


hile there are definitely characteristics that are universal in upper-level jumpers, there can be differences as well.


Olympic-level course designer and internationally


respected FEI technical delegate, Leopoldo Palacios, says that today’s horses are capable of clearing the allowable heights and widths, plus today’s horses and riders are capable of mastering the technical elements of the courses. He adds that in most cases the clock determines the winner, whether that be through a clear round within the time allowed, handling the pressure of making a tight time allowed or simply being the fastest in a jump-off. Some horses are faster across the ground than


others, some have faster action over a fence, some have longer strides, and some horses are just better at jumping from a gallop stride than others, even if they are equally capable of clearing a particular height or width. Case in point:


Both the stallion and the mare we will use as examples have won prestigious international grand prix classes, but only one of them excelled in jump- offs. Before reading further, can you tell which one? The stallion, while seldom touching a rail during his career, did not excel when pushed for speed in jump-offs. In fact, despite one of the world’s most competitive riders, he would refuse on


66 November/December 2013


occasion if pressed to jump from an open stride. He was much more comfortable being able to coil and jump rather than run and jump. The mare, also known for clear rounds, was much


better suited to jumping from a running stride than the stallion. Actually, in one very prestigious international competition, she was able to beat the stallion in a jump-off simply because she did not need to slow down to compress and was better able to jump from an open gallop stride. As one would expect with jumpers of this ilk, both


have excellent LS placement (the gap in front of the high point of croup is bisected by a line drawn from the top of one hip to the top of the other) and both have low stifle protrusions for scope. The physical differences of the hindquarters related to ability appear in the rear triangle. The


Stallion


Mare


Conformation


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100