OK. I need someone's opinion. There are some horses coming to stay at our place. They are western cow horses. But I love jumping and is it possible to jump in a western saddle?? Thanks

Cowboys jump low obstacles in western saddles all the time. However, these cow horses may not be trained to jump. First, you need the owner's permission to ride them, second you need the owner's permission to jump them. Then, you need to start very slow, very low. Start with just walking over poles. Then progress to jumping very low obstacles like a log (1 foot high). Don't jump every day, and don't just do jumping. If you have any problems (such as the horse refusing), then re-evaluate your training program. It would be VERY BAD to "try to train them to jump" and end up with sour horses because you didn't do it correctly. You don't own these horses and you have a responsibility to their owner to make sure that they are enjoying being ridden.

You should also have the owners show you what the horses are trained to do. You might find that western cow horses are very fun to ride, doing what they are trained to do such as working cattle. Team penning can be just as fun as jumping.

If you were to jump high obsticles it would be very painful because you will hit yourself on the horn. I know from experance when my horse jumped on me once

Like jcdill said you need permission from the owners before you do anything but I would recommend starting on the ground. When I trained my horses to jump we began with me safely planted on the ground with my horse on a lunge line. Doing it this way gives safety for both you and the horse. Take things slow, do a little at a time. When they do something new and do it well end your lesson right then and there, do push too mush or they'll come to hate it. It is possible to jump in a western saddle but I wouldn't recommend it. It's a lot more bulky and stiff for the horse and not so comfortable for you. English and jumping saddles are a lot smaller and lighter so they don't take up as much room on the horses back and they can move a little more freely and they can easily achieve the angles that jumping requires. If you're just doing some low to the ground jumps (1-2 feet) it shouldn't be too bad. Hope this helps.

This thread is from 2009.. I'm sure by now some type of action was already made.

Please watch for the dates :)