🏇 The benefits of jumping with a Dressage Horse ft. Olivia Towers

Dressage horses can't jump? Check out Olivia Towers' newest video in which where she explains why she jumps with her Dressage horses regularly, what the benefits are how she's doing it.
Do you have any useful Jumping exercises that Olivia should try out? Let us know in the comments!
▶▶ Subscribe to our KZbin channel & hit the bell! 🔔
▶▶ go.fei.org/KZbin?d
▶▶ Exclusive videos on #FEItv: go.fei.org/fei-tv?d
Instagram: fei.org/instagram
Facebook: fei.org/facebook
Twitter: fei.org/twitter

[@feichannel]

Do you have any useful Jumping exercises that Olivia should try out next time? Let us know in the comments! ✍️⬇️

[@editallsorts7912]

I love how she accidentally got the wrong horse 😂😂😂

[@feichannel]

And kept it in the edit 😄👌

[@chalc8882]

We need a crossover... olivia and a showjumper swap mounts and have a lesson!

[@feichannel]

Nice idea 💡😉

[@shay4210]

I have always found that having the horses I ride/train doing 'discipline swaps' very helpful. Like with my showjumper I will have him do a full dressage test to his own ability once every other week and work on loads of light basic flatwork, and for my dressage horses I always like to take them jumping (one of them even likes cross country 😂) once every other week, just as like a physical and mental break from their normal training. It also helps to use the muscles in the neck, back and legs in a different way then 'normal' to help build them in a new way. My dressage horse struggled a lot with one direction, and so after jumping her occasionally for a few months I noticed so much improvement in her gaits (especially the canter since she didn't get off balanced and trip so easily). And one of my favourite jumping exercises is to put a grid of 3 - 4 jumps (starting low and increasing height as the horses become more comfortable) down the centreline and do a 15m-ish circle around the jump, jump it again, and do the same 15m circle in the other direction, jump the jump and repeating down the grid. I do this for both jumping horses and dressage horses. For jumping horses I find this helps with the jump off style turns, balancing, and also helps with collecting for a jump and reduce the 'lock on' feeling. For dressage this also helps with balancing, and also allows for a more organised, smoother jump. :)) hope it helps!

[@alexandriaherber2549]

I’m a showjumper and my horse loves to jump but needs to get his mind on something else. I tried getting into dressage with him but he hates it. Our flatwork is still really strong it’s just actual dressage he doesn’t like. Wants nothing to do with the pretty circles and collection and the tests. So instead I’m trying him in barrel racing 😂😂 I think he’ll love it as he doesn’t have to have constant contact and he can run and stretch through the pattern! It will be really good for his brain.

[@shay4210]

@@alexandriaherber2549 hopefully he enjoys it!!! probably a nice stretch for his legs and it would help with his stamina! Make sure you keep your heels down, don't want you to go flying off!

[@pamdaniels1923]

@@shay4210 8

[@aviolasympony]

@@alexandriaherber2549 maybe try reining, western dressage I used to have quarter horses before I swapped to dressage

[@alexandriaherber2549]

@@aviolasympony since making that comment we’ve gotten into the basics of ranch riding, he’s really enjoying it!

[@editallsorts7912]

5:22 what a beautiful horse! Look at his magnificent crest! Amazing! 😱😱😱

[@feichannel]

Magnificent! 😌

[@margerywallace119]

We used to use poles and cavaletti for working on rhythm. Brilliant results. Also keeping straight line, always lining up on a particular area of the pole, either the middle white or right and left colour section. And really working on that lovely rhythm, getting those hind quarters setting the scene. Poles at the walk to get that lovely extension, poles at the trot. poles in the corners poles for the serpentines, poles for passage. Decided to jump my little mare in a little competition and she was so used to bouncing over those poles that she jumped into the triple bar and then out over the second part. Feat of note. So pleased with herself and they didn't know whether to count it a fault or not.

[@icegirl246]

Oh! A good "jumping" exercise I learned is using ground poles in new ways. For example putting four ground poles in an X shape touching each other in the middle and getting the horse to learn to go over at any combination of angles or even through straight down the V shape. I did it with my dressage horse and it really seemed to build trust and confidence when she learned how to think fast with her feet (only did walk and trot). Later we added to the complexity and made an XX shape with eight poles. When she was comfortable I tested if she could stop in the center and trot back off for accuracy

[@zombiegirl4469]

Please move ur hands forward when u jump and give leadway. Everytime he went down it was pulling on his mouth. But amazing video. I seen your last and im so proud of how far you 2 have come

[@domenicnicosia7457]

The camera quality! 😍

[@feichannel]

Looks great 🙌

[@karinstrothenke3856]

I recommend to shorten the stirrups at least one hole that brings the riders legs more stable in the girth area 👍🏻

[@kippen64]

After Olivia buys a jumping saddle, four jumps on a circle.

[@maggiepie8810]

I've never met a horse who didn't enjoy jumping. My two schoolmasters (one Welsh section B, and an SWB e. Landprinz I (ee. Landgraf)) were both enthusiastic and excellent jumpers. The SWB I would sometimes let have a few jumps when finishing off my dressage training if there was a tiny jump in the arena already, because he always got so disappointed every time he saw a fence and didn't get to jump it.

[@ezenza1]

Beautiful place ! Congrats

[@TheoThompson]

We hope you enjoyed this video as much as we did creating it ☺️🎬

[@feichannel]

We certainly did! 👏😍

[@TheoThompson]

@@feichannel glad you did. Thanks 🤗

[@teresawort9124]

Introduced my horse to jumping. Well...he loves it. He wants nothing to do with dressage or flat work. Dressage is good for balance, suppleness etc. So I do every other ride. Flat work then jumping. I don't have a dressage saddle. I do have a wintec & a jumping saddle. I also have a western saddle. My horse loves western the ride is much faster with lots of tight turns. Thanks for the vid. Equestrian sports are changing, horses are very versatile.

[@icegirl246]

Sometimes when riders dedicate their horse to soley dressage they really seem to forget the possibilities of what else the horse can achieve.. I've only been doing dressage for about three years now and taught my mare to jump a year and a half ago. I was really happy to see she remembered how earlier this week. However my coach seems unhappy that I want to include jumping in my activities with my horse.. she thinks it could be unhealthy for her simply because she's "not that type of horse" but I've seen others of her breed do very well with jumping. I don't even want to go high, I've never even gone 3' before. I don't understand why in my eyes (and apparently some others like Olivia Towers) think it's a good chance to diversify the training and build confidence which my mare really needs, then meanwhile there's others that think it's detrimental for some reason.

[@animallover4101]

It’s so good for their minds and athletic ability on how to use their bodies. Listen to your own instincts 😀

[@icegirl246]

@@animallover4101 Thanks!

[@juliaforsyth8332]

@@icegirl246 It is good for them. The NZ Melbourne Cup winner Empire Rose worked cattle in between racing!

[@ilsebatten8028]

My friesian dressage horse jumped out of a pen at a show when I was free lunging him 🤦‍♀️ IT WAS A METER HIGH

[@cact-ow3771]

How on earth-

[@ilsebatten8028]

@@cact-ow3771 idk that’s the thing I’m so confused 🤔

[@Hyuttah]

A Fjordhorse I had in training was taken out to the paddock and jumped a 120cm fence, bc he got scared of a shetlandspony 😂😂

[@ilsebatten8028]

@@Hyuttah oh no 😂

[@elitenova4557]

I’m a jumper primarily and cross-trained for years in dressage, eventing, and western! Indeed, swapping is very beneficial to both horse and rider! Sadly, I think of anything at the moment that might be particularly beneficial to dressage, but I’ll add anything if I think of it. Perhaps bounces (a type of jump set up) might be beneficial, as they help set rhythm and distance for the horse.

[@LES.hunterjumper]

Doing a bounce line of like 2-4 jumps

[@aviolasympony]

My dressage thoroughbred could definitely jump, he was an eventer before I got him but I fell of when we were jumping in a dressage saddle at riding club so maybe an all purpose saddle would be a good idea as their more like a jumping saddle I had the Wintec one with the changeable gullets

[@aprilbonenberger]

Grid work is so helpful. That looks so painful jumping in a dressage saddle. You should really invest in a jump saddle.

[@thomasmumw8435]

What about trying a Working hunter saddle? Good starter saddle in your position...

[@fernlintner65]

Lol eventing! They have to do dressage, show jumping and cross country. So definetly can jump

[@tristamyers1910]

I would recommend a jumping saddle.

[@pattizayas1051]

look at the look in this horses eyes...........wow....... 3:48

[@TheLovelyluxray]

the best eventing horses are dressage horses

[@linnwildeboer7973]

how can she jump with a dressage sadle, i just CANT (but thats maybe becouse i only have a jumping saddle XD)

[@poguelycar4324]

I love how I looked when she got into the arena and I noticed her rein was twisted it was annoying lol

[@christinemartindale8715]

😂😂😂😂😂wrong horse Pmsl great fun clip Olivia.tfs😎

[@srinathravindra93]

Ok

[@10yearold74]

You need. A jumping saddle!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MissJools11]

When you are picking out the dirt from the Horses hoof, do not use up towards the Horses legs, they're always downwards towards the ground!!!!!

[@george.6556]

The video was about Dressage but the comments are about jumping. Hmmmmm

[@chosenforthelamb]

So...can show jumping horses do dreassage?

[@DanishButterCookie]

Olivia, youre amazing, horses look amazing, but please give your horse some leeway when going over the jump, your hands are stationary while the horses mouth is needing to move forward.