Jumpcross?

[Tucked_Away]

Just heard about this:

http://www.jumpcross.com/aboutus/aboutus.htm

on another board and wondered what you fine folks thought of the idea.

[ACMEeventing]

I'm a victim of advertising . . . I'll take two.

Seriously, though, will we not just teach the horses that XC jumps 'give'? I'm all for anything that promotes better, safer riding (especially in juniors), but I'd rather see them starting to learn the basics over typical maiden XC jumps so as not to build an artificial sense of security.

[Rescue_Rider9]

XC fences cannot and should not be knocked down. Period. I love the idea of teach kids to ride better, but not if they aren't really learning to ride XC.

[Late]

XC fences cannot and should not be knocked down. Period. I love the idea of teach kids to ride better, but not if they aren't really learning to ride XC.

Agree. I think a big part of learning to ride xc is that the fences deserve so much more respect - it's part of what scares a lot of h/j riders back into their cushy rings and it's what pushes us to be even better, more aware horsepeople.

[Keg-A-Bacchus]

Personally, I love the idea! I saw it a few years ago and know some people who have done it in England and LOVED it. For some people XC is a bit too scary and I think it's a little happy medium between the two. You're not trapped in a ring, but you're also not terrified for your life going out there. I think any new idea to get more people out and riding is a great idea. I'd love to see one in my area and give it a go on the dressage horses I wouldn't dare take regular XC but would love to get out there on! However, I still want regular cross country for my new little event pony though! :D

[Mach Two]

I'm not knocking it, but isn't that what the old outdoor hunter classes were? Sure, they were judged instead of ridden against a time....but the fences come down so the people who are scared of solid fences aren't scared.
Personally, I'd rather bank over a fence than have it somewhere tangled up in my horse's legs.

I have schooled XC complexes with standards and poles added to make them more complex for some horses in clinic and home schooling situations...but to do a show like that? How much jump crew does THAT take?
:no:

[Tucked_Away]

I'm all for anything that promotes better, safer riding (especially in juniors), but I'd rather see them starting to learn the basics over typical maiden XC jumps so as not to build an artificial sense of security.

That was more or less what I said on the other board--that I could see some definite upside to the idea (less intimidating for nervous riders and nervous riders' parents, probably cheaper to set up and more flexible than a traditional XC course, just a good fun alternative activity) but that I didn't see how it was "a better way"--and I was scolded for being negative and ignorant.

Which I am, re: many things. But I did want to check my math on this particular one!

[wildlifer]

I actually want a sport that is JUST XC -- without all the silly rules of hunting. I actually find XC to be the LEAST intimidating to ride, perhaps because that is my horse's strongest phase? Someday, when a giant bag of money falls from the sky, I'm going to buy a piece of property, set up a kickass XC course, and then just do competitions on that, LOL.