So you’ve decided to buy a young horse as a jumper prospect. Maybe your current campaigner is nearing retirement, and you want to get something started to take his place. Or you’ve had middle-aged horses all your life, and now you’re ready for the challenge of a youngster.

Or perhaps you simply can’t afford big bucks for a horse that’s already trained and has some miles in the show ring. But do you know what, exactly, you’re looking for?

Finding your perfect prospect may not be as easy as you might think. How do you know if the one you pick will develop into what you want?

Assessing a young horse for a show jumping prospect requires evaluating a variety of factors, much like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece is different, but each one is necessary to complete the whole picture.

There is no perfect blueprint for a jumper, but starting with a prospect’s pedigree and conformation and factoring in their talent and trainability can favorably increase the odds of a horse becoming a success. The less left to chance, the better, considering the quality of horses and the technical difficulty in today’s competition arenas.

Start With Pedigree
“These days bloodlines are very important,” said Charlie Carrel of Colts Unlimited in Sheridan, Wyo., who starts young prospects for such clients as Denver area show jumpers John McConnell and Paul Rohrbach as well as Crooked Willow Farms in Larkspur, Colo.

“Twenty years ago, you could just look around for a horse that could jump. But over and over again, the young ones who really impress me are the well-bred ones. I’ve worked with full and half-siblings too, and you can see the similarities in technique and style. I can start to say, ‘OK, that one jumps like a For Pleasure,’ and so on.”

American and Canadian breeding programs are on the rise, which improves considerably your chances of finding a good prospect without having to go to Europe. Programs such as the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Series and the Young Jumper Championships and the International Jumper Futurity in this country give breeders the incentive to produce high-quality horses.

A prime example is Augustin Walsh of W. Charlot Farms in Stratford, Ont. Walsh imported his horse business from Germany in 1980, and now he and his wife, Christine, stand seven stallions, including USEF leading hunter sire Rio Grande, Futurist and Esprit D’Amour.

“I think their lineage has a lot to do with their chances for success,” said Erynn Ballard, who’s been riding for Walsh for nearly six years. Ballard, a former ASPCA Maclay Finals winner, has piloted a W. Charlot Farm prospect to the 4-year-old championship in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development series in each of the past three years. Walsh bred all three.

“We’re lucky to have found great riders for our horses,” said Walsh. “Erynn is consistent in finding her spot, and it builds the horse’s confidence.”

No Exact Rules
Should you look for a specific breed?

Well, of the top 100 stallions on the USEF’s leading jumper rankings, 35 percent are Holsteiners, 23 percent are Dutch Warm-bloods, and 13 percent are Thoroughbreds.

“I’ve won grand prix events on Thoroughbreds and warmbloods,” said international rider Aaron Vale.

And pedigree, he said, is only one piece of the puzzle. “They can’t have any gross conformational faults, but a good horse is a good horse. I’ve had good ones who are hot and energetic and go with their heads straight up in the air and others who are quiet and conventional.”

The “good ones” don’t often conform to exact rules of vanity. So creating a standard of perfect conformation for a show jumper would be impossible. But, generally speaking, good conformation in a jumper consists of an uphill build that allows for natural balance and soundness. Educating yourself about con-
formational issues that are more prone to lameness is essential in assessing a horse bound for the competition arena. For example, faults like small feet, upright pasterns or sickle hocks can cause lameness and a shor-lived competition career.

For elite show jumpers, an uphill build is mandatory for the vertical launch of their front end before a jump. A horse who’s heavy on the forehand, both in conformation and movement, will have a harder time getting “up” in front of a 4’9″ oxer with a five-foot spread.

“It’s easier to find the jumps on a horse that has his neck up in front and is built naturally in a frame, so you don’t have to falsify a frame,” said Carrel.
But he said that he places more importance on how horses actually use themselves than on how they’re put together.

“I look for horses that use their legs and body well. When they’re young, I’m more concerned with the hind end than the front end. I want to see them really using their hocks underneath themselves and have a good release in their hind end.”

Since a horse with less desirable conformation might be able to overcome the odds, minor imperfections can be worth the risk, especially when other qualities outweigh the risk.

“Don’t get me wrong, conformation is important,” said Walsh, “but so many times people are only looking for a horse’s faults and they miss out on the really good qualities.”

Put Them Through Their Paces
A well-bred prospect with the best conformation in the world isn’t worth a dime without a good mind and natural ability. These days, breeders are creating more talented horses as course designers challenge both horse and rider with more demanding courses.

Putting a horse through simple fundamental exercises can test his trainability and demonstrate the quality of his mind and aptitude. A common tool used to test a young prospect is free jumping.

Carrel sets up a basic line in his oval-shaped free-jumping chute with three elements. After a horse has become comfortable with the line, he’ll add a fourth element, usually a wide oxer, on a related distance around the corner from the line.

“I want to see them come out of the corner and search for that jump. It’s a going three [strides] or a waiting, balancing four [strides]. Either way, I want to see them come off the last element and adjust. I watch their eyes and ears, see how they rate themselves,” said Carrel. “You can tell right away how talented they are by how they handle that situation.”

Walsh likes to watch them go through a similar exercise. “You can see which ones are bright and which are not so bright or if they have a big heart,” said Walsh, who free jumps his young horses every Saturday. “Also, if the horse can learn to do it himself, then the rider doesn’t have to work so hard. I wouldn’t want to ride a horse that’s a slave and can only do what he’s told. I want one that will fight for me when I need him to.”

Walsh values a horse that knows his job and will be able to take care of business, even if the rider makes a mistake.

Trust Your Judgment
Of course, some things simply can’t be explained. The “feel” of the horse when you sit on him the first time. The look in his eye when you see his head poke out from the stall to greet you.

Walsh remembered a horse he once bought at a sale in Germany. “The horse came into the ring–I’d never seen the horse before–and I lifted my arm and bought the horse. Turned out to be a wonderful horse. People need to trust themselves more.”

Carrel has about 25 young horses in training right now, but one has really caught his eye and stands apart from the others. He’s a 4-year-old stallion by Indoctro who possesses everything Carrel looks for in a young jumper. His name is Everything, and he appears to be living up to his name.

“This horse has it all and is the best type I have seen,” said Carrel. ” He has the mind, balance, looks, quality of canter–he has everything.”

Careful And Adjustable
Even though different people have different opinions of what’s important to look for in a young jumper prospect, there are some indisputable qualities.
“The main thing I look for is a careful jumper. It doesn’t matter if they can jump a house, the rails are so light and the cups so flat that they have to be careful,” said grand prix star Aaron Vale.

Some trainers like to test out jumping prospects in a free-jumping chute or pen. Others want to see or feel what a horse does under saddle.

“I just get on and ride ’em!” said Vale, who looks for a “trainable” mind. “I ask them to speed up and slow down–they have to be adjustable. If they willingly do that, then ask for more and see what you get.”

Rider Erynn Ballard agrees that being able to adjust a horse’s stride is a key factor.

“I concentrate on the canter. Can the horse tighten and lengthen their stride?” she said. “The other day I was riding a 4-year-old. I cantered him down to this crossrail, and a few strides out he balanced and came up to me. So I think this horse already has the right mentality.”

Trainer Charlie Carrel tests young horses by riding them outside of the arena. “I want them to be looking forward to see where they can go; I call it ‘looking for country’. A good one will be brave, but careful, without being insecure and blindly going too fast,” he said.