Any horse can be trained for jumping. If you are serious about the sport, you may want to look into a horse explicitly bred for jumping or other active events. Read on to learn what breeds will be best for competition.
Consider Your Level and Needs
When deciding what breed to get, you need to consider the events you want to enter and your own experience. If you want a more in-depth look, this article is an excellent source to learn more about what specific events require.
In general, you want a horse with strong legs and good endurance. Many warmbloods are excellent choices for a jumping horse. Thoroughbred crosses are famous for their endurance. Even a grade horse can be a good choice if the horse is intelligent and enjoys jumping.
Best Breeds for Jumping
Looking for a horse with a jumping heritage is a good idea if you’re looking to compete at a high level. This is a brief list of breeds with a few facts. If you’d like to learn more, this article has more breeds and each breed’s history and performance.
Holsteiner
This breed from Germany is one of the top breeds for show jumping. They were bred to be show jumpers!
Oldenburg
This is the largest of the warmbloods. These powerful horses were originally draft horses but were crossed with lighter breeds to make a good event horse.
Westphalian
The Westphalian was originally a carriage horse. With the decline of carriages, it was crossed out to make an athletic sport horse that can compete in many sporting events.
Dutch Warmblood
This is one of the newest warmblood breeds. Despite this, it has climbed the ranks to be one of the best sporting breeds according to the World Breeding Federation for Sports Horses.
Selle Français
This breed was considered a type of saddle horse until 1958. Each area of France bred a similar horse. In 1958, the French government declared that all versions be unified under one breed.
Trakehner
This sporting breed has been used to improve many other breed’s performances in jumping competitions.