The path this horse takes through the air is an arc
Bascule/ˈbæskjuːl/ is the natural round arc a horse's body takes as it goes over a jump. The horse should rise up through its back, stretching its neck forward and down, when it reaches the peak of his jump. Ideally, the withers are the highest point over the fence. This is often described as the horse taking the shape of a dolphin jumping out of the water. Bascule can also refer more generally to the raising of the withers while the horse is in motion.
Importance of bascule
A horse with bascule is one with a "round" jump, while a horse with poor bascule may jump "flat" with his head in the air and his spine relatively straight. A hollowed back over the fence tends to prevent the animal from lifting his forearms very high, thus preventing the necessary tucking motion of his front legs to jump clear.
Most naturally talented jumpers have good bascule. However, there are several very athletic horses that can jump great heights with considerably poor bascule due to sheer power.
Some bascule is an important trait for all jumping horses, as it is more mechanically efficient for clearing high obstacles. Good bascule is desirable in show jumping, but is essential in the show hunters, being one of the main qualities that a judge looks for in the horse.
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping", "open jumping", or simply "jumping", is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers, sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events, and sometimes show jumping is but one division of very large, all-breed competitions that include a very wide variety of disciplines. Jumping classes may be governed by various national horse show sanctioning organizations, such as the United States Equestrian Federation in the USA or the British Showjumping Association in Great Britain. International competitions are governed by the rules of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.
The hunter–jumper division also known as working hunter classes is a branch of showing where a horse is judged on its suitability for hunting. The class is split into two parts, jumping and conformation. The horse is judged on jumping, movement, conformation and manners In North America, a "show hunter" is a horse that competes in this division, however in the UK and Ireland many breeds compete within these classes. Whilst there are similarities between the American and British classes, there are differences in scoring, attire and type.
Less of a bascule is desirable in other disciplines, such as eventing, when the added roundness would result in the jump taking a longer time (adding valuable seconds to the clock). Additionally, some cross-country jumps are best jumped flat, to ensure an appropriate landing. For example, drops are best jumped with little bascule, so that the landing is made as short as possible, putting less stress on the horse's legs and the rider's balance. In sports such as steeplechase, bascule is not desirable, because of the added time it takes to jump the fence. Therefore, the horses are encouraged to jump flatter and "out of stride." Furthermore, the extra energy required for a horse to bascule over a hurdle in steeplechasing would be wasted.
Eventing is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combines and compete against other combinations across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test which required mastery of several types of riding. The competition may be run as a one-day event (ODE), where all three events are completed in one day or a three-day event (3DE), which is more commonly now run over four days, with dressage on the first two days followed by cross country the next day and then show jumping in reverse order on the final day. Eventing was previously known as Combined Training, and the name persists in many smaller organizations. The term "Combined Training" is sometimes confused with the term "Combined Test" which refers to a combination of just two of the phases, most commonly dressage and show jumping.
A steeplechase is a distance horse race in which competitors are required to jump diverse fence and ditch obstacles. Steeplechasing is primarily conducted in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia and France. The name is derived from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside.
A "flat" jump is often desirable in hunt seat equitation. A jump with a great deal of bascule is challenging to ride, and is said to "pop the rider out of the tack," which means it "pops" them out of the saddle. In a competition where the appearance of ease is critical, a flat jump can benefit the rider.
Hunt seat is a style of forward seat riding commonly found in North American horse shows. Along with dressage, it is one of the two classic forms of English riding. The hunt seat is based on the tradition of fox hunting. Hunt seat competition in North America includes both flat and over fences for show hunters, which judge the horse's movement and form, and equitation classes, which judge the rider's ability both on the flat and over fences. The term hunt seat may also refer to any form of forward seat riding, including the kind seen in show jumping and eventing.
Training for bascule
These steeplechasers jump flat, without bascule, to save time and energy.
Good training can help to develop a horse's bascule to its fullest potential, but overall trainers are limited in how much they can train in this innate ability. Grid work is usually most helpful in developing the animal's bascule.
Certain jumps tend to favor good bascule, most notably the ascending oxer. Other jumps, such as steeplechase fences which are meant to be brushed through, favor a flat jump. In the case of the steeplechase fence, it is detrimental for the horse to have a powerful, round jump, because it consumes time and energy.
Additionally, the ability to bascule over a fence is a matter of flexibility in the horse. In some cases, a more relaxed atmosphere or improved conditioning may help the horse to flex his spine better.
In general, training cannot compensate for a lack of natural bascule in a horse.
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