Teaching the Young Horse to Jump
How to Introduce Obstacles with Success in Mind
Some horses are natural jumpers, while others take weeks or even months to catch on. Teaching a young horse to jump requires patience and comprehension of equine anatomy.
Most people aren’t qualified to teach a young horse to jump, and this goes for experienced professionals as well as amateurs. Patience is the number one quality a rider must possess to introduce obstacles like rails and solids, and some people just don’t have what it takes.
Nevertheless, teaching a young horse to jump is a rewarding experience when done correctly, and can solidify the bond between horse and rider as no other activity can. It requires an interdependence that isn’t found easily in other equestrian disciplines, and promotes a trust that will flourish as you tackle larger and more complicated obstacles.
Presenting the Fence
The first step in teaching a young horse to jump is presenting the fence, which means getting your horse to understand that he is supposed to go over an obstacle, rather than around it. Horses are presented with barriers and boundaries through every step of their instruction, which means your horse will be understandably confused when you ask him to breach one of those boundaries. He can jump the rails between two standards, but not the fence that confines him to an arena.
Some horses are more fearful than others, so it is best to start by allowing him to touch the fence you intend him to jump. Before mounting in the arena, lead him to every obstacle and allow him to nose the rails and standards at his leisure. Pet him as he does this, and allow his confidence to build.
Approaching the Fence
When teaching a young horse to jump, the most important thing to remember is your hands. Many young riders “catch” their horses in the mouth over a fence because they don’t have sufficient leg strength to hold them steady in two-point position, and since young horses tend to over-jump, even an experienced rider can accidentally yank on the reins when the jump begins.
For this reason, make sure that your hands are soft and your reins are loose when heading toward an obstacle for the first time. Set up a low, unobtrusive X in the middle of the arena, then point your horse toward the fence. If necessary, you can even loop him the reins, but maintain sufficient control so that he stays on the path you want. Keep a firm leg on his sides, but not to the point of kicking, and cluck to him just before the jump.
Over the Fence
Everything should be exaggerated when teaching a young horse to jump. This is especially important with your break-down over the fence – it should be lower and more giving than with an experienced horse. On the downside of the obstacle, however, you’ll want to immediately sit back and collect him to ensure your own safety.
After the Fence
If your young horse jumps the fence correctly the first time, halt him about six strides after the obstacle and give him a bit pat. Let him know unequivocally that he did exactly what you wanted, and reward him by stopping to let him rest. Then walk around the arena a couple of times before heading back to go again.
The point here is that you don’t want to overload a young horse who has never jumped before. Five or six times over the same obstacle should be sufficient to instill a lasting impression, and you shouldn’t jump him again for at least two days.
