Getting a horse to jump

[E_Lister]

I share a lovely mare and look after her three days a week. I have been doing so for about 6 months now and I love it. I want if possible, to try jumping at home, mainly as something different to our normal routines and because I love it so much. However I don't like jumping more than 2'3 or so because I start to feel too high off the ground!!

I have been given permission by her owner to jump her, but at the moment Ellie "doesn't jump".

This is meant to be mainly because her owner is scared of jumping and because of this will pull said mare out of the about 2 strides before. Unfortunately, Ellie now does this every time you approach a jump. She has also been over faced by a dealer in the past so was a nervous jumper before her owner started to lose confidence!

She is apparently a brilliant and fun jumper, it is an issue of confidence. Indeed if, when I am hacking her, I fancy jumping some of the small drainage ditches found next to some of our tracks, she pops them beautifully and seems to enjoy it.

Anyway, back to the question. How can I work on her confidence enough to start jumping with her?

 

[Flicker]

Start with poles on the ground, don't make a big deal of them, just include them in your schooling routine.
Once she's happy with those, start increasing the size and raising them off the ground.
Lots of praise, make it fun.
But I would make sure she is completely sound and her saddle fits, back is ok etc - she may be avoiding jumping because she's in pain.

 

[E_Lister]

Thanks for replying. The saddle has just been reflocked as she has lost some of her podge, back etc all up to date and fine.

She also probably hasn't been jumped for about 2 years because of her owners fear of jumping. She occasionally (as I said previously) hops over ditches but as for jumping "proper jumps", I have seen her jump about 1/2 a foot with one of her owners friends on board. Her opinion (which I value) was that it wasn't a physical impediment, just one of confidence etc.

Thanks for the suggestion about pole work, I have been trying to include a little into each schooling session and she is quite happy when they are on the floor, now I need to work on raising them very slightly.

 

[teddyt]

Start with poles on the ground, don't make a big deal of them, just include them in your schooling routine.
Once she's happy with those, start increasing the size and raising them off the ground.
Lots of praise, make it fun.
But I would make sure she is completely sound and her saddle fits, back is ok etc - she may be avoiding jumping because she's in pain.

Agree with this. Also, the rider needs to make sure that they are positive and balanced and in no way dependant on the reins.