How to teach a horse to jump ditches?

Natch

Natch

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Following on from the PANIC post ... how would you teach a novice horse to jump ditches? He hasn't done them before, but there's a lovely inviting little one on a fun ride close to me that I'd love to do, but being a wuss myself never quite manage to confidence to ask him to do it in case he doesn't notice it and falls in!!

There is plenty of time & opportunity to ride him up to it to look at it first, just not a long approach as there is NO WAY I am jumping the HUGE thing in front of it!
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But there is a couple of strides and its only titchy... what do you think?
 

Is it nice and shallow? When you first introduce a ditch, make sure it is nice and shallow so the horse can step into it if needs be. Just walk him up to it keeping you leg on and looking forward and ask him to do it from walk, he will either jump it or step in to then out of it. Once youve cracked that ask from trot. Hope that helps, thats how Polly Stockton got Archie jumping ditches and it worked
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Oh poo no its definately not shallow enough to step into. Its on a BE course but its not wide, just deep.
 
I taught my complete wuss of a horse to jump ditches by letting him follow someone over it. We attempted it without a lead first and he didn't understand what to do but once he had a lead he flew it. He jumps ditches with ease now (especially hunting
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Remember to not look down into the ditch as you approach it - keep watching the horizon
 
If you want to start more basic than a real ditch try putting two poles 1.5 - 2ft apart in the school and fill inside with a bit of tarp or feed bags (make sure you lay the poles on the bags so they don't blow), then practice riding over it you can intergrate it with other poles or jumps, even make up a make shift coffin or Trakehner. once you've done this and know how your horse reacts it will give you more confidence to try a real ditch. have fun
 
As the others, but make sure you have plenty of time the first time - if he baulks you MUST get him over it. Pippa Funnell has some good pointers for introducing ditches in her book about young horses.
 
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It might not be pretty the first few times but at least he has gone over it.

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Yup, first time B did a ditch she somewhat resembled a panicked deer/giraffe
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I would recommend getting a lead from an experienced horse; hunting is a great way to build up their confidence in that respect. He'll almost certainly stop if you look down - look at the horizon and kick on.
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Thanks for all the advice. Sadly we won't be going hunting or continuing it with proper XC schooling, an old injury (scar from a nearly sethered tendon) means he is allowed to do the odd bit of jumping but not much. Still, gives me something to play with!

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When we used to introduce the babies to ditches it was done in walk. Make sure the ditch has clearly defined edges and then just walk up to it an dkeep your legs on as everyone else has said. If he is sensible and the ditch is narrow enough he may just step over, but be ready for a big leap just in case.
 
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