introducing youngster to jumping?

[cob&onion]

What age did you start introducing your youngsters to jumping and how did you go about it?

 

[flying solo]

I waited til almost 5 and lunged him so he could balance himself. Until he had decent balance i didn't ride him so I knew once I was on top he would be able to balance with the extra weight.

 

[Marydoll]

What age did you start introducing your youngsters to jumping and how did you go about it?

I introduced my youngster to small jumps out on a hack trotting over small logs, almost like a pole on the ground, then working up to bigger logs about 2 feet, bits of brush,i used the end of a fallen spruce tree, over small ditches and up and down very small drops, all as part of a hack, sometimes if they need it getting a lead from another horse.
My horse as a 4 yo was introduced to doing this and crossing the river, depth about knee height,he had to jump down into it about a foot and up the bank the same at the other side, he was great and loved it, he used to give the older horse a lead into the river as the other horse was wary which was surprising as my lad could be a very spooky boy.
When in the school, walked then trotted over single poles on the long lines working up to a series of trotting poles under saddle. Then to a single x pole at small height gradually introducing to a small grid, some dont seem to mind coloured poles others arent so keen, ive not seen one who hasnt liked popping small logs first. As ever each horse is individual, this suited my horse and others ive been involved with

 

[Brimmers]

this might not be what your asking but weve started one of our boys by walking him over everything on the ground. hes rising 3 and he has been walked over poles, big blue plastic sheet, in and out of fillers, simple stuff to show him they arent scarey and to engage his mind. Hes a playful bugger and ended up rolling on the plastic coz he loved the sound!
thats more groundwork though than actual jumping sorry

 

[Marydoll]

this might not be what your asking but weve started one of our boys by walking him over everything on the ground. hes rising 3 and he has been walked over poles, big blue plastic sheet, in and out of fillers, simple stuff to show him they arent scarey and to engage his mind. Hes a playful bugger and ended up rolling on the plastic coz he loved the sound!
thats more groundwork though than actual jumping sorry

Yep but its helping put together a horse that wont give a second look to scary wings,water trays, plant pots etc which is great

 

[cob&onion]

WE popped our first teeny x pole last week, at first she looked at it then took a proper jump over it, then 2nd time she sort of ran through it put it back up and she popped it big! very pleased for her first time, she didn't hesitate and approached it from a nice active trot
Theres a few logs in the wood (tiny ones) so will probably try these out hacking next time

 

[Lintel]

Have just started introducing baby Highland- He is 4 this May. (not jumping jumping)
We are hacking around and we walked over some logs, did some trotting over some logs, and as the logs got bigger he seemed to gather that he couldn't lift his legs any higher and bam- there we have it
*Just to confirm there are not huge meter logs, nor are we doing this daily- but it's a great introduction*
My boy started properly jumping just after his forth birthday. We did poles on the ground, getting higher up to he decided to cat leap things.. and still does to this day

Everyone I have introduced to jumping has done very well, the girlie who didn't take to it so well we did some free schooling with the same method, poles, higher poles, jumps. She really got a grip of it after a few runs X

I'd start them off free schooling or lunging over jumps before having a rider on, it's just turned out well that we encounter logs on hacks (Thankfully)

 

[irishdraft]

I started my youngsters at 3 on the lunge doing trotting poles then built up to a very small X pole. When brought back into work as 4 years olds covered the same ground but under saddle then moved on to small fillers and other stuff, small enough that they could hop over whatever so they understood they must go forward. Now rising 5 one is jumping small sj and xc confidently the other one I must get going properly this summer, a much bigger horse so didnt jump him over the winter.

 

[Enfys]

Mine are introduced to obstacles on the ground from the moment they step into a field as babies.

I put a pole on the ground at the gateway and they walk over it, just the same as they do logs and tree trunks out in the paddocks, I purposely put my youngstock in paddocks where they can run through woods, wade in ponds, walk through bogs etc. We don't move them when we are working either, tractors, harrows, rollers, wagons, chainsaws, you name it they had better get used to it because I'm not moving them.

Later on I use a jumping lane, let them figure out trotting poles etc from the ground first, once they have worked out where their feet are then they are ready to jump with someone on top. Mind, half mine probably never jump in their ridden lives, mostly they are ridden Western rather than English.