Jumping a youngster - Any tips?

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Winklepoker

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Okay now that we have reasonable balance and outline in all three paces with the ability to lenghten and shorten strides,I would really like to concentrate on a bit of jumping.

I have done trotting pole work now for a few weeks and popped a small X pole increasing it to about 2ft (still cross pole). As was demonstrated beautifully last night - she rushes into the jump. I have always been taught youngsters should trot in so this was the plan. I tried circling, walking and then trotting the last few strides, holding her, letting her go (crash went the poles)!! Any tips or excercises that I can try.

Thanks
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I wouldnt be popping her over if she's rushing in, personally I'd try to concentrate on keeping a steady and constant rhythm.

Bobbing in some trotting poles in your jumping schooling session and keeping the cross pole nice and small so she thinking more about listening to you and what she’s doing in trot rather than whats involved while she’s trotting so to speak, so she’s not just focusing on the jumping part.

Don't get me wrong its good that your horse is enthusiastic and enjoying it but too much of that and not enough concentration on the paces and listening to you will lead to clattering fences and further training issues.

Also I'd try not to get into the habit of popping the same old fence over and over again, doing the usual circling round and popping a jump, try get her working obediently around the fence, then every so often just take her over followed buy a series of trotting poles else where in the school.

Also just because your approaching a fence, doesn’t mean to say your going to be jumping it and you don’t want her to thinking like this well second guessing what she thinks she’s going to be jumping, once you start jumping a course your going to faced with plenty of jumps in her path which won’t be on course, so think about that in her training, riding towards a fence then coming down your transitions to a walk and back into a trot away from the fence, again so the horse is listening to you not just looking whats in front of her.


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Think about working some little grids too.

Kenzo's advice is spot on but you could also put out a long line of trotting poles to your little cross and when she is settled over that build a grid that is pole, fence, pole, fence, pole, fence. Only tiny cross poles but it should help to regulate her stride a bit and keep her even.

Try reading up on Carol Mailor's techniques, I saw her at YH and have read a few articles by her and she really concentrates on grids with youngsters.
 
Grids of course, a neck strap are key!

I also think there comes a point, as there did with my 4 year old, where they have to learn to place themselves. It's difficult without knowing the horse to say whether this may be the correct course of action, but with mine, in the end, I let her rush a few times, and she crashed through and scared herself a little= enough to learn that I might be right in saying slow down. Obviously, the smaller the jumps for this the better- and don't attempt it if you think it will really frighten her. Mine was bit cocky, that's all.
 
I think the worst thing to do is to walk or hold into the last few strides and then let them go - I'm not surprised the poles went flying
Trotting into the fences is a much better idea with a youngster than canter when introducing jumping.

In your pre jump warm up I would work lots on transitions, both in and out of paces and within paces so your horse is really listening to you. If you have someone on the ground to help trot poles will be very beneficial. Grids will also help and awful lot
When I started jumping Lace (4yo) she was very rushy but with time and patience she is now a different horse

Good Luck
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I have Tims training videos and find them fantastic. Also agree with others lots of trotting poles so she doesn't rush over those first. Maybe one on the floor between the wings too.. Tim has an excellent exercise for horses that rush
 
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