jumping my horse

[horseluver4eva]

ive just got a 15hh 13 year old dales mare. im not entirely sure of her past all i know is that she has had only 2 owners. i am wanting to start jumping but im not sure if she has ever jumped before. is it safe to start jumping her now? any tips on building her up to them? i have been going over trotting poles seperated far apart, in which she has been cantering to and then jumping, do you think this means she has jumped? or just excited? sorry about going on a bit, advice is greatly appreciated

 

[be positive]

This horse has been off work for some time, from your previous posts, she is very unfit so should not be thinking about jumping for a while. Lots of slow steady exercise to build her up and get her settled in walk, trot and canter before progressing to pole work and jumping.
If she is rushing/jumping poles on the ground you need to get her more relaxed and concentrating over them otherwise she will learn to rush when jumping, not a great idea for an inexperienced horse or rider.

When you are ready to start find a good instructor to help.

 

[Littlelegs]

Agree with be positives advice.

 

[snoopyinfrance]

Very sound advice!

Is sounds to me like she hasn't been jumped before. If she had been schooled she should understand that poles on the ground are not for jumping (in MOST horses minds)

If you want to work with poles I suggest you put them out in various patterns and work in and around them:
You can make 'paths' with a bend in them then you can go through the path, over the poles or around them. This will help in her suppleness too. She'll get used to seeing the poles and they won't be scary when you finally ask her to jump them (once she's fit!)

I I
I I_ _ _
I_ _ _ _

This is the basic shape I'm thinking of! Poles on the ground, viewed from above. I really hope my drawing makes sense!

 

[Auslander]

If she had been schooled she should understand that poles on the ground are not for jumping (in MOST horses minds)
!

Wish someone had told my horse that! He was started with showjumping in mind, and was fully aware that trotting poles were supposed to be trotted over. Needless to say, he thought that jumping them (a row of 6 in one huge leap was his finest hour) was FAR more entertaining - especially if he got a chance to bog off bucking and squealing afterwards!

 

[horseluver4eva]

thanks for the advice everybody. im not putting her into jumping work yet but i am looking around for an instructor. im making a plan on getting her fit (which i have got from previous posts) and once i have completed that i am going to move her up to jumping. she is coming on leaps and bounds, i rode her for a whle the other day she had done extremely well im really proud of her. if she had jumped i would of moved her on sooner, but as you said (be positive) if shes rushing she probably hasnt, so ill leave it a while and concentrate on her schooling, thankyou so much for your help