Starting a horse jumping

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cubardluv

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Looking for your advice/experiences on how you went about starting your horses jumping if you have done it yourselves? Mainly what exercises you used and found best and how often etc.. Also once jumping what kind of time span do you leave it before taking them to venues to small clear rounds etc without over phasing them and then eventually introducing them to XC fences etc.. Not in a hurry if post comes across that way by mentioning clear rounds and XC etc, dont want to rush things but just want to make sure things are done right and he gains confidence and experience the right way. All opinions welcome! :)
 
work with lots of poles ont he ground, to make sure they're aware of where their feet are ;) poles on their own, trotting poles, canter poles, scatter poles... working on staying straight, staying in a rhythm, clean approaches and get a ways. do some work with stopping after the poles to remind them to always listen to their pilot... then little courses on the scatter poles.

To actually start jumping I would just arrange a line of trotting poles, pop over them a few times, and then pop the last jump into a little straight (I DO use cross poles, but if you raise it to just a raised trotting pole, its less scary!! work up until the sequence is raised so they have to pick up their feet for the hole sequence. When they are established over that, drop the trotting poles all back down and put the last jump to a small height where the will have to 'pop' it.

Nice forward seat, soft hands, and be ready with the leg and voice!

Once they have mastered getting over a small fence, you can try them in small doubles / grids. and start riding small courses, even from trot.

Starting jumping - competition... how long is a piece of string? Ideally I'd like the horse to be forward thinking, willing, and have a good grasp of listening to the rider and taking direction. Once is is fairly confident with little courses, doubles, and had worked over filler and spreads etc.

XC.. would be wanting him jumping at least 3 foot over showjumps at home so that I knew he had enough respect for fences of say 2"3 + , and would maybe incorporate tyres / rustic fences / brushes into the fences in the arena first, before taking him true XC schooling. Make sure he's had a splash in puddles / rivers before you attempt any water jumps too.
 
I always start with cross poles! Haha, trust a forum for giving opposite advice ;0)

Seriously tho, i always start them on the lunge because I like them to sort their legs out first. You do need to be reasonably good at lunging for this though, or you'll teach them to run out. Use a running rail to allow your lunge line to go up over the wing (stakkas etc are best for this) and disuade them from dodging out.

Once they're jumping 2 foot odd on the lunge (I'm a jumping wimp so that's a hefty jump for me!) I start them under saddle with poles, progressing to little grids, progressing to a tiny course. Use place poles for ages if necessary, including one after the jump if they're inclined to rush.

Only once they are happily jumping my fillers and water trays at home do I progress to little clear rounds out and about. It's worth checking out your venue before taking your young horse, our local one is a BS centre, so their unaff tracks are WELL up to height, with fillers and back rails etc - great education, but not so good for the first couple of tentative outings!

Good luck!
 
cubardluv said:
Thanks guys, some good stuff to go on for now, shall see how we get on :)
Out of interest Tinks81 - why no cross poles?
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well let me know when you are trying to jump a green 3/4yo over a cross pole that wiggles from side to side ??

Cross pole - you must be straight and jump the middle i mean how many youngsters do that

small uprights - you can jump any part of it making it a lot easier and less stressful for youngster (and yourself)

Another small point please tell me when you ever jump cross poles in a course of fences - NEVER so why jump them at home same as grids to be honest

This is not just me but many people who produce showjumpers to a top level (like the olympics) !! xx
 
I'd disagree about grids - what is a triple with a related distance after it if it isn't a grid?!

I did the sport jumping at Hand earlier this year, 1m class, and the number of people saying they'd never jumped a grid - well it had a line of 4 fences one stride apart in it....and it caused chaos!
 
Completely agree about starting over tiny uprights (as opposed to cross)

But disagree about the use of grids and cross in general - both very useful tools when used in conjunction with other jumping exercises.
 
its a combi with a related distance not a grid ??

I jump then distances, combi, doubles etc once they are confident with a single fence but do keep this very very small and sometimes just poles on the floor never jump them over bounces though

then at the next stage i will set up a 4 stride related distance and go down in in 4 strides, then 5 strides then 3 strides altering the stride
 
Tbf, though, they also ride like people who produce horses for the Olympics. ;) Teaching less experienced riders to make the best if their own horses is a different process. (Not meaning to offend anyone. Just saying someone who jumps a dozen horses a week over big jumps has a different skill set, which is one of the tools they have to work with.)

Also, the culture and demands of eventing are a bit different. I suspect you would find more top level eventers doing what many sj' ers consider pointless exercises because they are preparing the horses for questions that are asked down the line.

I'm not disagreeing at all - I know many people who produce top class horses the way you are describing. But I also know quite a few people who produce good horses and educated riders using x poles and grids.

OP, a lot depends on your own skill and background, and the facilities you have to work with. In my previous existence nothing went to a show until it was cantering a 3' ish course in a balanced rhythm, preferably with lead changes and reasonable adjustability, and had done some grid work if there were any issues to be addressed.

BUT most people had access to at least a small course at home and went out schooling fairly regularly. The horses generally jumped more than people tend to do here.

If a rider does not have access to many jumps/a good surface/sufficiently sized school at home, the horse will likely be out trotting around some small cr courses earlier in the game.
 
tbh nothing any of us say is going to be 1/100th as good as having a decent, patient, experienced instructor there on the ground with you - moving & altering fences, moving poles, fitting the exercises to what the horse needs and you need at any given moment. There are so many variables - how brave the horse is naturally, how balanced, how careful... sorry, no advice other than get a good local instructor, you might only need 1/2 hour (jumping's pretty tiring for young horses), maybe you could do 1/2 hour each with someone else?
 
SpottedCat said:
What do you define as a grid then?! I am completely confused, a grid doesn't have to include bounces.....
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i would say a grid is a line of fences with either normal strides or bounces involved !

you never jump a combi till they are 5yo either so as 3/4yo this should be kept very simple with doubles and related distances

basically take away the grid point and lets just say i would never jump a horse over too many fences in a row when they are young
 
TarrSteps said:
Tbf, though, they also ride like people who produce horses for the Olympics. ;) Teaching less experienced riders to make the best if their own horses is a different process. (Not meaning to offend anyone. Just saying someone who jumps a dozen horses a week over big jumps has a different skill set, which is one of the tools they have to work with.)

Also, the culture and demands of eventing are a bit different. I suspect you would find more top level eventers doing what many sj' ers consider pointless exercises because they are preparing the horses for questions that are asked down the line.

I'm not disagreeing at all - I know many people who produce top class horses the way you are describing. But I also know quite a few people who produce good horses and educated riders using x poles and grids.

OP, a lot depends on your own skill and background, and the facilities you have to work with. In my previous existence nothing went to a show until it was cantering a 3' ish course in a balanced rhythm, preferably with lead changes and reasonable adjustability, and had done some grid work if there were any issues to be addressed.

BUT most people had access to at least a small course at home and went out schooling fairly regularly. The horses generally jumped more than people tend to do here.

If a rider does not have access to many jumps/a good surface/sufficiently sized school at home, the horse will likely be out trotting around some small cr courses earlier in the game.
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to be honest i only read the title - starting a horse jumping i never read anything else which is why i replied I dont jump cross poles
 
Tbh, I've rarely seen anyone jump a grid of more than 3 fences, perhaps with something related at the end. I know there are people who do - I've seen 7 bounces - but that is not an introductory exercise and more about strength than training. Too much so, if you ask me.

I would consider a pole to a small fence to a larger fence on one to three strides a grid so suspect we are arguing semantics.
 
I have jumped several crosses in BSJA competitions, normally in BN and Discovery classes with a back bar making a spread fence and often as fence 1!

In terms of using them with young/green horses I think they are a valuable tool as they help with straightness but yes possibly too much in the initial stages when you are aiming at getting them over the fence.

I wouldn't be using complicated grids with youngsters either but related distances/simple grids on very correct striding are very handy for building confidence and introducing slightly larger fences as the last element.

If this is the first youngster you have started then without question you need someone knowledgeable on the ground to help guide you. There is no specific plan that all horses will adhere to and different stages will take a different amount of time and different plans suit different horses and riders better.

Personally once they are confident stringing fences together in canter I will take them to small clear round or similar but only at a venue where I know distances etc will be built properly, as nothing worse than taking a green youngster into a poorly built unaffiliated CR or competition where the striding is completely off especially in the double(s) which can so easily confuse them and bash their confidence.
 
To the instructor idea, too. . .getting horses jumping confidently isn't all that complicated if you have an independent seat and an idea of where you want to go with it BUT there are a few things that come down to timing and feel, such as when a horse is starting to lose confidence or perhaps become too bold, which are much easier to address with the help of an experienced advisor.
 
Tinks81 said:
well let me know when you are trying to jump a green 3/4yo over a cross pole that wiggles from side to side ??

That to me what a nippy, sarcastic answer. She's asking WHY, asking for advice.

Cross pole - you must be straight and jump the middle i mean how many youngsters do that

but the point of a cross is to help guide them to the middle - they will usually want to jump the lowest part. but different people have different methods...
small uprights - you can jump any part of it making it a lot easier and less stressful for youngster (and yourself)

Another small point please tell me when you ever jump cross poles in a course of fences - NEVER so why jump them at home same as grids to be honest

I've seen crosses in small, AF courses, so I believe good for confidence building.

and EH? a 'grid' can be defined as 2 or 3 consecutive fences, which in schooling at home I'd call a grid, but in competiton I'd call a double or triple. Also, I sometimes use 3/4 fences in a grid, 2/3 in straight combination and the last on a slightly longer related distance. So of course you'll see them in a course? Grids are good for teaching rhythm and balance - not only for the horse but the rider.

This is not just me but many people who produce showjumpers to a top level (like the olympics) !! xx
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Just because you don't see something in a competion either doesn't mean its not a good training exercise. you won't see 'V' poles in a BSJA course but at home they help centre the horse. You won't see bounces either, but I find these useful for encouraging gymnastic jumping. You also won't see coats hanging off jump wings but some people but them there to make wings 'a bit more scary' at home for de spooking.
 
Tinks81 said:
i would say a grid is a line of fences with either normal strides or bounces involved !
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so whats a combination (double or triple) - a line of fences with 'abnormal' strides?

I'd never put a mixture of bounces / normal strides in a grid. either a bounce grid or at least 1 stride upwards through the grid.

I'm also not a fan of these multiple bounce grids... 2 or 3 should be enough I think to get the horse working better.
 
but some of the best grid-builders i know used both. e.g. pole, bounce, 1 stride, upright, 1 stride, bounce.
multiple bounces are v hard work but can be very useful, used judiciously...
a million variables, you know?
a 'combination' to me is a double or treble with all elements of a similar height, and regular striding (1 or 2 strides between each element). maybe even a 4-part combo although this is v rare.
a grid would be more likely to have placing poles, or the first element significantly smaller (a setting-up fence), and to have at least 3 obstacles.

cross poles for baby horses - low crosses, yes, definitely, because it encourages the horse to jump in the middle from the start. also, it's more solid than a single pole so more likely to stay up if horse bashes it, teaching it from the start to pay attention to the poles and make an effort even if the fence is only 1' high....
 
OK.. thanks for clearing up the points that I asked on.. I was just querying the no crosspoles rule as the way u said it seemed like personal choice, I can see both arguments for and against using crosspoles in training and have to be honest wouldnt necessarily not use them as I think it does help them aim for something and be central but also yes a straight pole would be easier if the horse was wandering side to side..
I do have lessons every week from my very experienced instructor so dont worry I would never be doing this alone, I am a fairly experienced rider and have had horses most of my life and have previously brought on a 4 year old who admittedly was already taught to jump(basics over coloured poles) but this guy has been mine since a foal so wanting to make sure I do everything as right as I can..
Will be taking the first steps over poles with my instructor but just looking for ideas on what I can do at home aswell with him so thank you all for your ideas on grids and exercises to get them thinking.. Going to hopefully test my riding in a good way aswell as it will be so important for me to be forward thinking and to not interfere with my seat etc..
Exciting times, thanks guys :)
 
Fwiw, I think Tinks knows a bit about producing nice horses to jump at a good level. ;)

I think this does prove the basic point though, that people have different but equally valid methods
 
Oooh so its Tinks I should be sending him to then! ;)

Exactly why I posted though, as I always like to hear lots of different views and ideas as sometimes it just takes one little thing someone suggests to make a huge difference :)
 
Re xc, I think it's great to get horses out trotting little logs etc as soon as they can canter in the open. It helps give them the idea of over rather than around.

Because I work a lot with less experienced riders training their own and horses that maybe don't always jump the best, I am perhaps more inclined to use easy grids to give riders and horses an idea of what they are looking to do over single fences. My training is to be concerned with instilling good habits from the off, not just being happy if the horse gets over and leaves the rails up. My experience is it's easier than trying to fix problems later! With top quality horses and skilled riders though,.there is much less of this work to be done and doing it 'just because' is pointless and possibly detrimental. Same with repetition - if a horse understands the question I move on.

Jumping millions of tiny jumps is not always the answer either. And one of my pet peeves is 'supervised free jumping', jumping a single fence over and over just because it's fun or easy. This does get horses into bad habits. By the same token, if you're doing something like that over and over and it's not working, you have to reassess.

Horses do only have a limited number of jumps in them, I always try to remember to use them wisely, to educate or confirm, even if it's for the rider more than the horse.
 
Thanks TS - exactly what I dont want to do, teach him bad habits, so completely agree that doing the same thing over and over without either purpose or progress is not for the best.. Have seen endless amounts of kids do that with their ponies over the years and it sickens me, put 1 jump up in the middle of the school and batter the pony round the school over the jump for the next 45 minutes.. then they wonder why they start stopping! :-/
 
Jenni_ said:
Just because you don't see something in a competion either doesn't mean its not a good training exercise. you won't see 'V' poles in a BSJA course but at home they help centre the horse. You won't see bounces either, but I find these useful for encouraging gymnastic jumping. You also won't see coats hanging off jump wings but some people but them there to make wings 'a bit more scary' at home for de spooking.
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the OP asked how to START a horse to jump so yes i wouldnt do any of these things with a youngster especially the cross poles

Maybe when they are balanced/more experienced we might do the things you listed above but that was not the question was it??
 
Had lesson with Geoff Billington last week , he told me no matter what horse he jumping the first fence he puts it over is a small x pole, then a bigger x pole them moves on to a upright. He also said grids are great for teaching the horse to use its self and where it needs to our it's legs and should be introduced very early on.
 
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