Teaching a horse to jump?

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JaneMBE

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What is the best way to teach a horse to jump?
He is 4. At the moment, poles and a low (just up from a pole on the ground!) is an obstacle to get over, so he is clumsy and just hopping or climbing over
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Any suggestions for teaching and how long sessions should be and how often?
Thankies
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Thanks Daisy...we only started to lunge him over on friday, obviously better without a rider.
Just not sure of how long and how often, oh, and if just one at a time or a line of them!

My sister gave me two huge bundles of magazines and not one of them has any info
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yes i started with just a cross, and as i built it up i used place poles in front and behind etc, she is very good at sorting out her distances now.
 
I got a horse started by going cross country schooling with an older field mate. Just walking and trotting around, really casual over logs and incorporating them into the ride, gradually get higher.

I had to do it this way as no show jumps or menage, but it worked very well and kept the horse going forward and interested.
 
i taught my pony (wouldnt recomend to this way!) going around a clear round (1.6ft ish...!) at our first show! she was a superstar and took to it so naturally, granted i was quite young and not very experienced but she was a very honest little mare! My present horse i taught to jump, it came quite naturally to her too... but yeh, lots of trotting poles and gradually build it up. I then went on to do grid work to sort out her striding (not big at all as its hard work for a youngster) also keep sesions to relativly short as it is hard work on muscles that arnt that well developed yet! Plus mentally its lots to think about. if your horse is used o coloured poles i would start just gradually increasing the size of the jump staying in trot until they are more confident, it does come very naturally to them! good luck, we will want photos of you jumping soon!
 
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