Teaching a young horse to jump

dianchi

dianchi

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When would you introduce a young horse (4) to jump under saddle?
Or what would you want established first?

My youngster is kinda breaking all my usual rules as taking everything in her stride, and I'm used to getting first time failures for me to back. So a true blank canvas is a luxury I'm not used to.

She can walk, trot, canter to aids
20m circles in all paces, changes of rein, and basic inhand work.

She has loose jumped over fences previously, and is happy and positive.

So when and how do you suggest jump training?

Not sure if loads of poles will confuse matters?
Stick with place poles to start?

Rather excited but don't want to
Ruin her now! :)

Thoughts welcome!
 
I'm at the same point with my rising 4 year old and last week I introduced her to leaving the ground.

I did this by setting up some trotting poles, on long side of arena in two batches if that makes sense.

Up and down them a few times, then a teeny crosspole in one of those sections - very low key, matter of fact way.

Play it by ear and see where her strengths lie and use it to your advantage.

Main thing with schooling and jumping youngsters - as I am sure you are aware - is little and often - expect the best, prepare for the worst :)
 
Did you find a long line of poles encouraged the "pop"?

Tad worried she will be like her mother and be lazy of little ones?

Out if interest how much work do you do with your youngster?
 
As she has already been free schooled, she knows to pick her feet up. I would start with canter poles to work on rhythm and then progress to small (knee high) jumps with the same canter distance and work from there, increasing the height gradually over a few weeks, once the basics are established... you can work on trotting :)
 
I like to do plenty of pole work before introducing an actual jump, the poles help them to focus and gain confidence, work in all paces, they do not always have to be set to a stride pattern, that way they usually have some understanding and idea about where their feet are before they jump as well as making the poles part of normal life, not something to get excited about as often happens when jumping is first introduced
The first jump is rarely planned, once they are using the poles well there is usually just the moment that feels right to pop a x pole up and see how it goes, as said above little and often with youngsters, I don't like to have jumping as a special occasion for them at this stage as it can become too exciting and a big deal when in reality you want them to take it all in their stride, I will sometimes do 3 or 4 small fences every day for a while until they are confident and relaxed about it, then they can start to do something more constructive less frequently depending on where you aim to be, or they can leave it for a while, each horse is different some get over enthusiastic others are blase, how you approach the individual at the early stages will depend on your horse but will usually set them up for life if you can get it right, if it goes wrong the damage can be hard to undo so if you are unsure get good eyes on the ground, you really require someone to pop the poles up as getting on and off can spoil the momentum.
 
I like my youngsters to learn first on the Lunge and maybe if you can allow them to jump free down a line or a couple of small fences. Trotting poles then small cross poles and small jumps. Once I am happy with that then I often ask them to pop over small logs out on a ride. Let them learn naturally.
 
So poles you would put out...
Trot/canter poles as apposed to tight trot poles

She's just such a love and easy, but laid back :)
 
dianchi said:
So poles you would put out...
Trot/canter poles as apposed to tight trot poles

She's just such a love and easy, but laid back :)
Click to expand...

I use them at canter distance as the minimum so they can put 2 trot strides in, also a few randomly placed so you can use them within your normal flatwork, let the horse learn to work it out and look where they place their feet, if they miss they should try the next time, close trot poles have their place but you have to be careful the distance is correct as there is less room for error. If she is very laid back cantering over poles should encourage some spring and help her prepare for jumping properly, depending on the horse you can put a line then a jump, some find that too much for the brain and are best having a single x pole then building in the poles once they get going.
The pony we have just started was great over poles but although he went over his first jumps ok he seemed to lack spring, day 2 he discovered springing was ok and almost scared himself by using his backend rather extravagantly, day 3 he was popping sweetly through a tiny double with real enthusiasm but very sensibly without over jumping, he has had this week with no jumping then will do some again over the weekend.
 
My mare had her first jump under saddle following safely behind an other sensible horse over a few small cross poles. She had previously loose junped prior to being backed. She will be 4 in July and has jumped a number of 75cm tracks at home and at 2 training shows & an indoor Derby ran by local rising club. She's a very straightforward girl. I also used to take her out on the lunge line a jump her around the x country course she has always been very willing to jump
 
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