Young horse jumping

[RubysGold]

I have a rising 5yo (birthday this week)

we're JUST starting to pop little jumps. Have been using my friends plastic poles which he knocks down quite a lot (fair enough, babies will make mistakes, but with them being plastic I don't think he learns from the mistakes, so have bought some nice wooden poles just because their heavier

Im wondering, at what stage do people take young horses xc. Theres a nice, fairly local course that have jumps at 50cm. He jumped a log on a ride 2 weeks back absolutely perfect (the only time Ive aimed him at one)

Does a horse have to be jumping "showjumps" brilliantly before seeing xc fences or can you teach over xc fences to get them more careful?

 

[TheMule]

I'd want him confident in trot and canter to fences which he has to jump rather than step over (so not teeny tiny, 50cm is really not going to benefit anyone as it wont teach them to jump properly). If he makes the odd mistake and has a pole, that's ok, go xc. If he's just a bit careless behind then check your hands are giving enough over the fence but you'll be fine to go xc. If he's careless in front, then I'd work with the sjs to sharpen him up before tackling solid obstacles

 

[be positive]

I don't think they need to be jumping brilliantly before going for an educational xc school, you can introduce water tiny ditches etc but using fixed jumps to improve technique if they are really genuinely green may do more harm than good unless they are really bold, a couple of bangs if technique and understanding of jumping is not established could could loss of confidence and get the horse stopping, even if the fences are small.

I would get him jumping confidently through a few small grids to allow him to improve his way of jumping and get the confidence built up, then go xc to continue with his education once he really knows what he is doing.
The other problem with not getting the technique right over coloured poles first is that he may learn how to jump xc carefully but always know poles will fall, they do not really learn by making mistakes more by learning when they get things right, so plenty of praise when they jump well.

 

[RubysGold]

Thanks guys

At the moment I know we're not ready as his Canter isn't balanced enough to aim towards a jump so for now I'm trotting him into a fence and telling him when to take off. I'm working on canter and it is improving so we'll soon start presenting him in canter.
I have never been one for jumping big, my biggest competition height is 75cm and at home I jumped 1m (obv on another horse) so he doesn't have to be amazing I've never done xc so I don't want to take him over big fences

 

[horsestar]

All you need to worry about at the moment is encouraging you young horse to go go forward wether it be 10 cms or 50cms. Once you have the forwardness and they want the fence you can then start on striding and canter piles to fences etc. xc is a fab way to get them forward even if they step over as long as they go in the horses mind it's done it and it's forward. Do not let them learn to pass fences. They must go forward!!! I have spent the last 6 months doing different activities at low levels farm rides xc and hunter trials and it's brought her on so much. We are now working on the next stage x

 

[be positive]

Thanks guys

At the moment I know we're not ready as his Canter isn't balanced enough to aim towards a jump so for now I'm trotting him into a fence and telling him when to take off. I'm working on canter and it is improving so we'll soon start presenting him in canter.
I have never been one for jumping big, my biggest competition height is 75cm and at home I jumped 1m (obv on another horse) so he doesn't have to be amazing I've never done xc so I don't want to take him over big fences

Trotting in is fine while he is still learning but he should be taking off without you always telling him, let him learn to look and think, once he is going forward into them in trot and taking you let him land and canter away, if he is reluctant to canter pick it up a few strides after the fence, he will soon learn to land in canter and should go forward better into the fence being more able to jump it out of his more energetic trot.
A pole on the ground can also help so he pops the pole then the small jump and lands cantering, it will really help the canter with it being started over a fence you get a nice energetic first stride which should be well balanced.
Once he is landing in canter it then becomes easier to go to the next stage of cantering in.