anyone got ideas on how to train a horse to jump but not to be scared? any tips would be helpful. my friend wants me and her to teach one of her horses to jump! I can jump but have never taught one to do it! help
help how do i teach him
- Thread starter sweetyp
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You're out of my league on this one, but if you do a google search for 'teaching a horse to jump' - without the quotes - you will find lots of information.
Here is a good place to start:
http://www.horsemagazine.com
Here is a good place to start:
http://www.horsemagazine.com
J
Well-known member
Make sure you start small, small as in crossing a piece of rope laying flat on the ground. I've never trained a horse to jump but I would guess that it's going to be tough. This is an area in training that you don't want to mess up because I can see where confidence is very important, for the horse and trainer.
Keep us up to date on this one.
Keep us up to date on this one.
Gale Seddon
Well-known member
Probably start by walking, then trotting, over a rail on the ground, followed by several rails on the ground (called "'cavaletti" but I cannot remember the distance between them, maybe 3 feet?), followed by trotting over the cavaletti and then a "jump" consisting of two very low crossed rails so that you are jumping the "v" in the center, perhaps 1' high at the "v" to start (again, sorry, I don't recall the distances used between the cavalleti and the actual jump, but you could probably find this on the Internet somewhere). This would be for starters; it's been a long time since I did any of this. Lots of work at a trot, no cantering over fences yet. All this (at the right distances, of course) helps a horse approach the jump correctly and use himself correctly. You want to build confidence and trust but not to the point of complete boredom on the part of the horse; start slow and introduce new things slowly. If I find anything about the distances, I'll post it.
Gale Seddon
Well-known member
Found these in a quick search:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropol ... /home.html
http://www.horsemagazine.com/CLINIC/B/B ... ercise.htm
Looks interesting, makes me want to have a horse again...oh well, in a year or so, with any luck maybe I'll be doing this stuff with a BIG donkey!
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropol ... /home.html
http://www.horsemagazine.com/CLINIC/B/B ... ercise.htm
Looks interesting, makes me want to have a horse again...oh well, in a year or so, with any luck maybe I'll be doing this stuff with a BIG donkey!
RebelCritter
Well-known member
I agree. Start slow. Rope on the ground, walk him over it several times. Once he isnt scared of it, raise it a couple inches, walk him over it several times. Keep progressing that way. Reward and praise!
Gale Seddon
Well-known member
Bareback or with a saddle? I guess that would depend on the skill level and comfort of the rider, but I would use a saddle...I don't suppose it would matter to the horse though.
cypressfarms
Well-known member
bareback jumping.......ouch!
I have a friend who just bought a thoroughbred/percheron cross that jumps. Really weird to see a horse that big clear 3 feet high.
I have a friend who just bought a thoroughbred/percheron cross that jumps. Really weird to see a horse that big clear 3 feet high.
i have jumped bear back and its not that bad but i do think it takes more skill only because you have that much less to grip with.
if it doesn't matter to a horse i'll maybe start with a saddle and see how he goes before trying with out as most people prefere with a saddle. i like it slightly more indian style personly but then i prefer to ride without a saddle too. but i do think it depends on the horse and person.
if it doesn't matter to a horse i'll maybe start with a saddle and see how he goes before trying with out as most people prefere with a saddle. i like it slightly more indian style personly but then i prefer to ride without a saddle too. but i do think it depends on the horse and person.
persianhorse
Member
We start the jumping school at very early stages of life when still a foal not a horse by using two box which it has a conecting way to one and other in the way we put an opstical one foot high and we will raise it we put food in both boxes and when the mother jumps to go for the food in the other box the foal will jump too this is the best way up to my knoledge to school them for jumping,bringing legs under as the main power source walking on leggs not forhands,this is good for many other things in future.
good luck.
good luck.
TCFC
Well-known member
TB/Percheron's (or many other light horse/draft horse crosses) make amazing jumpers Really sturdy horses, I don't worry about their legs as much as a petite thoroughbred with matchstick legs, ha ha ha.
As far as starting a horse over fences, is there any experienced coaches around that can help with it? Speaking from experience, jumping is something that needs to be taught correctly, horses can get ruined very easily, and have their confidence shaken by and unbalanced rider trying to pop them over fences (not saying this is you by any means, I have just seen it happen on many occasions)
Start VERY VERY VERY slow and low.
Start with trottig poles. These can be placed at various distances depending on the stride of your horse. Anywhere from 4 - 6 feet will allow a horse to trot over them, 4' making the horse trot in a shortened stride, 6' making the horse lengthen its stride. 4.5' - 4.75' allows for a fairly standard length stride. Make sure you can keep the horse straight, balancedand rhythmic over poles before you ask him to go over a fence. Once the horse has been doing this excercise correctly you can add a low (I stress LOW) jump at the end of the line. Just a small cavaletti at the lowest point should do, just getting him to pick his feet up. Do not go high as it is very easy to rattle a horse's confidence by overfacing them too soon.
Here are some good references for starting a young horse over fences. But I can't stress enough how useful an experienced trainer or coach is.
http://www.ansursaddle.com/AskAnneArchi ... tingToJump
this one states the procedure for lunging a horse to start... but I can't see why these steps could not be used under saddle as well. Thse stes are to be taken VERY SLOWLY. Certainly not all in one schooling session!
http://lorienstable.com/articles/jumping/150-the_horse/
Do not take this as the bible, PLEASE. Ha ha ha, everyone has different opinions. Try to, if you cannot get a coach or trainer out, at least consult someone for someone for tips relative to your situation. Also, I cam assuming this is not a very young horse, as starting a very young horse over fences is a whole other can of worms, ha ha ha.
TCFC
Really sturdy horses, I don't worry about their legs as much as a petite thoroughbred with matchstick legs, ha ha ha.As far as starting a horse over fences, is there any experienced coaches around that can help with it? Speaking from experience, jumping is something that needs to be taught correctly, horses can get ruined very easily, and have their confidence shaken by and unbalanced rider trying to pop them over fences (not saying this is you by any means, I have just seen it happen on many occasions)
Start VERY VERY VERY slow and low.
Start with trottig poles. These can be placed at various distances depending on the stride of your horse. Anywhere from 4 - 6 feet will allow a horse to trot over them, 4' making the horse trot in a shortened stride, 6' making the horse lengthen its stride. 4.5' - 4.75' allows for a fairly standard length stride. Make sure you can keep the horse straight, balancedand rhythmic over poles before you ask him to go over a fence. Once the horse has been doing this excercise correctly you can add a low (I stress LOW) jump at the end of the line. Just a small cavaletti at the lowest point should do, just getting him to pick his feet up. Do not go high as it is very easy to rattle a horse's confidence by overfacing them too soon.
Here are some good references for starting a young horse over fences. But I can't stress enough how useful an experienced trainer or coach is.
http://www.ansursaddle.com/AskAnneArchi ... tingToJump
this one states the procedure for lunging a horse to start... but I can't see why these steps could not be used under saddle as well. Thse stes are to be taken VERY SLOWLY. Certainly not all in one schooling session!
http://lorienstable.com/articles/jumping/150-the_horse/
Do not take this as the bible, PLEASE. Ha ha ha, everyone has different opinions. Try to, if you cannot get a coach or trainer out, at least consult someone for someone for tips relative to your situation. Also, I cam assuming this is not a very young horse, as starting a very young horse over fences is a whole other can of worms, ha ha ha.
TCFC
no this is not a very young horse. he is very steady as i am just finishing schooling him. he's a very nice horse who trotts extremely well.
As far as a trainer is concerned i have looked but we can't find one. I'm a very confidente rider and jumper so thats not a problem. I was taught to jump 6 years ago but I've never taught a horse to jump.
Thanks for all advice and web addresses. I plane to start as soon as the weather gets better and when I've finished teaching one of the meres some manners. It's not possble to do everything at once as there are only two of us and 13 horses(4 of which are foals) and the friend I'm helping has not got a lot of experience schooling horses.
By the way I totaly agree about percherons being loving jumpers.
As far as a trainer is concerned i have looked but we can't find one. I'm a very confidente rider and jumper so thats not a problem. I was taught to jump 6 years ago but I've never taught a horse to jump.
Thanks for all advice and web addresses. I plane to start as soon as the weather gets better and when I've finished teaching one of the meres some manners. It's not possble to do everything at once as there are only two of us and 13 horses(4 of which are foals) and the friend I'm helping has not got a lot of experience schooling horses.
By the way I totaly agree about percherons being loving jumpers.
