Jumping is often viewed as a complex, intricate skill, separate from basic riding when, in actuality, it is a constituent part of the journey of becoming an accomplished horse rider. This misconception leaves many riders underconfident and apprehensive. This approach to teaching jumping is contentious and has sounded alarms for previously nervous jumpers and experienced riders alike.
This theory, which encourages riders to acquire a high proficiency in basic riding before they even consider jumping, has often subjected its followers, including me, to unprecedented anxiety and insecurity regarding taking on the soaring hurdle of jumping.
Embracing Jumping as Part of Regular Riding
Rather than viewing jumping as an ominous task looming in the future, an approach that incorporates the skill into the initial stages of riding lessons could be more beneficial for the rider and the pony. The importance of this comprehensive riding-encompassing approach can particularly be seen in the case of younger riders.
Case Study: A Personal Narrative
My younger daughters, for example, started learning to jump during the early stages of their riding lessons as they tried to keep up with their elder sisters. They approached what seemed to me the most daring of jumps during casual riding as something routine and normal. Instead of navigating around the jumps, they opted to leap over them, embodying courage and fostering a natural, unhindered growth in their riding skills.
Encouraging Jumping for Novices: A Balanced Approach
It is crucial to note that this integrated approach does not advise novice riders to start leaping over large obstacles; instead, it recommends easing into the practice by first trotting over low poles. Ensuring rider and pony security is paramount before advancing to higher jumps.
Fundamental Beginning Points:
1. Trotting Over a Low Pole: This provides a good foundation for the beginner, helping to familiarize both the rider and the pony with the concept of jumping, and preparing them for more extensive jumps in the future.
2. Developing Individual Confidence: Starting with lower jumps allows both pony and rider to build trust and self-assurance frequently associated with larger jumps, instilling the belief that jumping is a normal part of riding.
Incorporating jumping as a regular part of riding sessions, even at an elementary stage, reduces fear and anxiety associated with the task, promoting confidence in individuals and allowing for a holistic growth in riding skills. It allows riders to look at jumping as a routine part of riding rather than an intimidating challenge, thus enhancing their competency and enthusiasm for the sport.
Utilizing Jumping Straps during Pony Jumping
Jumping straps offer essential support during horse jumping practices. A loose strap, wrapped around the pony’s neck, not only boosts safety and control but also fosters confidence for the rider.
Benefits of Jumping Straps:
Safety: Enhances position security.
Control: Assists in better maneuvering.
Confidence: Increases due to improved safety and control.
Horse Jumping: Setting Up and Using Cavalettis
Cavalettis, or training jumps, are invaluable tools in the training and conditioning of horses. Primarily used to improve a horse’s rhythm, balance, and agility, a progression of simplified exercises that evolve in complexity over time can promote proficiency in both the rider and horse.
Foundations of Cavaletti Training
It all starts with a stout pole positioned on the ground. By gradually increasing the complexity of obstacles, all homemade jumps can stem from this simple beginning. It is crucial that these be aligned in a straight line and keeping them adjacent to a fence might aid in this semblance of order.
Starting with Cavalettis: Important Guidelines:
Adjustable Heights: Keep the cavalettis at their lowest height for walking or trotting, and only elevate to mid-height as you move onto cantering exercises.
Even Spacing: Maintaining a uniform distance between each cavaletti is vital.
Patience and Progression: Do not rush to the next level until mastery is attained at the current one.
Striding Distances and Cavalettis
The striding distance varies depending on your pony’s size. For instance, a fourteen-two hand pony on average manages a trotting distance of four to five feet, which decreases for a smaller pony.
For cantering, the cavalettis should be approximately nine feet apart and maintained at mid-height. This is a challenging exercise and should only be attempted after extensive training, wherein your pony can easily and rhythmically trot over the cavalettis at a lower height.
Establishment of Striding Distances
| Pony Size | Trotting Distance | Cantering Distance |
| 14-2 Hands | 4 to 5 feet | 9 feet |
| Smaller | Less than 4 feet | 9 feet |
Building Jumping Proficiency with Cavalettis
A pony, when initially working with cavalettis, might exhibit signs of excitement and fussiness. However, through patience and consistent practice, they can acquire improved awareness and synchronization.
Daily Practice: Ride your pony over cavalettis for a brief period each day to enhance accuracy and confidence.
Gradual Complexity: When your pony has become adept at handling cavalettis, diversify the exercises by incorporating a small jump at the end or the middle of the series.
Ultimately, cavalettis serve as beneficial tools for developing an array of jump types such as spread jumps, triples, and parallel bars. By adjusting cavaletti combinations and heights, a rider can effectively aid their pony in mastering different jump types and improving their overall performance.
Constructing Homemade Horse Jumping Obstacles
The basis of a successful jumping training regime lies within the facility to train with a variety of jumps. As such, constructing homemade jumps can be beneficial to customize training. The first requirements are sturdy poles, such as young larch or fir trees, and an assortment of blocks, cans, and large empty oil drums for jump supports.
Establishing Basic Jumping Units
Poles: Heavy poles function as the primary jumping elements.
Supports: Blocks, cans, and oil drums can be used to vary jump height and structure.
Oil Drums: Abundantly found at farms or garages, these can serve as supports and be repurposed into standalone jumping obstacles.
With such materials, constructing a variety of jumps from scratch is achievable.
Jump Training with Barrels
Barrels can be utilized as rests for the poles to construct jumps. Initially, they could be aligned sideways for building lower jumps, graduating to being placed on end for higher jumping obstacles. They can be integrated as standalone fences, being placed upright in a queue. While arranging this, it’s crucial to avoid leaving gaps to prevent the pony from attempting passage. To add complexity, poles can be positioned on top or yards ahead of the barrier.
Putting the emphasis on spreads right from the beginning is advised. A low pole or cavaletti can be placed ahead of most jumps, gradually moving it further back and raising it with increased proficiency. Furthermore, teaching the pony to jump spreads can be accomplished by initially setting low parallel bars at a distance, eventually raising them but not significantly over three feet—increasing the spread is preferred instead.
Dash Courses and Brush Fences
In-and-Out Jumps: These consist of two obstacles at a distance of 22 to 24 ft., with the composition of the pair being up to adjustment.
Brush Fences: Bundles of gorse can be accumulated to create a thick, dark jump, enhancing overall course variety. The gorse can be pressed between poles or placed within a wooden outline for a more permanent design.
Adapting to Painted Jumps
Some ponies might exhibit wariness towards painted jumps, making it essential to acclimatize them to such obstacles. Applying broad strokes of paint in white, black, or red to the poles and barrels could offer the necessary exposure. By doing so, you can ensure the pony becomes comfortable with different types of jumps, thereby preventing refusal or overreacting when presented with something new or unusual.
The Impact of Variable Jumps: Zig-Zag Fences and Rewards
Zig-Zag Fences: These are composed of three bulky poles set at various angles, helping teach the pony judgement, bravery, and how to tackle slanted jumps. This type of obstacle is often seen in cross-country phases of One Day Events or “Go To Bed” contests at gymkhanas.
Feeding Habits: Although rewarding ponies after successful jumps can encourage them, overdoing it can cause problems. A slice of apple following a sequence of jumps is considered optimal.
Causes and Prevention of Refusals in Horse Jumping
In horse jumping, refusal refers to a horse hesitating or stopping in front of an obstacle instead of jumping it. Refusals can be attributed to various causes, such as the horse’s training and riding technique, or even their temperament. Achieving a well-trained, confident jumper often relies on providing appropriate and consistent schooling.
Understanding Refusals
Habit Formation: Horses are creatures of habit, and their jumping behavior can be influenced by the habits they acquire during training and riding.
Rare Occurrence: A horse that never refuses is quite unusual, thus having a confident jumper is a valuable asset in the equestrian world.
Responsibility: If a normally reliable horse starts refusing without any apparent physical reasons, it is often the responsibility of the rider to identify and address the cause, which typically involves adjusting training, riding techniques, or how the horse is presented at fences.
Factors Contributing to Refusals
Inherent Dislike: Certain horses might have a natural aversion to jumping.
Physical Pain: For some, jumping can be uncomfortable due to physical issues such as thin-soled feet, sore shins, or the development of splints.
Individual Temperament: Horses’ distinct temperaments or conformations contribute to their preferred jumping styles, affecting their willingness to jump with confidence.
To address these underlying causes, it is crucial to identify and understand the specific factors that contribute to a horse’s refusal. This understanding will allow the rider to tailor their training approach and techniques to best cater to the horse’s individual needs.
Adapting Jumping Techniques
Impetuous Personality: If a horse has a naturally impulsive character, curbing its impulsion without restricting its energy is crucial for maintaining control and preventing refusals.
Slow Jumpers: Horses that prefer to jump slowly may not secure victories in speed competitions, but they might provide a safe and steady ride over most obstacles. The rider must avoid allowing the horse to get too slow, as it can lead to a loss of impulsion, making it impossible to clear a jump.
Lazy Temperament: Horses with a calm, lazy demeanor may need to be motivated and kept attentive during jumping exercises compared to more impulsive horses.
By acknowledging these different personalities and incorporating this understanding into their training approach, riders can proactively prevent refusals related to poor habits and temperament traits.
Recognizing Common Refusal Causes
Lack of Awareness: Horses might refuse when they are not sufficiently alert or aware of the approaching obstacle, making it essential for them to be attentive and on their toes during jumping exercises.
Excitability: In contrast, overly excitable horses may need calming and soothing techniques to prevent refusals.
Boredom: Horses can also refuse due to monotony, which can be addressed by varying training routines or incorporating new challenges to keep them engaged.
Understanding and addressing these common refusal causes can improve a horse’s jumping performance and confidence, ultimately leading to fewer refusals and a more enjoyable experience for both horse and rider.
Importance of Avoiding Over-Jumping
In the training of jumping horses, it is essential not to overdo the practice and avoid focusing solely on height. Over-jumping can lead to a loss of interest, reduced confidence, and increased risk of refusals or injuries. To ensure effective and enjoyable jumping practice, it is crucial to provide horses with variety and properly develop their foundational skills.
Maintaining Interest and Enthusiasm
Variety: Offering a variety of fence types and practice settings can prevent a horse from becoming bored and disinterested in jumping.
Balanced Training: Jumping practice should not be too frequent, as overdoing it can diminish a horse’s enthusiasm for the activity.
By incorporating these elements into training routines, horses are more likely to remain engaged and excited about jumping.
Importance of Ground Training
A significant portion of training for successful jumpers often focuses on groundwork rather than exclusively on fence jumping. Ground training is essential for achieving essential skills and physical abilities necessary for proficient jumping:
Obedience: Horses should be obedient and responsive to the rider’s subtle cues.
Suppleness: Having the ability to easily maneuver turns and corners is pivotal in jumping courses.
Balance: Horses must maintain proper balance, avoiding excessive reliance on their forehand, to handle multiple jump heights effectively.
Lead Changes: As a rider’s skill improves, they must be able to prompt the horse to lead with either foreleg, ensuring that the horse changes in both the front and back legs, adjusting to the angle of the fence.
Through proper groundwork, a horse will become better equipped not only for jumping but also for overall performance and responsiveness.
Risks of Over-Jumping
When training horses that show great enthusiasm and potential for jumping, it can be tempting to solely focus on achieving the highest possible height. However, pushing a horse beyond their limits can result in various issues:
Over-facing: Exceeding the horse’s size or training capabilities can cause them to realize they cannot cope with the height and consequently refuse the jump, discouraging them from future attempts.
Falls or Hard Hits: If the horse makes a determined effort to clear an excessively high fence, they may fall or hit the obstacle hard, potentially leading to injury, loss of confidence, or fear.
It is crucial for riders to be mindful of their horse’s progression and to avoid over-jumping, to prevent these risks and maintain a horse’s confidence and enjoyment in the sport.
Integrating Jumping Practice into Routine Horse Riding
Horses, like humans, thrive on variety in their routines. Incorporating occasional breaks from rigorous training and jumping, coupled with an introduction of natural obstacles into daily riding sessions, can contribute to a well-rounded education for a pony.
Variety in Riding Exercise
Rest Days: Allocate specific days for recreational activities besides jumping, allowing your pony to rejuvenate.
Natural Obstacle Training: Use naturally occurring obstacles found during regular horse rides or hacking sessions. Ensure that the horse perceives jumping over these obstacles as a normal part of their excursion.
Diversity in Obstacles: Gradually introduce new elements to jumping sessions. These might include small logs, tree trunks, hurdles, small posts and rails, and even little stiles. Ensure your horse is confidently clearing previous obstacles before moving onto these more complex objects.
Maintaining Composure when Approaching Obstacles
Avoid overemphasizing the significance of obstacles during rides. This can maintain the flow of the ride and prevent the horse from developing undue apprehension.
Limit Preliminary Inspection: Refrain from taking your pony up to a fence for inspection prior to jumping unless safety might be compromised, for instance, by hidden wire. If encouraged to inspect each fence, a pony may develop a habit of refusal unless it perceives the obstacle as familiar.
Alertness: Ensure your pony remains cognizant and responsive, ready to tackle the upcoming obstacle.
Safety Precautions
Certain environments or situations may require additional caution due to unpredictable conditions.
Sandy Environments: Beaches or sandy terrain can conceal dangerous objects, such as iron bars or concrete chunks. Prevailing tides may move around the surface sands, exposing these hazards. Hence, ensure a thorough inspection before attempting to jump breakwaters.
Soft Sand Patches: Be watchful for segments of soft sand on the take-off or landing sides, which could affect stability.
Structural Integrity: Maintain straightness when jumping breakwaters to prevent cuts from barnacles due to contact between the rider’s leg and any upright parts.
Through these diverse training tactics and safety checks, ponies can be trained effectively for enjoyable and successful jumping sessions.
Water Jump Training for Horses
Horses and ponies often display uncertainty and unease when confronted with water obstacles. To build their confidence and enhance performance, riders must incorporate gradual exercises and repeated exposure to different types of water obstacles into their training routines.
Acclimatizing to Different Water Features
To help horses become comfortable with a variety of water scenarios, integrate the following exercises based on location and accessibility:
Small drainage channels: When located on higher ground, utilize small channels adjacent to woods or forests designed for drainage purposes. It is beneficial for horses to gain experience hopping over these tiny channels.
Streams and ditches: During routine rides, seek out opportunities to wade through shallow streams or leap over small ditches, which will familiarize horses with water-based obstacles.
Incorporating water elements into everyday training can help horses and their riders avoid being stuck on one side of an open ditch at a future Hunter Trial or equestrian event.
Building Confidence in Water Jumping
Gradually increasing a horse’s exposure to various water situations can be pivotal to the development of their skills:
Progression: Start with less intimidating water obstacles and, as the horse’s confidence in tackling them grows, gradually increase difficulty.
Familiarity: Regular exposure to and engagement with various water obstacles contribute to building a horse’s confidence, comfort, and competence in water jumping.
Persistently practicing with assorted water elements will enable horses and riders to effectively handle diverse challenges in competitive situations and natural environments.
Achieving Effective Jumping Training for Ponies
Through proper training, ponies can develop a deep-seated sense of obedience and love for jumping, tackling varied obstacles with confidence, be it a single hurdle in an open field or a minuscule twig when instructed.
Key Elements for Successful Jumping Training
To ensure a strong foundation for your pony’s jumping performance, focus on the following aspects:
Persistence: Consistent and ongoing training is necessary to instill a love for jumping and to cultivate the pony’s innate abilities.
Variety: Incorporate a diverse range of obstacles and challenges during training, from natural elements found during casual rides to small ditches and streams. This breadth of experience enables a pony to become adaptable and more willing to tackle unfamiliar obstacles.
Confidence: Build your pony’s self-assurance through positive reinforcement, clear communication, and guidance. Over time, gradually introduce increasingly difficult challenges to bolster their abilities and prevent them from being overwhelmed.
Obedience: Reinforce obedience in your pony by nurturing a strong bond and utilizing appropriate training techniques that emphasize trust and respect between both rider and pony.
By maintaining a focus on these core principles, your pony will develop the necessary skills and mindset for overcoming a wide array of jumping challenges throughout their equestrian journey.
