Jumping exercises for young horses
Jumping exercises for young horses are all about building confidence, rhythm, and control — both for the horse and the rider. This particular exercise is designed to help young horses and novice riders learn how to travel smoothly and evenly through a related distance. It’s not just about getting through the jumps — it’s about teaching balance, rhythm, and the ability to stay in control throughout the entire exercise.
Before tackling the full track, there are a few simple warm-up routines to complete. These allow both horse and rider to get comfortable, establish rhythm, and settle into the exercise without any unnecessary pressure. The warm-up routine helps prepare your horse physically and mentally, so when it comes time to canter around the full exercise, you’re both ready to tackle it with confidence.
What sets this exercise apart is the addition of a gymnastic element halfway through the track. This is a key component for young horses, as it encourages them to stay balanced and shift their weight back onto their hocks, rather than getting long and flat through the track. Riders also benefit, learning to sit up, rebalance, and maintain control as they progress through the exercise.
Jumping exercises for young horses like this one are not only valuable for improving balance and technique, but they also help lay the groundwork for more advanced jumping work down the line. With consistency and patience, you’ll see both confidence and rideability improve significantly.
Watch the video for all the details.
How to set these jumping exercises for young horses up.
Here’s how to set up the exercise. It can be a little tricky fitting everything into the arena without the jumps blocking your lines, so take your time with the layout. Start by placing all the poles on the ground first. Walk the paths you’re going to ride and make sure there’s a clear approach and exit for each jump. Once you’re happy with the layout, you can build the jumps.
Top Long Side – Jumps 1 & 2
Begin with the line along the top long side of your arena. Set up a vertical followed by an oxer, spaced 17.5 paces apart for a four-stride distance. After that, place four canter poles, each spaced 3.5 paces apart. Finally, add a placing pole 3 paces in front of the vertical to help your horse with the takeoff.
Bottom Long Side – Gymnastic Line
On the bottom long side, set up a gymnastic:
- A small cross,
- 7 paces to a vertical (one stride),
- 11 paces to an oxer (two strides).
Place a pole on either side of the vertical, both 3.5 paces away.
Diagonal Line – Jumps 3 & 4
Across the diagonal of the arena, set up a vertical to an oxer. This is a four-stride related distance, so space the jumps 20 paces apart. You’ll be jumping this line both directions, so add ground lines on both sides of each jump.
Angled Oxer
Position an oxer at an angle between the gymnastic line and the diagonal line you just set up.
Cavaletti Line
Finally, just below the first line along the top side, squeeze in a line of two cavalettis with a five-stride related distance, walking out at 22 paces.
And that’s your full setup done. Don’t forget, there’s a link to a JPEG course plan in the description below so you can easily build the course straight from your phone.
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