Training the young horse to jump
Training the young horse
Training a young horse to jump can be an immensely gratifying endeavor, but it requires patience and consistency. Since horses learn through repetition, you must perform the appropriate exercises repeatedly for an extended period. Additionally, confidence plays a crucial role in the horse’s training. Jumping can be daunting for them, so it’s important not to rush the process. Otherwise, your horse may lose confidence, resulting in a range of issues that may be difficult to resolve.
This exercise aims to familiarize the young horse and inexperienced rider with a related distance on a curve. First, you’ll practice riding over cavallettis on a curved line to get comfortable with the technique. Next, you’ll advance to a jump with a placing pole that’s related to a jump on a curve. Once you’ve mastered this, you’ll proceed to the complete exercise, which concludes with a standard related distance on a curve. With enough practice, you’ll be able to tackle related distances on a curve with ease, as if you’ve been doing them your whole life!
Watch the video on training the young horse below.
How to set it up
Setting Up the ExerciseThis setup isn’t overly complicated, but there’s a lot to fit into one side of your arena, so plan accordingly.
Jump 1
Start with the central jump of the exercise: a vertical with a placing pole. Position it near the centerline and closer to the bottom end of your arena, leaving the top end open for larger turns. The placing pole should be 2.5 paces away from the vertical.
Jump 2a
Place an upright 22 paces away from Jump 1 on a curve, creating a five-stride related distance.
Jump 2b
Mirror this setup on the opposite side, but build an oxer instead of an upright. This also measures 22 paces for a five-stride related distance. If you’re working with a larger-striding horse, you can stretch both distances to 23 paces.
Jumps 3a and 4a
Set up a related distance on a curve with an oxer to a vertical, spaced 24 paces apart for five strides.
Jumps 3b and 4b
Mirror this on the other side, swapping the order to vertical to oxer, maintaining the 24-pace, five-stride distance.
Cavalettis
Finally, place cavalettis at angles to create a related distance on a curve. Mine rode as eight strides, with 34 paces between the cavalettis.
This exercise offers a great variety of turns, distances, and challenges to work on!
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