Beginners guide to jumping

[Slave 2 Magic]

I am starting jumping lessons on my mare next week. We tried abit last year and she's fine over trotting poles and will jump loose. What she does is trot up to the cross pole and then stop and walk over it. Is it lack of momentum or not knowing where to put her feet? If I push her on she still goes back to walk before the jump. Help!

[~*sugarlump*~]

are you or her new to jumping at all?

[Slave 2 Magic]

Im fine on a horse that I know can jump. Its just with my own.:o
She was unbroken when I bought her so has never jumped. When I loose school her she pops over no problem in a lovely shape.

[ForestGump]

I jumped a horse for the first time today.
Put up a tiny cross pole that they can step over. Gradually make this a bigger cross pole if their confidence increases. If their confidence increases from there then put up a small virtical etc.
Can you have someone on the ground with a lunge whip just to encourage them over if they need it?

[Gemmahorselover]

Hey. Ok, continue using the trotting poles as she obviously is confident enough over them. Try having two sets of trotting poles. One set of about 3 or 4 one one long stetch of thr arena and on the other side place 2 or 3 with a small cross pole jump at the end. Only make the centre part of the cross about 4 inches off the floor, if that. She how she is then. Go in a continual circuit. Go round the same way (over trotting poles then over trotting poles + jump) 3 times and then do the same on the other rein. Why not hire out the jumping teacher you will be having so she can come to your yard and see for herself what is happening and what you could do. Hope this helps x x x

[fishiz3434]

i was once riding a little horse for her first ride(her first rider) and my friends and i all went out on a ride and went walk trot and cantering around for a while then went over a heap of small logs (30-60cm) with two horses in front and one behind her, she never refused one and has been jumping in the arena with no second thought with and wothout other horses, she's a bit less timid that the average horse but it was pretty good for her first ride eva.
I think it gave her real confidents having the other horses show her the rope first then slowly make her independent, if y9ou can get togerther three reliable riders and horses then maybe do that withe her...


she was lead around everyhwhere off another horse before, just thort i'd make it clear i didn't just hop on an expect her to do everything, we did a lot before we backed her

[Rarah]

Mine does the same sometimes! We're both new to jumping.

When we have problems it seems to be something to do with the length of stride. If we happen to be approaching correctly and we arrive at the jump in the right place we jump it nicely. If we end up too close to the jump at take off then Logic stops and steps over the jump :p

Sorry - clearly no advice from me - I don't have a clue how to fix it!! I'm hoping that Logic susses it out for herself and we get better with experience! :p

What I would say is that when we're jumping Logic goes make more of an effort with a slightly bigger jump. If it's just a little baby cross she does not bother to try to get it right because she knows she can step over it, with a biggie she doesn't want to bang her legs and therefore tries her best to get there in the right place to jump.