Horse Care:
Jump, Horsey, Jump!
You see it on equestrian shows. In fact, you even saw an accident happen. A horse jumped and he accidentally knocked over the stick and threw off the rider. The rider was only inches away from having his face stepped on.
Training a horse how to jump is very tricky. Farriers, horse trainers and equestrians all pitch in to train the horse how to do this. If the pace is too fast, the horse is presented with more than he can simultaneously handle. Sometimes he gets too scared to jump.
The horse must approach the poles in a calm manner. He must not be too anxious. This is only the first step.
The horse must be relaxed when he plunges toward the lunge. The rider does this by walking near the ground poles without getting the horse all excited. The circles on the track are stressful for the horse, so don't spend too much time there.
The smaller the circle, the more difficult it is for the horse. It is advisable that the trainer or the rider train the horse with a large circle, approximately 20 meters. Don't direct a foal to jump or lunge when he is still very young. Horses must be mature enough before they are trained to jump.
This is a very long method and it requires a lot of patient from the trainer and the rider. The horse should be relaxed on the track, specifically on the lunges, before he attempts to leap on the poles.
If you rush your horse then you won't be able to achieve your goal. Once the horse gets nervous or hesitant, he will be stubborn. With a couple of exercises and dry runs, ease him up. You can also lead him around the track so he can relax.
From the walk, make him trot. Don't overwhelm your horse by asking him to jump the poles immediately. You can start it up with having the horse lunge on smaller obstacles such as chunks of woods or cinder blocks.
Once he's got the hang of it, you can start training him with the ground poles. Ask him to do a little jump by letting him trot and walk alternately on each end of the poll. Try to capture his pacing. Don't push him to go forward when he is already tired. You, as the trainer or as the rider, must know when the sessions end.
Just keep on doing this everyday. Soon enough, your horse will be jumping in no time.
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