Horse riding and jumping

Jumping is a form of riding which appeals to some riders more than others. Some are anxious to learn to jump; others do not want to achieve anything more than to be able to clear a small obstacle if it blocks their path out on a hack.

All riding horses can be taught to jump. Some will do it better than others - just as their riders will - and some will enjoy it more, but all have the natural aptitude to do so. For this reason, it is necessary to look at the horse's jumping action in order to understand the position the rider takes to jump and how he assists his horse to jump more easily by adopting it.

Although the aim is always to produce one continuous flowing movement, the horse's jumping action can be broken down into five elements - approach, take-off, suspension, landing and recovery. During the approach, the horse, having seen and summed up the obstacle in front of him, will balance and prepare himself for the jump by stretching his neck and lowering his head. He may begin to lengthen his stride, but, particularly if the fence is only a small one, he should continue at the same even pace, without altering his speed.

At the point of take-off, the horse brings his head up as he lifts his forehand off the ground. The power for the leap forward comes from the horse's hocks, which are tucked well beneath him to act like a spring. During the moment of suspension, the horse's body forms an arc over the jump with the head and neck stretched forwards.

As the descent begins, the horse extends his forelegs, his head and neck down towards the ground and tucks his hind legs under him, so that they will clear the jump. As the forelegs touch the ground , usually one just in front of the other - the horse balances himself by bringing his head up and shortening his neck. The hind feet touch down immediately behind the forefeet, one forefoot often moving into the next stride before the hind feet land.

Throughout this, the rider's aim should be to do nothing which will impede or restrict the horse's movement in any way. At all times, therefore, he or she must remain in complete harmony with the horse, taking particular care not to interfere with the free movement of the animal's head.

If jumping is to be included in a lesson, it should come towards the end or the latter half. This will give the horse time to loosen and limber up and ensure that the rider is sitting deep in the saddle and loosened up enough to be riding at his or her best.

The first thing to learn and practice until it becomes second nature is the jumping position. Assuming that you will have dropped your stirrup leathers a hole or two for general school work by now, you will need to take them back up again for jumping. The stirrup leather should still remain vertical to the ground, which means that your knee and ankle will be bent a little more deeply. This allows them to do their work as 'hinges' and 'shock absorbers.'

In the jumping position, the rider's upper body bends forward in a folding movement from the waist. The back remains straight and supple - there should be no slouching or rounding of the shoulders - while the head is still held high, looking straight between the horse's ears and never down at the jump. The seat should remain in light contact with the saddle throughout the approach, although it may lift up during take-off. The body weight is taken on the knee, thigh and heel, but resist any temptation to straighten the knee and so stand up in the stirrup irons.

There should still be a straight line from your elbows, which are bent and remain close to your sides, through your arms and hands, along the reins to the bit. Your shoulders, elbows and fingers have to be even more supple in order to follow the movement of the horse's neck. In fact your hands should stay in the usual position throughout a jump and it is better to move them forward rather than run any risk of jabbing the horse in the mouth.

In the early stages of jumping, make sure a neck strap is buckled around the horse's neck and hold on to this. It will make you feel more secure as well as guarding against you jerking the horse's mouth. Practice moving into the jumping position and then returning to the usual position in the saddle, first at the halt and then at a walk and trot. When you can bend forward and sit up straight again without losing your balance at a trot, try doing the same exercise at a canter. Your aim is to achieve a smooth rhythm that will correspond with the horse's smooth jump.

After this, the first positive step towards learning to jump is to adopt this position as you ask your horse to trot over some solid poles placed on the ground. Position them reasonably far apart at the start. Then trot towards one and move into the jumping position a stride or two before the pole. A stride or two after it, resume your normal position in the saddle.

When you can trot over the pole, shifting forwards and back into the correct position, move three or four poles closer together, so that the horse steps over one with each stride he takes. Remain in the forward jumping position as you progress down the line of poles. This will require even greater balance to ensure you do not upset the rhythm, but remember that the most important thing is not to interfere with the horse's head. Hold on to the neck strap if you feel even slightly insecure.

The next step is to hop over a small jump, which should be no more than about 25cm (10in) high; you can use proper jump supports or extemporize by using stout poles on wooden boxes or barrels. Most riding establishments, however, will probably use a type of pole known as a cavalletti. If you do not use cavalletti, make sure the poles are thick and solid with no rough parts or sharp nails protruding. Horses show far more respect and jump better and more boldly over solid objects, rather than flimsy, unimposing ones.

Even though the horse is quite capable of stepping over the cavalletti at a trot, he will probably prefer to hop over it, so make sure you are prepared. The first 'jump' you take is bound to throw you off balance; remember to hold on to the neck strap, so that you do not jerk the horse's mouth by mistake. When you are reasonably confident and able to maintain your balance and rhythm at the trot, approach the cavalletti at a canter. Keep the pace calm and let the horse bounce over the jump, offering no interference so he can take it in his stride.

After this, try placing another cavalletti or low jump, perhaps slightly higher, several strides further on, so you have time to return to the normal position before resuming the jumping position for the next one. If you have approached the first one calmly and quietly, there should be no need to check the horse between jumps. It is better not to interfere with the reins between jumps if you can help it, as this will probably throw both of you off balance.

Having achieved good rhythm and balance over a couple of small jumps positioned some distance from each other, bring them closer together, so that they are separated only by a couple of strides. Again, allow your horse to judge the take-off points and distance between the obstacles; you should concentrate yourself on keeping your balance and not interfering with his movement in any way.

So far your jumping has been in a straight line. Change this now by positioning three or four cavalletti in a circle. Place them so that the center of each cavalletti coincides with the circumference of the circle and jump at this point each time. Jumping in a circle is good exercise for you and the horse. It tends to excite him less than jumping in a straight line; it also makes him bend and supple his back and it helps you to ride more accurately - or at least point out the weak spots if you are not.

Whether jumping in a straight line or on circular course, always aim to jump. any obstacle in the center. To help you judge this, use a simple jump made from two poles, one end of each balancing on a support and the other end resting on the ground. Provided the poles are supported at an equal height, the point at which they cross will be both the center and the lowest point of the jump.

From this point, the only way to improve and develop your jumping is to practice it over as many different types of obstacles in the greatest number of different conditions as possible.

Jumps fall into two basic categories. These are uprights, such as walls, gates, hurdles, narrow hedges and poles placed in a vertical line on top of one another, and spreads, such as parallel or triple bars and oxers. In addition, ditches and banks should also be included in your practice jumping sessions. In the early stages, concentrate on jumping low jumps well, rather than raising the poles ever higher and jumping badly.

Practice jumps - you can easily construct these yourself with a little imagination - should not be more than about 90cm (3ft) high and many should be smaller. It is far better to increase the width of a fence, so that the horse has to stretch himself over it, than to keep testing his high jump ability by raising the height - better for him and better for you in getting the feel of the jumping movement.

A ground line placed in front of a jump, particularly an upright, will help you and your horse to judge the take-off point more easily. The take-off point should be approximately the same distance away from the jump as the height of it. This will vary according to the height of the fence and the speed of the approach; a horse approaching a small jump quite fast, for example, will take off far further in front of it than the height of that obstacle.

If the establishment where you are learning to ride has a jumping lane, or if you are jumping in the confines of a school, a useful exercise is to negotiate a line of low poles with your arms crossed and the reins knotted around the horse's neck. This will show you how much you are relying on the reins to balance you. Pick up the reins quickly at the end of the line; then try riding it again without holding the reins, but this time doing something like buttoning your coat or knotting a piece of string. This helps to encourages you to ride by 'feel' and instinct.

An even more testing exercise is to quit and cross your stirrups as well as riding with no reins, so that now you can only rely on the balance of your position to keep you sitting correctly. This is a useful and practical exercise since there are few riders who never lose their stirrup irons at some time in the middle of a jumping course. It is comforting to know that, if this happens to you, you will not be unseated immediately.

Generally, horses jump badly or refuse to jump for one of two reasons - either they have been badly schooled or they are being badly ridden. At this point, it is more likely that the latter reason will apply. Always try to analyze what it is that you are doing wrong and work at putting it right. Have you interfered with his stride on the approach, jabbed him in the mouth on take off, or shifted back into an upright position too quickly on landing, for instance? Any of these errors might make him reluctant to jump for you.

If he refuses or runs out, is it because you were uncertain yourself and did not ride him at the jump as if you really meant him to go over it? If a horse refuses a jump, ride him in a small circle and come straight into the jump again. Horses that constantly run out at fences can often be discouraged from doing so by building high or elaborate wings on either side of the fence. Always finish with a good jump from both you and the horse - however small it may be. This is the one you and your mount will remember for the next session.