Discover the expert in you.
Perfecting your horse's jumping ability has much more to do with allowing the horse to think on his own rather than with your managing the horse every step along the way. Gymnastic jumping is the exercise of placing two or more obstacles a certain distance apart. If a horse approaches ground poles or jumps with a steady stride, he will stretch his neck, round his back and jump in good form. Adding gymnastic jumping exercises to your horse's training will not only improve his ability, it will increase his confidence as well.
Over-jumping is the result of a horse lacking confidence in its own ability to jump fences. With young horses, this is merely a sign of caution and trepidation of the obstacles; but sometimes these actions might occur for a variety of reasons and they often fall to the responsibility of the rider. Pushing the horse to adapt too fast, poor training methods that have bred fear instead of assurance and overwork can all contribute to the horse reacting with overcompensation at the fence.
A jump chute can help a horse learn to jump and adjust its stride without the help of a rider or having to balance itself under the additional weight of the saddle and rider. The chute can be used to test the animal's natural ability to jump before it has been trained to do so or can be an appropriate way to ask it to jump higher than it normally would under saddle. A jump chute is easy to construct but needs to be done in a safe manner to help prevent injuries.
Many newcomers to the sport of horseback riding want to learn how to jump over fences and obstacles. Jumping is one of the most exciting and challenging equine events because it requires a high level of skill from the rider as well as a willingness to take risks. Before riders can even consider entering a jumping competition, they must learn to hold their position in the saddle over jumps. Failure to remain in the proper position while jumping a horse can lead to serious accidents and injuries.
Jumping is one of the most strenuous activities that riders ask their horses to compete in. Horses that jump regularly put a significant amount of strain on their legs and joints, especially the hocks. Whether or not a horse with hock problems can be used for jumping depends on the severity of the hock problems, the long-term prognosis of the hock injury and the extent of the jumping activities.
Cavaletti jumps are used widely by dressage and jumper riders because of their versatile nature. While low to the ground, cavaletti jumps have various heights depending on how you lay them out. They are lightweight and easily portable, and can be used as easily for a placing rail before a jump as they can for a slightly elevated set of trot poles to teach the horse to engage its hindquarters. Making a cavaletti can be done quickly and simply.
The popularity of vertical jumps is catching on in a big way. Exercise and fitness enthusiasts make sure there's enough time for a few high jumps in the air. Of course, if you're dreaming of aiming as high as Michael Jordan, that's not going to happen. Everyone has different capacities and capabilities. Fortunately, vertical jumps come in varied forms, so you can choose which works best for your body type.
Airborne jumps from an airplane, known as sky diving, is an exhilarating sport as divers plummet toward the ground at high speeds before releasing their chutes. For individuals looking to begin skydiving there are multiple tiers of airborne jumps, ranging from jumps that require little training to styles which require multiple days of lessons.
Horse-jumping, such as hunter or cross-country, is inherently risky, but risk can be reduced by planning for scenarios in which the horse hits the jump or a rider falls on one. Jumps typically have two upright poles, called standards, that hold adjustable poles or gates that rest in cups attached to the standards. The material used for jumps is more of a safety issue than an aesthetic one.
Backyard horse riders must often rely on trips to nearby boarding barns or riding arenas when they want to school their horses over jumps. Although it is convenient to have horse jumps at home, store-bought jumps are expensive and difficult to transport. Building your own schooling jumps is a thrifty solution and provides the opportunity to have just one horse jump or an entire course at home.
Equestrians and horses both need to be trained on how to perform jumps, since a horse’s natural inclination is to walk around any obstacles in its path. The beginning rider, on the other hand, can hamper a horse due to his own tension and excitement. There are three different types of horse jumps to accommodate all levels of riders.
Cavaletti jumps are wooden poles set between two X-shaped pieces of wood. They can be raised or lowered to three different heights based on your specific needs. Regardless of your riding discipline, cavaletti are an effective training tool for both rider and horse. They can be used to train horses to jump, regulate pace, follow a specific path or engage their entire bodies while working at a particular gait. Cavaletti are relatively easy to construct.
Horse jumping (also known as show jumping, stadium or jumpers) is an equestrian sport. Show jumping classes are very popular worldwide, and are also included in the Olympics (first incorporated in 1912). Over these years, show jumping has emerged as a graceful and entertaining equestrian sport and is also an excellent test of fitness, training and courage in a partnership between horse and rider.
Whether you are practicing for stadium jumping or cross-country, it is helpful to have your own jumps, and they should be constructed in a safe and practical manner suited to the competition. Hunter, jumper and cross-country course obstacles are all different; however, it is easy to find materials to make fences of all three types, and a little imagination goes a long way.
Horse jumps have to be set exactly. Horse shows are judged by the number of faults collected. By the end of the competition, the horse and rider with the fewest faults and the best time walk away with the blue ribbon. If a horse refuses to go over a jump, it is four faults. Refuse again and they are eliminated. Four faults are also collected if the team knocks down a rail or if the horse get just one hoof in the water. If the horse and rider fall, they are eliminated, and for every second they go over the…
Make sure your horse can handle a more difficult equestrian challenge course before jumping. Practice an advanced challenge course with a riding instructor in this free horse jumping video.
Keep your horse safe when jumping with proper tack and leg gear. Practice getting your horse ready for jumps with a riding instructor in this free challenge course video.
Spotting the difficulty level of an equestrian challenge course is key before riding. Practice judging challenge courses with a riding instructor in this free horse jumping video.
A horse requires proper cool down walking and legs wraps after a day of rigorous jumping on a gymnastic line. Learn to take care of your horse after a gymnastic line in this free horse riding video.
Gymnastic lines are a series of quick jumps for your horse, giving exercise and experience. Learn to jump your horse over a gymnastic line in this free horse riding video.
Horses need proper cool down and leg wraps after a day spent jumping and exercising. Learn cool down exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Riders communicate to the horse by adjusting their weight and hand positions in the saddle. Learn to jump horses along a straight line from a professional riding instructor in this free horse riding video.
Taking a horse over jumps at an angle requires the rider to be clear with his or her eyes, legs and hands. Learn to jump horses along a straight line from a professional riding instructor in this free horse riding video.
Jumping a horse along a course from both directions offers new challenges to horse and rider without moving jumps. Learn to jump horses on a bending line from a professional riding instructor in this free horse riding video.
Riders can jump a horse along a straight course on a bending line for variety. Learn to jump horses on a bending line from a professional riding instructor in this free horse riding video.
Counting out the horse's stride and marking jumps with a walk-through are fundamental to riding courses. Learn to walk out a jumping line for horse jumps and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Building familiarity with a line helps the horse secure a collected canter and handle jumps. Learn seven stride exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Fitting seven strides in a five stride line challenges horse and rider to collect the canter. Learn seven stride exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Running a horse jumping line in both directions helps the rider see where the horse needs work. Learn six stride exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Being able to add one stride into a horse jumping line is a good skill for trying more complicated courses. Learn six stride exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Always jump a horse through the line in both directions for a challenge. Learn five stride exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Pace out a 72 foot jumping line to count the horse's stride and mark jumps. Learn to walk out a jumping line for horse jumps and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Advanced horse jumping tests both the horse's and the rider's ability. Learn advanced exercises for jumping horses and horse riding from a professional riding instructor in this free video.
Learn horse jumping tips and techniques - free video.
Learn how to canter over the jump in 2 point position - free video.
Learn how to take horse jumping one step at a time - free video.
Learn how to canter around a jump - free video.
Learn how to collect the horse at a canter before jumping - free video.
Learn how to trot over a jump in 2 point position - free video.
Learn 2 point position for horse jumping - free video.
Learn how to give the horse his head to see the jump - free video.
Learn how to trot over poles - free video.
Learn how to get warmed up before jumping your horse - free video.
Learn about horse jumping - free video.