How to Train a Thoroughbred Horse for Hurdling

Training your Thoroughbred horse for hurdling is no easy task. Jumping is not a horse's first natural instinct when it encounters an obstacle, so learning to jump is always somewhat of a challenge. Keeping a few tips in mind, however, will make your task just a little easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Begin to train your horse by walking around the obstacle course. This lets the horse familiarize itself with the course, and should cut down on your final run times, since the horse has developed a mental map of the area to help him get through the race.
2. Place the hurdles low initially since the horse needs to build up slowly to the extremely high jumps in hurdling. Just one slat on each jump will do nicely.
3. Build up the hurdles by placing the next boards on the jump once the horse and you are comfortable with the lowest jump. This starts the challenge all over again, but the horse has already done the hard part of clearing the ground at all.
4. Train the horse to jump slowly and gently. If the horse has a difficult time learning to jump, don't push him or he will become sour to jumping, and ruin the plan for this horse to be a jumping champion.
5. Place equally spaced, low obstacles leading up to each jump. These should be no larger than a log or board that he can easily walk over. This helps the horse figure out the footing needed in order to pace himself and to jump the obstacle smoothly.
6. Place the obstacles in wide circles once you both have mastered the low jumps. This is to help train the Thoroughbred to take tight corners and to take jumps at an angle since many of the hurdles courses are set up to force the horse to jump in a curve.

Tips & Warnings

• Use only young and agile horses for hurdling, since older horses are heavier, slower, and may not be able to clear the height necessary to be a successful hurdler. You can always use your older horse for steeplechasing instead of for hurdles, however, so don't be discouraged.
• Never force a horse to jump or obey any kind of order. Violence is most definitely not the answer when it comes to a delicate breed like Thoroughbreds.
• Don't overwork your horse, especially during the training in circles, since lunging is very hard on a horse's knees. This should never be done with an exceptionally young Thoroughbred since it can ruin his training, or a very old horse since his knees are not likely to be up to the task.