In Hand Jumping!

[ponygurl]

I am going to start training my mini to jump so we can do hunter/jumper at the shows, does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to begin, what practices should be like (how long or hard), what I can use to make the jump standards or jump ides (I have 2" pvc pipes for the poles) or anything else?! Thanks so much! I can't wait to get started!

 

[Mini Horse Lover]

I am going to start jumping my horses and stallion coming in and PVC pipes work along with any nice obstacles you can find. And wooden woven fencing panels, flower boxes, any small obstacles. Because you would be surprised how many horses spook at even simple jumps in the ring. Any good obstacles that you think would look "scary" to them always work. The stallion I'm getting jumped snowbanks in the pasture like nothing! He is only 2! Take it slow and trot over poles to get stride length and don't work the horse too hard. Otherwise they will hate doing it and it can hurt their joints. Take it slow. That's all I can stress! Joints can get hurt and sore easily! I would do a couple minutes a day and build up with trotting poles. Before you even do that you should make sure the horses' feet are trimmed so they don't slip or trip and fall. And make sure that the horse is conditioned to start doing this sort of work. Otherwise the horse can get problems that way too.

 

[ponygurl]

Thanks for the tips! I really can't wait to start with him!! We have some cinderblockes that have curved sides, so when you stand them up they look like they could be like jump blocks and I have a few so I can stack them up higher to make verticals, crossrails, even oxers later on in his training. My dad has a ton of scrap wood that I can make flowerboxes out of, and then I could "borrow" some of my mom's flowers to fill them with! Do minis usually get any knee or joint problems from jumping?

 

[Mini Horse Lover]

Some do when they get older and some do that are poorly put together. A horse that has correct conformation is what you want to do any performance. At least you have ideas and are creative! I on the other hand are not haha! As long as you don't work him too hard he should be fine. Otherwise if you have any doubts then give some joint supplements. But horses cannot jump until 3 years old at shows. So as long as he is old enough you should be fine! Good luck!

 

[targetsmom]

Just adding some tips to what has been said: I start ours over a log if one is handy so they get used to being "honest" and not cheating. Ours all LOVE to jump but I do have a couple who will play games and knock jumps down with their nose or leg if they feel like it. Not in the ring, just in practice! I jump mostly at Pinto shows where I know that the jumps they use don't go higher than 30" so I don't jump higher than I need to. I set up 4 jumps in the back yard, which I change frequently by adding flowers, latice, fake bricks, etc. and I try to go over the course twice at a time, several times a week. Part of this training is to condition ME so I can make it through the course in the ring! I vary the direction, the pattern, and the heights so they get used to judging distances and how high to jump and try to make sure they can jump CONSISTENT. If they knock a jump down, they must go over it again, even if it has to be lowered so they can do it. After they complete the course (twice) they get to eat a bit of grass. I know lots of people who wouldn't do that but it works for me. That is the only training treat they ever get. I enter both hunter and jumper by training them to trot for hunter, and moving faster for jumper and not giving the command to trot.

Of course, this is after I start them on ground poles, the log and small jumps. Also, I never jump if the grass is wet and they might slip, or of couse, if the ground is icy or frozen.

Good luck! There are lots of photos of jumping on our website.