When young horses are introduced to jumping, it is important that they are already established in flat work to a certain point. They must be responsive to the rider's aids, otherwise this could put the horse and rider at risk because the rider may not be able to stop the horse if something goes wrong. They must also have a sure step, trot and canter, if this is not in order jumping should not be introduced as it will be difficult for the horse to jump. When introducing jumping, ground poles should be used initially, only one ground pole should be used initially to show the horse what to do and get him used to the idea of ​​climbing over the poles. To begin with, the horse should be introduced to the pole at a walk, as he gains more confidence he can be introduced to the trot. At this early stage the horse should not be led into the pen at a gallop as it is more difficult for the horse to remain balanced. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Once the horse has become comfortable with one pole, you can introduce several poles, this will help the horse establish a rhythm in the trot and through the poles, if the horse has difficulty maintaining straightness, place two poles parallel to the start and end of the poles to help guide the horse through the poles. Once the horse has become comfortable with the trotting posts it is time to introduce a small fence, first a cross post with a positioning post should be used. This is the best option because a small transverse pole is a fence that invites the horse to jump, it also helps the horse to stay straight during the approach because the rider has an easy point to aim at, the stimulating pole is also effective because it tracks exactly where the horse's legs need to go, this ensures that the horse meets the fence with the correct pace and does not take off too early or late, which could frighten the horse itself. It is important to leave all fences small so that the horse can still jump them even if he loses rhythm or momentum. All of this should be done initially at a trot, but as the horse gains confidence, the placing post can be changed to a canter post and the horse can approach the fence at a canter. Once the horse has confidently jumped a single fence, additional fences can be added to form a grid. To begin with, an extra fence can be added to the previous exercise at a distance of a few steps, the type of fence can be varied: it could be another cross post to start with to get the horse used to the fence, but then it can be transformed into a small vertical to encourage the horse to lift the front. A positioning post should be placed between two fences to help the horse maintain pace in the canter between the two fences. Then a third fence can be added a stone's throw from the second, this should eventually be made into an ascending oxer which will encourage the horse to jump correctly and form a shape over the fence. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay A simple grid like the example just given is very useful when training horses to jump because it gives the horse confidence when jumping through the grid because it is set up and controlled so that the horse is less likely to get the approach wrong . It also improves the horses' pace and momentum between fences by bringing the fences closer together. There