How do I teach my horse how to jump?

Question

My mare is a 7 yr. old App. She has only been trained for about 2 years, but walks/trots very well. She is just becoming balanced at the canter, and is starting to collect it on her own, but it isn't a perfect collected canter. I have been trotting and cantering over jumps about 6"-1 ft., and she has been clearing them, but whenever I raise them any higher she knocks them down. How do I fix this, and how can I get her more versital as a jumping horse? She seems to love jumping, but I don't want to spend the money to have her trained. Any tips?

Basically, she is jumping fine, but if i raise it any higher than 12 ft, she seems to try, but I can feel she just isn't into it. But even at like 10 in. she clears it fine. As I said, she has alot of training in walk trot,and her canter is getting there. I did ask her trainer if she thought she was ready to jump and she said she could. Am I making any sense here?

By the way, she doesn't wear any shoes in winter (september to about april/may), and the vet looked over her about 1 month ago, said she was fine. That help any? Could it mabye have to do with her being more stocky, but yet fine boned. She lookes more western than english, but definetly has english gaits.

Sorry, I meant 12 inches, not feet.

Answer 1

Mabey shes telling you that shes not ready to have it raised yet. It takes time and practice. Mabey one day you can stick to trotting poles and the next go to little tiny tiny x's. Hopefully she will start to feel comfortable picking up her feet and going over the jump. When she feels comfortable start to raise it up a bit. Good luck:)

Answer 2

I think you might be pushing a 7 year old a little too fast.
Let her play with her comfort zone for a while longer.
But maybe, also have the vet check her for any bone and joint problem and look at her shoeing too.

By the way you didn't mention by how many inches over a foot you raised the bar. So I am going to suggest only one inch at a time, and YEAH, still have the Vet look at her for any joint dis-orders

Answer 3

Teaching a horse to leap may also be elaborate on the grounds that if some thing does pass incorrect it might probably quite quite flip them off leaping perpetually! Some horses certainly love to leap and a few do not! You must bear in mind whether or not your horse honestly WANTS to leap. Just on the grounds that a horse will leap over an quandary within the wild does not imply it needs to leap on a consistent groundwork, it additionally does not imply it is legs are constructed for steady leaping. Because she used to be certainly not used as a jumper earlier than it might be viable that after she used to be more youthful any one else observed she wasn't going to be a jumper! Lets say that her legs are first-class and she or he does like leaping, then you are going to must begin gradual. Getting a well teacher might aid plenty! If now not, then begin with poles, running on straightness and methods. Then transfer directly to small jumps. Depending on what goes incorrect you must make extraordinary corrections. If it is jogging out then you'll construct shoots on your jumps in order that she is not equipped to expire or if she does she nonetheless has to leap over some thing to avert leaping the leap immediately forward (making the edges higher than the leap itself is helping with making her desire to head over the leap). If it is not selecting up her legs over the fence you'll check out utilising your crop to inspire her. Riding her extra typically might additionally aid. Good good fortune!