How to teach a horse to jump over a fence

Source: horseandhound

A notch is one of the classic triathlon hurdles. An English sportswoman-hunter – Amy Smith will tell about this obstacle and how to overcome it correctly.

“The notch most often scares the rider more than the horse itself, because of this mistakes are made. The most common of these is when the rider sends the horse to the barrier in order to “fly over” it faster, which is fundamentally wrong.

How to cross the notch correctly (Amy’s tips):

1. You should not start jumping immediately filled with branches a notch. For the first jump, it is worth leaving the branches only on the sides of the barrier. As the horse and rider begin to get used to it, you can gradually begin to fill the barrier with foliage towards the center.

2. Before the notch, you can put a pole to emphasize you and your horse on an even rhythm. The notch should be overcome clearly and concentratedly, and an additional pole-hint for the first time will help you learn how to move steadily at the same pace.

3. As soon as you feel a uniform movement, remove the “hint”. Try to keep confidence and rhythm. Gradually increase the height and volume of the notch.

4. If your horse is still hesitant to clear the fence, you can put V-poles on both sides to help him. So the horse will be able to see a more accurate trajectory of the jump and it will be much easier to overcome the notch.

Source: horseandhound