TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TROT JUMPS

Are you practicing enough trot jumps? Many people don’t realize just how beneficial they can be. Even if you don’t do them in the show ring—for example, as you do in equitation or Handy Hunter classes—they can be a valuable part of your training program. Trot jumps are excellent for working on a young horse’s balance and timing over small jumps while his canter is still developing. At this stage, with most young horses, it’s easier to regulate the trot stride than the canter stride. By sitting quietly in the approach to the jump, you allow your horse to figure out the takeoff spot on his own. This will help him develop his own “eye” and learn how to adjust his stride without relying entirely on you to control the distances. You can then gradually progress to trotting into one jump and then cantering slowly down a line to another, which will teach your young horse to stay steady and relaxed when jumping from the canter.

For nervous or spooky horses, trotting jumps is a great way to build confidence. It gives them more time to study the fences in the approach. After they figure out how easy it is to pop over small fences from this slower speed, they quickly realize that they don’t have to race at the jumps and push hard off the ground to clear them. The slower and more relaxed they learn to be on takeoff and landing, the better their jumping efforts become.

For horses who tend to rush their approaches, making the trot jump something solid, like a wall or flower box, “holds” the horse off the jump—makes him respect it enough to actually jump it, rather than just step over it. This also