June 2009

Patience, Rails and Gymnastics

Exercises to teach horses not to rush their fences.

Usually, rushing results from one of two causes: The horse just genuinely loves to jump and is overeager about the task, or he’s been poorly trained and is frightened, seeking to "get it over with as fast as possible." It’s easier to settle horses who love jumping too much than it is to calm the nerves of horses who’ve been

This is a simple gymnastic, with rails set 9 to 10 feet before and after the jump.

frightened.

The most basic exercise to develop your horse’s understanding of jumping and trust in you is to place rails on both sides of a crossrail or vertical (2 to 3 feet). Each rail should be 8 to 9 feet from the jump, depending on your horse’s size and stride,…