1. Long Lines of Show Horses
Horses have been used in competitions dating back to the early 1700s. They were taken out on foxhunts and put through jumping trails among the wealthy in every culture. Horses have been included in the Olympic games since they first started. The Olympics in Paris in 1900 featured horses in high jumps, long jumps and show jumping competitions. Points were awarded for how the horse and rider showed, their endurance and their skills. Horse and rider become one as they tackle a varying degree of difficult maneuvers and jumps.
2. Get in the Right Saddle
Early riders learned that jumping a horse is difficult using an English saddle because the stirrups are too long. Instead, a saddle with shorter stirrups that the rider can keep close to the horse's midsection is better. The seat on a jumping saddle is shorter and closer to the center of gravity on the horse. It is imperative that horse and rider are harmonious while they take the leaps.
3. Finding the Right Horse
While any horse can learn to jump, Arabian horses and American Quarter horses usually make for better jumpers. Horses by nature prefer to walk around obstacles and walls. It is only the really brave and high-spirited horses that take a jump of their own accord. Good training of both the rider and the horse are required to get a horse ready for an equestrian event. Riders must remain relaxed and forward so as not to spook the horse into being fearful of a jump. Horses, like human long-jumpers, need to be physically inclined to making long leaps and high jumps. They must have a sense of balance and be able to judge distances well.
4. Train in Moderation
When first beginning to train a horse and rider to jump, the obstacles should be placed far enough apart to let the horse get a good stride before attempting the jump. A straight course is the easiest to master and training should not progress until the horse and rider have mastered the most basic course. Little by little, you can raise the jumps and move them closer together. Building curves and turns into the course also can be included as the horse becomes a more confident jumper. Pushing a horse too soon could make him shy about jumping and stall the training.
5. Creating a Course
The first jump that a horse takes can be as low as a few inches off the ground. A pole set between two posts can be used to raise the height little by little. Eventually you should add two poles on top of each other and water obstacles for the horse to master and train for a competition. In show jumping, a horse must jump long over many different obstacles in a variety of different patterns and distances.
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