Favorite jumping exercises for your green jumpers

[ParadoxFarm]

Okay, I have a green jumper, though he’s not young. He’s an OTTB. He raced, then we got him off the track a week after his last race. We did basic retraining, then he had some time off. Now I’m starting to bring him back. Right now we’re just doing pole/X or small vertical/pole. He’s still figuring out where to put his feet when he jumps, but he’s doing fairly well. He gets a little rushy after the jump sometimes, but not horribly so. It’s been a while since I’ve started a greeny over fences.

So what are your favorite exercises?

[IPEsq]

I keep it really simple. Until it’s boring. Then make it harder until that’s boring. Like what you are doing to start. Then maybe trot in and canter out a line. If rushing, trot in and trot out first. When that’s decent, then some simple trot in gymnastics. And for ones that are quick, a single, low jump on about a 20m circle for the canter work. Keeping them on the bend helps maintain any throughness you can achieve and helps to control the pace without getting grabby with 2 hands. Use the steering to help them relax and not rush. These days I also work a lot on the rideability and increasing the difficulty of questions asked on tiny jumps before I put the jumps higher. Maybe mix in one day occasionally higher via a simple grid (once relaxed in the small ones) to help him figure out form (or free jump if you have a good place for it) but I tend to avoid pounding the legs anymore until I get the steering and the forward and back and balance figured out over poles to Xs to 18”.

Also avoid putting the jumps up to get them to slow down / back off, which I have seen some people do. That is skipping some steps. I would rather put the jumps up when that makes the horse a little more bold / having fun compared to boring baby exercises, not because I need a bigger speed bump.

[ParadoxFarm]

Great advice, IPEsq. Thank you for your thoughts. I think you’re right about keeping the size small until he gets bored at that height.

[Phean]

I’ve just restarted an OTTB after not ridding for 20. We did a lot of trotting into jumps and lots of figure 8s- so after the jump each time turn a different way. You can also put a canter poll on the ground after the jump (correct distance for horse size). After we did mostly trot into jumps and she’s steady we add in one canter jump then back to a trot until it’s totally boring and you work up to a canter of several jumps. Ive also done a ton of flat work- mostly on the right since at the track they are mostly worked to the left. Lots of leg yielding - on a circle as well as down the side. If he’s really rushing: trot-jump-half halt even down to a walk.

[ParadoxFarm]

Thanks, Phean. Yes, we’ve been using a canter pole before and after the jumps, which helps.

I think it’s time to dust off my Jimmy Wofford gymnastic books.

[TatteredDaydreamer]

This is fabulous advice!

[pony_grandma]

Gymnastics all the way! Put him thru without a rider to ‘find his feet’ first.

[fargaloo1]

@IPEsq

Also avoid putting the jumps up to get them to slow down / back off, which I have seen some people do. That is skipping some steps.

Yes, yes, yes! All great advice, but this in particular— it can be so easy to blow a horse’s confidence. We let them make mistakes they can learn from. If they make a mistake over something easy for them, they learn to be sharper and pay attention to the aids. If they make a mistake over something that is too difficult, they learn that jumping is scary and their rider is not to be trusted.

[endlessclimb]

Frankly, I lunge a LOT over fences. Lets them figure out what to do if they come in close, if they take a flier. Lets you see their natural tendencies, so you can be ready for them when in the saddle.

[Larbear]

Also, are you doing any pole work?

[ParadoxFarm]

Yep, we’re doing poles. Right now we are doing cavelleti, we’re doing a pole/jump/pole and we’re doing a single crossrail. He’s progressing, so yay!

Thanks for all the advice. I did pull out my Wofford books and I set up the simple grid to start working on and we’ll add to it as he progresses.

[Larbear]

If you’re not already doing it, even just keeping poles on the ground (no jumps) is good for working on the quality of the canter and developing their foot work.