If a very young horse, I like to do ground work and then introduce working over fences in hand, I never make it a traumatic thing so they don’t feel like that they have to rush. Ground poles, logs, x’s and barrels. Hand walk and lungeline and eventually a jump shoot. But, I prefer Hacking out on trials or pastures with an experienced/quiet horse and rider to help. Walking/ trotting over sticks, logs, creeks, anything that looks like a jump. Then translate the experience in the arena, poles, logs, and x’s then working up, never to scare the horse.
I like the logs and such on trails but for serious starting I like ground poles and grids.
I took some people’s advice today and trotted my almost-4-year-old over a few logs on a nearby XC course as his first jump session with a rider aboard! He free jumped once in a clinic (one of the USEA future event horse ones) and a couple times over tiny poles in my arena. Here are a few videos:
First log, one direction: https://youtu.be/O0KssXYUmyo
First log, second direction: https://youtu.be/TI0vCeUHX-o
Different log: https://youtu.be/xYa9QfSTKUw
Trotting through the water jump and out over a log: https://youtu.be/SRQIlYSiKck
I think he is pretty darn cute! I’m really looking forward to doing more. 
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I don’t “start a horse over fences”. Ground poles scattered around the ring are part of the very first rides. Then 2 of the are put one stride apart. Moving along to a ‘pile o’ poles’ (three poles - 2 on the bottom and one on top).
Gradually moving up to tiny X’s, etc. With a young horse I do not do flat work, and then jump work. It is all part of a day’s ride so the young horse never learns to think that jumping is something that is exciting.
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This is quite brilliant and makes so much sense. I’m stashing this one in the tool box for sure! Hell, I may do it for my already jumping mare and incorporate poles in random places in our flat work as she gets really frustrated when she is bored and over doing the same thing (because all we can do right now is basically walk trot and canter as she has consistency issues). Thanks LH! Very helpful!
A short vid of a Steeplechase trainer talking about. “HOW DO YOU TRAIN A HORSE TO JUMP”
https://www.facebook.com/MiddleburgSpringRaces/videos/982450095190615/
