I have a partial leaser for my horse who has been leasing for about 3 months. She is solid at 2 foot to 2’3 and takes jumping lessons 2x/week. She is asking if she can move up and jump 2’9-3 feet. In my opinion, she is not ready, but it begs the question of how to define the milestones to move up? My horse will pack someone around at 2’3 but not 2’9. The horse needs help at that height.
not a trainer nor instructor but if this were my horse it would be hard no that the rider can not exceed 2’3" on My horse
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I have an eventer but after 2’6” maintenance costs and wear and tear go up. You carry the burden of retiring him if rider leasing breaks him.
Your horse, your rules. You don’t need a reason as it’s your horse.
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Here is what I would go by (I am an instructor of beginners to low jumping) …
#1 Are they keeping their heels down over jumps?
Both sitting to the jump and in two-point to the jump.
Heels down is what keeps us on the horse. But when things start to happen, humans naturally get nervous and their body pushes down on the toes, without notification to the human. It takes time and practice to get to where the heels stay down, and the motion is moving through their ankles, knees and hips.
If those heels are popping up over more interesting obstacles, then ‘no’ on the move up.
#2 Are their hands and arms flowing naturally forward to give the horse its head over the top?
If not, the horse feels constrained. Increasing the chance of awkward jumps that unbalance the rider. Plus, bigger chance of the horse dodging out to the side. If heels are also up, more chance the rider falls off.
#3 Are horse and rider together comfortable over cantering poles spaced on the ground? Are they comfortable over grids? Sitting and in two point.
Heels down, hands, arms, body all basically correct. Absorbing the various motions of the horse.
#4 What about modest oxers over their current or lower height?
Horses tend to make a bit more effort over the oxer. Even if not very wide. It’s a chance to see what happens when more effort happens.
Move-ups can happen very incrementally. You don’t have to bump up the poles a full 3". Figure out X’s or just raising one side of the jump, not the other, to give the horse something that will not inspire a big change in their jump.
To keep a rider inspired, one can focus on the level they are at now, and give little tastes of the next one up, lesson after lesson. As they are ready, adding more of the level up. Eventually the instructor realizes they are truly ready for more of the next level up.
Along with that – getting a taste of the next level often reinforces to a rider how much they still need to learn before they are ready! They may decide on their own what needs to be much better to be ready to progress.
AND – of course! Grab the name over the top! And/or put the hands on the top of the neck to brace the upper body and keep the rider from dropping too forward on the landing. If the rider feels comfortable with the bigger jump, they will stop grabbing or pushing on the mane/neck on their own.
Show stoppers – Riders who regularly land with their upper body dropping down, as if they can’t control it better. That is prime position for a fall over the horse’s shoulder if anything is not quite on point. Same for heels sticking up, the more, the worse. That pushes riders right out of the saddle.
Choice of horse is a big deal, too. Not the over-jumper, but the flat-backed steady eddy for the move-up.
Work on: Two-point on the flat, riding off the ankle with a heel below the stirrup bar. Figure 8’s and other maneuvers without the heel climbing up. The more that is going on with the ride, the more the rider can’t focus on any one body part, and the more that heel needs to be automatically down.
Also hands up the neck and gathering the rein for control. It is not enough to ride to a jump and go over. Riders have to be able to control the horse and steer to the next turn or jump. A LOT of verbal coaching is needed, because humans can only think about so many things, and when there is so much that isn’t yet automatic, they forget the most important: heels down, hands forward over the jump.
IMO and experience, if the instructor can get the rider to focus on their heels top priority, and the rider can do that – they can learn to do almost anything on a horse, with confidence. But if heels down aren’t consistent, then the horse is experiencing so many balance changes and disruptions that a lot of things become frustrating.
Just some opinions. I want my students to be more than ready so that when they do the next level skill, it feels comfortable to them. Not scary. Hopefully. But nothing is a gaurantee.
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So what I posted above is about the rider … but as others have said, if my horse is not a packer at 2’9", and needs help from a rider, a first-timer at that height can not give them that help.
Horses determine what instructors are able to offer in lessons. That is the bottom line.
There is a lot of credit to an instructor if a student graduates from your program to move on to another program that can offer more. Probably at more expense to the student. That is the reality of horse sport.
If the student would like to stay with you, then maybe re-focus on different interesting things at the level the horse is good with. Handy courses with trot fences and tasks. Jumping figure 8 patterns. There are some good books out there that have a ton of jump patterns that can be ridden at any height.
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These are the best, because they will immediately tell the rider they are not ready. I generally let the beggars jump one higher jump, and then explain all the reasons why the horse went by it, stopped, or jumped them into the stratosphere. Generally this has a much stronger impact than just telling them they aren’t ready to jump higher.
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These are the best, because they will immediately tell the rider they are not ready. I generally let the beggars jump one higher jump, and then explain all the reasons why the horse went by it, stopped, or jumped them into the stratosphere. Generally this has a much stronger impact than just telling them they aren’t ready to jump higher.
I like it. Let the horse tell her
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Is there a reason she’s skipping the 2’ 6" and moving straight from 2 feet to 3 feet? That’s a huge difference in height, width, skill, and scope.
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I think she has visions of moving up to bigger jumps without knowing the perils. I am trying to think of a way of explaining and yet keeping it fun without hurting her feelings or scaring her.
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Maybe have her jump a 2’3 skinny oxer herself - like step over it - and then set it for her jump a 3’ oxer with normal spread to jump over 
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Along with rider position and strength - the ability to count strides, be accurate with distances, adjust a horse as needed in the middle of a line is much more critical as you move up. Most horses can bail a rider out of a bad spot at 2 ft but try the same thing with a 3 ft oxer and it won’t be pretty.
I have been to a few local shows recently and witnessed so many people jumping higher than they should. I get it, when I was younger all I wanted to do was move up but looking back on it I am so grateful that I had a trainer who was very conservative about letting people move up.
Does she show? If not, are there any local shows she could go to? That can be a good way to first, make riding more exciting but also, allow her to get a feel for her ability compared to others and to give opportunities for her to critically evaluate her own riding and focus on doing well at her current level.
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It’s great that your leaser is enthusiastic and wants to progress, but I think it’s important to separate being solid and safe at one level from being ready to move up . At 2’–2’3 she’s riding confidently, and your horse is able to pack her around without much input. At 2’9–3’, though, the horse needs a rider who can support him with timing, balance, and adjustability—not just steering and staying on.
A good way to define milestones to her/for her (?)for moving up might be:
- Consistently able to ride courses at current height with rhythm, balance, and correct pace.
- Demonstrates the ability to see a distance or at least make an adjustment when things don’t come up perfectly.
- a secure enough position to stay out of the horse’s way and help him when he needs it.
- good flatwork skills (transitions, adjustability, bending lines) since those set up the jumps.
- Trainer’s feedback supports readiness to safely ride the horse at the higher height.
Jumping bigger isn’t just about clearing the fences—it’s about being able to ride the horse in a way that keeps him confident and safe. For your situation, I think it’s fair to say she can keep building skills at 2’3–2’6 until she’s strong and consistent enough that moving up won’t overface either her or your horse. Unless you think she has all those pieces.
I wouldn’t put my HORSE in that position.
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This.
You’ve gotten good info & advice about how to guage a rider’s readiness to move up.
But your horse s/b your main concern, not Iessor’s feelings.
Are you confident the trainer is capable of doing what lessor wants without compromising your horse’s soundness?
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That’s kind of a weird jump in height imo. Usually you see riders and horses getting comfortable and proficient at 2’6” first. Then the 2’9” thrown in during lessons to gauge ability to move up. There really is a difference in navigating a 3 foot course. And I’m just talking about riders if the horse truly doesn’t need the wear and tear of the larger height then the point is moot.
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These have all been great suggestions. Thanks very much!
I will add that I’m not the teen’s Instructor and was surprised myself that she was thinking about jumping even bigger jumps. I will confess that I want my horse to last as long as possible and am not keen on putting extra wear on the horse. I think there is much to be learned at 2’3-2’6, but want to be polite about it. I doubt she knows that actual cost of a 3 foot hunter.
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I don’t think I knew she was a teen, I think that explains the jump from 2’ to 3’! Teenagers get a lot of social pressure to jump bigger because everyone else is jumping bigger.
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What does your lease contract say?
If it doesn’t specify - I would edit that.
Adult ammy currently leasing - i am leasing from my trainer but even if i was leasing outside of my trainer (have historically) my contract states things like
“horse does not jump over 1.0m under any circumstances” (hes 20)
“horse does not jump any time outside of lessons or shows where trainer is present, no showing without trainer XYZ”
“height horse jumps under 1.0m is determined by trainer XYZ with prior communication to owner ABC based on progress in lessons and show results”
“If rider wishes to jump greater than 1.0m the lease can be terminated with 60 days notice or owner will evaluate new terms and issue a new contract with an additional lease fee”
trainer determines if kid AND horse (as a pair) are ready to move up in height
teens / kids are weird – they say shit all the time that they have no ability or opportunity to do
can say - a .90m+ horse comes at a VERY different price point for a lease - more than a lot of folks in LCOL / MCOL annual mortgage, especially one that will “pack”.
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In an excellent lesson program I was a part of; the progression was like this: first, you jumped a bigger fence as the out of a gymnastic.
Then, you jumped single fences at that new height, maybe with a placement rail on either side to accustom the rider to the step required.
Then, you jumped a related distance, usually 6 - 8 strides at that height. You also needed to add and leave out a stride in the related distance at the new height.
If you did all that competently, you could attempt a course at the bigger height.
If the wheels came off at any time in that process, you stayed at the lower height.
If they got all the way to jumping the course, and just had trouble staying organized and planning their track, we’d give it a little more time.
But all of this ignores the bigger issue: do you want your horse doing this? Or do you want to preserve him as a 2’/2’3" packer? I absolutely think that having your horse jump around at 2’9" or 3" on the regular requires a renegotiation of the lease. That is, higher lease fees to compensate you for the wear and tear on your horse.
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I’d also involve the rider’s jump instructor. I assume she’s on the same page as you. Let her be the bad cop and tell the teen why she’s not ready to move up to 3’ after 3 months! No reason it should all be on you if you’re concerned about a negative reaction.
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Many good points being made.
I’d have a conversation with this rider and ask why she wants to jump 2’9" - 3’. People can have some interesting reasons, and it seems that it is rarely what we assumed it would be.
Teens especially are heavily influenced by what their friends/peers are doing, even if those people are in a different program. And/or they saw a show with that group on youtube or in person, and that lit a fire.
I’ve heard that the big step up is wanted because ‘her cousin is doing it, they are the same age’, or because ‘I went to an event and I’m going to be a 5* rider and enter Kentucky!’, or ‘I went with my parents to Big Prize Jumper Night at the giant annual horse show and I know I can do that too!’
Offering some comparisons can help them re-status to reality. ‘You know Boyd Martin rode for ___ years before he ever competed at the Kentucky 5*’ [can leave out the million details, they don’t matter]. ‘You know that Jumper Queen/Hunter Queen/Dressage Diva was raised by her pro trainer mom and has been a pro herself since she was 17’ [doesn’t matter if it isn’t even legal].
Adults tend to be better grounded and have a sense of self-preservation. Especially if their upbringing and career ingrained in them stepladder achievements, one built on another. They can be given some criteria for ‘safety’, and other pre-requisite goals, and buy into it. There are a few adults who want it all, right now. If that’s feasible on all fronts, that’s one thing. If feasibility is light years away, maybe into infinity, it might be time to politely shuffle that one off to a different trainer who indulges student fantasies.
All that said … some students can’t be pleased. If there is enough disconnect and friction between the student and the program, sometimes it is time to let them go another way, in another program. But that goes beyond a simply ambitious student. It’s one who is unrealistic and beginning to poison the pond (pushing other students to feel dissatisfied with the program) and the trainer’s nerves, every time she’s being heard.
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