04/08/2026
One of the reasons we spend lots of time polishing the basics before a rider is ready to jump :)
Is Your Student Actually Ready To Jump? Here Is How To Know...
Introducing jumping too early is one of the fastest ways to shake a student's confidence and create problems that will take time to fix. Here is what needs to be in place before any student points their horse at an obstacle:
1. A secure independent two point.
Not a two point that sort of works on a straight line. A two point that holds up through transitions, through turns, and over a line of ground poles without the rider needing their hands to stay balanced. Test it by asking your student to hold two point with arms extended at the walk and trot. If the hands come forward to grab mane or reins the moment things get wobbly, they are not ready. Take the reins away on a quiet school horse and make them find their balance without that safety net. A rider who cannot balance independently in two point on the flat has no business being in that position over a fence.
2. Solid no stirrup work.
Stirrups can get lost going over fences and things can happen fast. Before a student starts jumping they need to be genuinely comfortable riding transitions, posting trot, and short periods of two point without stirrups - not just surviving it but riding it with some semblance of control and balance. If losing a stirrup is a crisis on the flat, it will be a much bigger crisis on the other side of a jump. Build no stirrup work into every lesson from early in your program and keep building it consistently. By the time jumping becomes part of the conversation it should feel like a non event.
3. The ability to ride a straight line away from the rail.
Students who spend all their time on the rail are not getting the steering practice they need for jumping. Before a fence comes into the picture, your student should be able to trot a straight diagonal, ride a centerline without drifting, and navigate through a narrow set of cones or poles with intention and accuracy. Jumping is flatwork with an obstacle in the middle of it. If the flatwork is not straight and controlled the jump will not be either.
4. Extensive ground pole work.
There is a reason the best jumper riders in the world spend a significant portion of their training time on ground poles. Trotting and cantering over poles teaches rhythm, adjustability, balance, and the feel of managing the horse's stride to a spot - all without the impact and risk of a real fence. Run your students through pole grids, flowing pole courses, single poles on a circle, and poles on a straight line before anything goes up. A student who has ridden hundreds of ground poles confidently will barely notice when the poles go up a few inches for the first time. A student who has not will be surprised by something that should have felt familiar.
5. Genuine willingness and not just bravado.
Some students say they want to jump but their body language tells you something completely different. Tight shoulders, held breath, a death grip on the reins at the sight of a ground pole... these are signs that the rider needs more time and more confidence building before the poles go up. A fearful rider who jumps before they are mentally ready develops defensive habits that become deeply ingrained and very hard to correct later. Wait for genuine, relaxed confidence... it is worth the patience.
There is no shortcut to a safe, confident jumping foundation. The instructors who rush it create problems. The instructors who take the time to build it properly produce riders who jump with a relaxed seat, a quiet hand, and a smile on their face.
Build the foundation first - the fences will still be there when they are ready.
What do you require from your students before introducing jumping? Drop your standards in the comments... I want to hear what works in your program.
