SECOND Nowra February 2010

Free Jumping

If you have a young horse that is destined to a life of jumping, or if you are looking to sell a young, unstarted horse, free jumping is an excellent way not only to evaluate your horse’s potential over fences, but also to give him a head start into the world of jumping.

Free jumping is the process in which you ask your horse to jump over one or more jumps when working free in the arena. While this can be done with nothing more than a single jump along the side of the arena, it is better to set up a jumping chute to prevent refusals.

A free jumping chute can be as long or short as you want, but ideally it should cover the length of the long side of your arena. The chute should be as wide as your jump poles, generally 10-12’ in width. The entrance of the chute should be open so that you can either lead your horse into the chute, or allow the horse to enter the chute freely. The exit can either be open, so that your horse may exit freely to continue jumping, or it can be closed (usually against the end wall of your arena) so that you can catch your horse and lead him back to the entrance of the chute.

Within the chute, a horse can be asked to jump a single jump, or a series of jumps designed to improve his form or test his jumping ability. Usually you would start out with something simple such as a pole on the ground, and then you would progress to more complicated combinations of jumps.

Acrylic Paint on Canvas
75cm X 60cm

Original Painting is For Sale unframed – POA