I remember when my friend told me of the first time she ever jumped a horse(love this story!)
She was 7 years old and had NEVER ridden a horse before. She got a lesson in Italy and rode this huge horse. She didn't even wear a helmet! The instructor got her doing all this stuff and finally said that she should jump something. He set her up with a crossrail and kept building it higher and higher until it was four feet!!! She jumped it and almost fell off(no helmet), but she stayed on. I would have loved to do that my first lesson.....................