teaching my mare to jump

Im training my horse to start jumping.she is a 15 hh 4 yr old tn walker/quarter horse mix.im just doing jumping so she wont get bored.i mainly ride western with her but I can ride english too.i started her doing poles on the ground to lengthen her stride then I raised them slightly.then I started jumping barrels with her using clinton andersonms methods.i only jump her on the lounge line but I went trail riding yesterday and she jumped a 3 foot log.can people jump horses in a wetsern saddle?im not going to do any competitions wth her but id like to start little jumps with her 1-2 times a week so she doesnt get tired of doing one thing.right now all she is doing is barrel racing and trail riding.i know a little bit about jumping but I do not know how to position myself so im looking at english jumping lessons.she seems to like to jump and she never touches the barrels.ill get pics and maybe a video when it dries up.(its been raining since this morning)

Hm... I personally wouldn't start her jumping much more than one or maybe two feet. As for jumping in a Western saddle... some people do it, but I never would. Most Western saddles are a lot heavier than English saddles and don't move very well with the horses. If you are going to jump, I'd either go bareback or invest in an English saddle... and if you're just training her to jump, and you don't know your position, I'd recommend getting jumping lessons on a trained horse before you train her... one little mistake and a lot can happen.

I wouldn't jump in a western saddle, but I know some people do...your call.I would DEFINITELY get involoed with a hunter/jumper trainer. They can help you learn to jump and then help you teach your horse how. They may put you on one of their lesson horses to start with since theirs already know how to jump. Definitely worth the money though. Good luck!

Please please please take lessons yourself first, or find a good English rider to help start your horse jumping. Two inexperienced jumpers trying to learn how is not a good idea. And I wouldn't jump in a Western saddle either. I'd imagine that it would interfere with effectiveness, for both you and the horse.

the saddle I ride in is a lightweight 15 inch western trail riding saddle.it doesnt weight like some of the wetsern saddles do.i can easily lift it with one of my arms.

I would advise getting an english saddle. Jumping in western saddles tend to result in getting left behind-therefore hitting the horse in the mouth. I have also seen people get the horn stuck under their ribcage while jumping which resulted in broken ribs

Yeah... jumping lessons could be good for you. I don't agree with everyone who tries to make training with jumping such a big deal if you aren't going to compete:S I mean I just winged it with my horse and we are both doing excellent. Of course, I knew a little about jumping. We are both very experienced jumpers now and I didn't stick to any schedule or anything. I also taught him bareback.

As for the Western thing, it's fine with small jumps. No more than 1.5 ft. If you get 2 feet+ never use one. IMO.

^^Although sometimes an inexperienced jumper paired with an inexperienced horse will work out just fine, too often it doesn't. People will innocently try to teach their horse how to jump, and end up doing more bad than good. The safest best way for both a rider and horse to go is to invest a little time into taking a few lessons, at least to get the basics down. Training will go much smoother for both you and your horse.

Western saddles are not made for jumping like english saddles are. Western saddles are heavier then english saddles and sit on the horse differently. Like drew said, western saddles can make you get left behind causing you to catch your horse in the mouth.

Western saddles sit on your horses back differently then english saddles do, like I said. They hit certain pressure points and restrict the horses movement. This can cause serious back problems later on. If your going to jump your mare you should do it english or bareback. It is okay to jump western everyone once and a while, if you have to. Just try not to make a habit of it, it can cause your pretty little girl pain.

Sorry if I sounded rude, I didn't mean to, just wanted to get the point across. :)

I agree that you really need to have a jumping instructor come and help you out at least once... just so you have SOME sort of direction. Also, I personally would invest in a jumping saddle... it doesn't have to be expensive, so long as it fits your horse properly. If you're unsure how to fit a jumping saddle, ask the instructor for in assistance in that as well. Jumping in a western saddle is -- as others have already mentioned -- hard on the horse's back, even if it is light, and you WILL run the risk of breaking ribs.

Personally, I would NEVER jump a 4 year old more than once a week, even if it is over low obstacles. Horse's bones aren't done maturing until they are around 5 or 6 years, and at the age of four they are, believe it or not, STILL getting used to their body and growing legs. Babies tend to be clumsy, and -- let's face it -- if you don't know how to properly set up the horse for taking off, going over, and landing off a fence... it could be very easy for a young clumsy horse to land wrong and injure the immature bones & ligaments. Obviously, low fences shouldn't pose such a threat, but until you know how to hold a horse up, two-point CORRECTLY over the top, and balance them evenly in the landing, I'd stay away from those three feet logs for a year or two.

Jumping appears to be so easy, and for some horse & rider partners, IS. But it is also VERY dangerous, and one bad jumping experience could scar you & your horse forever... both physically or mentally.

Be safe, have fun, and good luck! :)