08/11/2026
A perfect description of what we focus on here at Dronfield Equestrian! No shortcuts, no guessing, high standards of solid foundations!
Introducing jumping too early is one of the most common mistakes in lesson programs and the consequences are not just a bad experience. They are confidence damage that can take months to repair, horses that become defensive and tense over fences, and riders who develop defensive habits that become deeply ingrained and very hard to undo. The foundation that makes jumping safe and successful takes time to build. Here is what actually needs to be in place before the poles go up...
1. A secure independent two point that does not rely on the hands.
Not a two point that looks acceptable on a straight line. A two point that holds up through turns, through transitions, and over a line of ground poles without the rider needing their hands to stay balanced. The test is simple: can your student hold two point with arms outstretched at the walk and trot without grabbing mane or reins the moment something changes? If the hands come forward every time the horse moves unexpectedly the position is not ready. Build it on the lunge, build it without stirrups, and build it until it holds up under pressure before anything goes up on a standard.
2. Solid no stirrup work.
A landing over a fence is unpredictable and stirrups get lost at the worst possible moments. Before a student starts jumping they need to be genuinely comfortable posting trot, riding transitions, and holding two point without stirrups - not just surviving it but riding it with real stability and balance. Build no stirrup work into every single lesson from early in your program. By the time jumping enters the conversation losing a stirrup should be a minor inconvenience not a crisis.
3. The ability to ride a straight line away from the rail.
Most students spend the majority of their lesson time tracking around the arena on the rail and have far less experience than they realize riding accurate straight lines away from it. Before a jump enters the picture a student should be able to trot a straight diagonal, ride a clean centerline, navigate through a narrow set of cones or poles without drifting, and keep their horse between both reins on a line they chose rather than one the arena wall chose for them. Jumping is just flatwork with an obstacle in the middle and the flatwork has to be there first.
4. Extensive ground pole work.
This is the most underused jumping preparation tool in most lesson programs and the one that does more to prepare a horse and rider for their first fence than anything else available. A grid of trot poles. A flowing pole course with turns and straight lines. Single poles on a circle. Poles on the diagonal. Cantering over a single pole once the canter is established. Each of these asks the horse and rider to manage rhythm, straightness, balance, and adjustability in a low risk environment that tells you exactly what will happen when the poles go up. A horse and rider who flow through a pole course consistently and confidently will almost always jump well when the time comes. One that cannot yet manage the poles accurately is not ready for the fence.
5. Genuine willingness, not just bravado.
A student who says they want to jump but whose body tells a different story (gripped reins, held breath, braced shoulders at the sight of a ground pole) is not ready. Genuine readiness for jumping is physical and mental and both need to be present before anything goes up. A student who approaches a cross rail with a relaxed seat, soft hands, and genuine forward intent is far safer and far more successful than one who was talked into it before their body was on board.
There is no shortcut to a safe confident jumping foundation and the instructors who rush it create problems. The ones who take the time to build it properly produce riders who jump with a balanced position, a quiet hand, and a genuine smile because the work that got them there was solid enough to support what they are doing.
What do you require from your students before you introduce jumping?
