Eyes

The horse’s temperament and character can be determined from his eyes. A quiet, clear and kind eye indicates a friendly character. Horses with small eyes and a mistrustful look often have difficult temperaments. It is said that a horse with a lot of white in the eye has a lot of energy and can sometimes be difficult.

When the horse’s eyes appear uneasy this could indicate that he is nervous, which is understandable when he has been moved to a new yard and has not yet found a person he can trust in this new situation. If the horse has an uneasy look and is agitated even when handled well, this could be an indication of pain, in which case the vet should be called.

Ears

The mood of the horse is shown by his ears. If both ears point forward he is in an attentive mood. If the ears are turned to the rear and are apart then he is listening to sounds behind him. If the ears are both laid back slightly then he is worried. Care must be taken if he reacts like this. If the ears are really pressed flat back then he is being defensive and could suddenly bite or kick. He must be spoken to and reprimanded with a short, sharp smack.

Expression

The horse’s expression cannot be understood fully just by glancing at him. You need to take time to observe the individual facial features; the movements of the nostrils, lips and ears and the look in his eyes to fully comprehend it, and this one learns from experience. When you have known a horse for a long time and see him every day, you get to know the individual characteristics of his face.

Tail

Looseness in the way of going, contentment and a quiet rhythm are all indicated by a gently swinging tail. If it is held up stiffly or clamped down it can be a sign of tension in the back, which often happens if the horse becomes excited when leaving his stable.

By allowing the horse to run free in the school for a short while he can get this out of his system and may well enjoy leaping around. When he settles down again his tail will be held normally.

Horses who swish their tails excessively when ridden are often tense. It is important not to ride at too early a stage in spurs, to ride sensitively and also to make sure that the horse works through the back from the beginning.

Voice

Horses use their voices very differently. There are horses one hardly ever hears and those who greet every other horse they see with a loud neigh. The Olympic horse, Dux, used to bring attention to himself all the time by neighing in a loud but friendly manner in unfamiliar situations. This behaviour is most typical of stallions in new surroundings. Young horses frequently neigh at the others back in the stable yard. It is not difficult to teach a horse to greet his rider with a short whinny by bringing a small titbit each time and our food trolley is always greeted by loud neighing.

If a horse groans it is certainly a sign of severe pain, and one should immediately call for assistance.

Squealing is typical of a horse feeling either irritated or playful. This is often heard when two horses are sniffing each other, and it is usually followed by a playful bite or kick. Loud squealing is common from mares in season.

Snorting

Snorting is a sign of contentment and shows that the horse is relaxed. There is a difference between quick snorting on inhalation when the horse is tense or excited and a longer, relaxed snorting when exhaling. A different form of snorting is small grunts in a different tone in the throat, caused by the vocal cords.

Sweating

Sweat appears naturally when the horse is worked. It is generally an indication of how hard the horse has been working and can thus help in planning the horse’s training schedule. However, the time of year and the temperature play a part in the amount a horse sweats. Certain anomalies may also be noted: occasionally, a crooked horse will sweat only on one side, while the other side remains dry, or a horse may sweat only on certain parts of the body, such as the neck. As with people, some horses naturally sweat more than others.

Severe pain such as is indicative of colic will cause sudden and profuse sweating. Young horses can sweat through sheer nervousness; sometimes one can also feel them shaking and the heartbeat is evident just in front of the saddle flaps.

Gaits

The gaits of the horse are a distinguishing feature of his frame of mind and ability. When a young horse first comes out of the stable to run free in the school, for example, it is totally normal for his gaits to be tense. He has to let off steam after being confined to his stable before one can study the quality of his movement.

Assess the young horse as he canters along the short side of the school and see whether he remains balanced or not, which is an indication of the quality of the canter in future ridden work. The mechanics of the trot show the possibilities of developing it further. One could write a long article on this alone, drawing conclusions on training methods by observing a horse moving at freedom. Watching the horse completes the picture of what the rider feels and experiences under the saddle. By free-schooling one can see the natural ability of the horse in all three gaits. The gaits can be improved when working with a rider.

In the style of the Italian school, groups of riders used four cavalletti to help loosen up every day in walk and trot for about 10-15 minutes. Eight to ten young horses, at one or two horse’s lengths apart, were ridden quietly in rising trot over the cavalletti. The distance between the second and third cavalletti was doubled to allow for the different length of stride of each horse. Loosening the horses’ backs in this way was very beneficial and the benefits became particularly noticeable in later jumping and cross-country training.

After the war the basic principles of cavalletti training and the ‘light seat’ were upheld by a former Paderborn rider, Paul Stecken (the last active squadron leader of Riding Squadron 4 and successor to Baron von Nagel/Ittlingen) who later became manager of the Westphalian Riding and Driving School. The training possibilities were of great value in many lessons for both young and older horses alike. Nowadays, training of this type is not often done according to the old conventions, when eight to ten horses would work together. However, this does not affect the value of cavalletti work for the individual horse; the physical effort and strength required are substantial, but the work is highly beneficial and very rewarding.

Our own connection with this work is very strong. Reiner was introduced to cavalletti work as a student at the Westphalian Riding and Driving School and later incorporated it into the training of some of his horses.

- Riding with a contact between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth without flexion at the poll, for example with young horses when first sitting in the saddle (for safety reasons).
- Riding on long reins; the longest, lightest contact between the rider’ hands and the horse’s mouth where the horse flexes through the poll. This is important in medium walk and also at the beginning o the ridden session if the horse has over-developed muscles on the underside of the neck or problems in the poll.
- Riding on the bit (where the reins are shorter by 7-8 cm than when riding on long reins), which alters the outline of the neck to that required when riding collected walk, trot and canter. (The horse must be able to do this in a snaffle before being introduced to a double bridle later in his training.)

Riding with loose reins, that is, riding on the buckle at the beginning and end of a riding session, relinquishes the contact and allows the horse to stretch.
The question of how we ride the horse on the bit cannot be answered fully in a couple of sentences. It is not simply a matter of shortening the reins and keeping a contact with the horse’s mouth. The horse must understand what his correct reaction to the reins being taken up should be: he simply remains in the required outline without resistance; without grabbing the bit or throwing his head about. To achieve this, the rein aids can only be used in co-ordination with bracing the lower back (weight aids) and leg aids (half-halts).

Up to now the horse has been ridden with giving hands to encourage the suppleness of his neck when stretching forwards and down, but there comes the point in the first stage of training when the rider can feel the horse take a contact. With driving aids the horse is asked to take fluent steps in trot. The rider’s hands contain the impulsion. The contact in the hand should be just sufficient to allow the horse to work from his hindquarters, with a supple back, fluid impulsion and flexion through the poll.

This requires a lot of ‘feel’ on behalf of the rider. From the beginning the rider must be aware of working the horse too strongly into a contact as this would cause tension. Instead, a contact must be maintained that is as light as possible with the horse’s mouth, with soft, feeling hands. Flexible elbows and shoulders are absolutely essential to having correctly still hands.

The required outline is produced by using half-halts and by working into a contact so that the horse steps confidently to the bit, flexing at the poll. The development of the carrying power of the haunches is influenced by how the neck is set on, and its conformation. The horse should carry his neck forwards (that is, it should not be contracted); this will give the rider the feeling of having ‘more horse in front’. The carrying power of the horse has to be developed further with appropriate work. For example, medium trot on the long sides is prepared for by riding three or four steps in the corner in shorter strides in order to take more weight onto the hind legs first. At the next corner, this exercise is repeated with more engagement.

In this way the strength of the horse is developed and movement is channelled forwards through a swinging back, requiring the full concentration of the rider to ride the horse ‘from back to front’ and not the other way around. Necks that are pulled in inhibit the building of the back muscles and hinder the natural movement of the horse. The exact opposite of this is only achievable by a correctly trained rider. We would remind you, while on this subject, that softness is required for successful training. If a horse’s neck is forced into an outline too soon, the rider is already on the wrong track and can cause injury. ‘Tight in the neck’, ‘behind the vertical’, ‘mouth problems’, ‘tight in the back’, ‘tense movement’, ‘problems with rhythm’, ‘shortening of the strides’ and ‘changes in temperament’ are all defects unfortunately caused by trying to force improvements in neck carriage, which may include the unnecessary use of draw-reins.

In the first stage of training we try to ensure that the horse is obedient to the forward-driving and lateral aids of the rider. Thus the horse learns to obey the aids and it is up to the rider to influence and develop the gaits, straightness, and bending.

The development of the aids is part of the rider’s training. The rider should learn this on an older, experienced horse. Without sufficient experience on the rider’s part, there is a great risk of problems occurring throughout the horse’s training. Every single exercise must be learned and it must be understood how it teaches the driving and collecting aids.

A rider with limited experience who wants to buy a young horse should at least buy one who has already been ridden and on whom time and money has already been spent. With luck, the rider should have the opportunity to ride a variety of other horses, which helps in learning the application of the aids. In this way, many rider problems can be avoided and training can begin with a solid foundation.

Once the foal lets you hold him for a short time a headcollar can be introduced (it must not be too big), which can be fastened around the foal’s neck. The advantage of this is that you do not have to interfere with the sensitive ear area. Once it is in place, the foal must be praised. This is enough for the first lesson. When the foal accepts the headcollar confidently, then you can begin leading him.

To start with when leading, one must go along with the free movement of the foal. This can be done first of all in the stable provided it is a minimum of 15-16 square metres, such as a foaling box. The next step is to lead the mare from the stable to a nearby field with the foal following, wearing a headcollar. You need two people for this as a young mare can become unsettled by this first outing. This short walk should just be fun for the foal and a way of quickly building his self-confidence, so discretion is important in these first days of holding and leading the foal. Pulling at the rope can be detrimental and should be avoided. If the foal stops, the person leading the mare should walk ahead undeterred. The further the mare walks away from the foal the more inclined he will be to follow. From experience, the person leading the foal should have learned not to turn to look him but to stand their ground and expect him to follow.

Once the foal’s trust has been won and he has been led successfully he must be praised immediately. A short word of praise is enough. Excessive patting and caressing at this age are dangerous as this arouses the foal’s urge to play and may encourage him to nip, which is not desirable.

Foals are inquisitive. They want to smell and nibble everything such as halters, ropes, and sometimes their mother’s mane and tail. Even the handler’s arm will do. If you allow the foal to play around with you, you will not surprisingly be covered in bruises. Vicious biting from the foal, which is distinct from inquisitive nipping, should be recognized and punished. Maliciousness is frequently made worse by anxiety on behalf of the handler. Experienced breeders do not allow close-contact playing with the foals. They would rather keep the youngsters at a safe distance and occupied with educational exercises for a few minutes at a time.

When the foal totally accepts being led behind his mother you can begin the next stage, which is to tie him up. In times past, this was done outside using a strong rope or chain which would not break if the foal pulled at it. Later, research by vets found that the inability to coordinate muscular movement could be caused by strong pressure on the upper vertebrae of the neck, so this method has been superseded.

Tying up must first be done in the stable. The lead-rope is passed through a ring on the wall and the end of the rope is held loosely in the hand, which enables you to give and take as necessary. Tying the foal to the mother’s girth and going for a short walk is another way of introducing the idea fairly easily. The foal must learn to stand still beside his handler when the handler is still.

Grooming and picking up the feet come next. Foals love their coats being brushed gently with either a rubber curry comb or a brush. They often begin to nibble the person brushing them in return as a sign of grateful thanks. Should they bite, however, it is best to push them away or reprimand them with the voice in a sharp manner such as ‘leave it!’ This behaviour with people is not desirable and must be corrected before the foal grows up.

Foals learn easily to pick up their feet. One begins with the leg that has the least weight on it and lifts it, not too high, so that the foal does not lose his balance. It does not matter if a front or hind foot is picked up first, but saying ‘foot’ as the leg is raises teaches the foal the relevant voice command so that he understands readily what is required.

Experienced breeders are satisfied when a young foal will pick his feet up, accept being groomed and can be led around on the halter. More than this is not required at this stage; training a horse is a long and difficult enough process without extending it any further. In the first and second year the young horse should be given the chance to grow up naturally and he should spend plenty of time-out in the field.

Rein-back can be described as having two equal functions. It improves the horse’s ability to work through the back (although it requires a degree of ability to do this before it can be attempted), and develops collection. It is a movement the horse rarely performs in nature, and one must take care that he does not perceive it as a punishment. This does not mean that a young horse cannot go backwards – some young horses will try to avoid the rider’s aids by creeping back (although this is not desirable and does not constitute correct rein-back.) In normal cases, however, young horses try to evade by running forwards rather than going back.

Which aids should we give to teach the young horse to rein-back? We need a combination of weight, leg and rein aids. The starting point is a horse who is straight, steady in the contact and can halt square. We then give essentially the same aids with the weight and legs as to go forwards, although at the beginning of the rein-back the rider’s legs are placed back behind the girth to correct any crookedness of the steps. The rein contact is held in the same moment as the horse goes to step forwards, which starts the steps backwards in diagonal pairs. Once the rein-back commences the leg aids should be lightened to prevent the horse from going backwards too fast, and the rein aids can also be softened.

For young horses and those with hollow backs, rein-back can be made easier by the rider not sitting too strongly on the horse’s back, and leaning slightly forwards with the upper body. The first driving aids for the rein-back must come from the legs.

With horses who have difficulty understanding the aids for rein-back and lock the poll we try to follow this method: in the moment that the horse lifts his inside hind foot, we take up the rein on the same side. Should the rein-back become crooked or resistant, it is easier to ask the horse to step onto the leg that is already behind (by using the leg aid on the same side) as it is carrying less weight and is the easiest leg for the horse to move. Asking him to move the leg that is more forward (carrying more weight) requires greater effort and can cause him to raise his head and tighten his back in his effort to move backwards.

When a horse has been rewarded for a successful rein-back, the movement must not be used as a punishment in the future. When a horse resists against the rein-back a helper may be needed to tap the forelegs with a schooling whip to start the backward movement. While this can work well, it may also cause more resistance. The best alternative is for the rider to dismount and tap the front legs with the whip personally, rewarding the horse when he understands.

In training, a horse should not be asked to go backwards for more than a horse’s length otherwise this will increase the likelihood that he will think it is a punishment. A horse’s length is three to four steps. Four steps should be aimed for, to make the movement clear; two steps are not enough. After completing the rein-back, a square halt must be established. Should the horse leave a hind leg out behind, he should be asked to take one step forwards with it to correct the halt.

We must not forget that exercises are the means to the end, and not done just for the sake of it. We need rein-back to develop the horse’s ability to work through the back and improve collection.

We will now examine the first steps of cross-county training, and continue by discussing how best one can introduce young horses to typical cross-country fences.

Rules
The horse should always remain securely on the aids whether in the indoor school, the outdoor arena or the open country. He must be controllable in all situations so that riding crosscountry is stress-free and safe for horse and rider. However, it is not advisable to use a more severe bit to control the horse. It can easily happen that the rider gets left behind and unwittingly hangs onto the bit at the first cross-country obstacle, in which case the horse experiences pain in his mouth and can easily lose his desire to jump.

The one artificial aid that is allowed, and that can be useful with strong horses, is a running martingale. This must be adjusted long enough to give the horse the freedom to jump without being inhibited.

Before the first cross-country obstacles are attempted, the horse must have developed a good sense of balance. Also, there must be harmony between horse and rider. A naturally anxious horse needs a great deal of trust in his rider so that he does not panic and run away in unfamiliar situations. This trust requires that the rider is confident and competent. Trust requires respect and heightens obedience. The horse must respect, but not fear, the rider’s aids and obey all the leg and whip aids in order for the rider to cope with all situations.

Equipment
For safety reasons, both horse and rider should be properly equipped. The most important item for the rider is a correctly fitting safety helmet (with a three-point harness) and a body protector. Short, blunt spurs and a whip (a maximum of 75 cm in length in total) are useful aids. Should the horse leap suddenly to one side, or make a bigger jump than expected, causing the rider to lose balance and leg position, there is less danger of injury with short, blunt spurs. Encouragement can be given by using the short jumping whip either on the shoulder or just behind the leg. For the latter both reins must be taken in one hand to avoid jerking the horse in the mouth. Protective boots that enclose the leg fully are important for the horse, as opposed to jumping boots that do not. Boots that protect the tendons are important on the forelegs, and those that protect the cannon bones on the hind legs. These are useful should the horse hit a fence. Overreach boots on the forelegs prevent damage to the heels with the hind shoes.

The demands of cross-country training, riding up and down hills and over different surfaces, make it harder work for the horse than being in the school or the jumping arena. This is why the horse must first be made fit enough, this fitness being developed by lungeing, gentle hacking and loosening exercises under saddle. This is the way to avoid over-exertion and injuries such as strains.

To succeed over the first natural jump the rider must pick a safe place with an inviting obstacle such as a small tree trunk or wood pile. It must not be too small, otherwise the horse may try to stop abruptly and jump from a standstill. The inexperienced horse may waver on the approach, so the fence should ideally be enclosed on one or both sides. This could be by a hedge, or fence, or one could use a pole or jump wing if one is available. The obstacle should be a maximum of 50-60 cm in height and preferably about 4 m wide across its face. A wide face has the effect of making the jump look lower, gives less opportunity for a run-out and, if a problem arises over the distance between the lead horse and the youngster, it allows for the possibility of both horses jumping side by side. Before approaching the jump, the rider should make sure the ground is safe (no holes and not too deep or muddy) on both the take-off and landing sides.

As always, before attempting this first cross-country obstacle the horse must have been loosened up – at least 10 minutes in walk, about 15 minutes in rising trot and also some canter, making frequent transitions in a light seat. It is helpful if some of this work is carried out around the obstacle, so that the horse becomes familiar with it. After that the horse should be given a long rein and allowed to blow and relax.

When first jumping the obstacle, the inexperienced horse should follow a lead horse in an energetic rising trot with two to three lengths between them. The young horse should be allowed to stretch his neck forwards slightly and look at the jump and he should not be ridden excessively deep or too strongly towards it. The rider should maintain a light contact with the horse’s mouth to keep him straight and at an even tempo to prevent him unwittingly interfering with the other horse.

When he has jumped the obstacle without problems three or four times behind the lead horse, the youngster should try on his own out of trot. If he remains well under control and does not try to run off, he should then be ridden forwards in a quiet canter. If the horse becomes too strong he should approach the jump from a large circle or turn and only be straightened three or four horse’s lengths before the jump so that he sees it relatively late.

It is best to make the first jumps over solid obstacles from either a flat approach or slightly uphill. When progressing to downhill approaches the rider should be mindful that some horses jump straight but can buck or leap around afterwards. The rider must sit to remain secure in the saddle and try to keep the horse’s head up so that he cannot put it between his legs. Riding forwards is the best correction for this.

Some horses back off after each jump and resist the rider’s aids; this disturbs the fluency of the canter between the obstacles when progressing to more than one at a time and makes it impossible to concentrate on riding forwards. Horses who do this may benefit from more experience behind a lead horse.

Once the inexperienced horse has jumped the obstacle a few times from canter he should be given a rest in walk and allowed to relax. It is important to reward the horse after every good attempt, which gives him encouragement and builds trust.

After a successful introduction, we would then jump just two or three other obstacles in the same way. It is important not to do too much on the first day. If this is achieved without problems, that is, without stopping or running out, a good end to the session would be to repeat the sequence of jumps three or four times out of canter. It is important to maintain a steady rhythm between the jumps. Finally, the horse should be allowed to stretch and relax in walk on a long rein.

When the weather is clear, it is often cold, so a short ride in walk and rising trot in the company of a lead horse is sensible. This can last up to half an hour and can replace the training session on some days.

Most going, including asphalt, can be ridden over in walk provided it is firm enough. When training an event horse this work, which can include short spells of trot on tarmac, is essential for hardening and strengthening the tendons and ligaments. It is important that the horse is shod for this type of work.

The horse should be introduced to different ground surfaces such as sand, grass or various tracks in trot and canter where suitable. The horse should be as calm as possible and not alarmed during his introduction to the big, wild world. The more the basic dressage training has progressed, the better the horse will be in response to th rider’s aids and the more obedient he will be when loosening up on a short hack. Young horses soon become accustomed to the bridleways near the school and enjoy the ride out.

Now is the time to introduce the young horse to new sights and sounds, such as open fields, tractors, stacks of wood and so on. For safety reasons he should be accompanied by an experienced horse in case he becomes afraid or tries to nap. Remember that forewarned is forearmed!

A horse with a normal temperament calms down quickly once he has seen something new as long as the rider is not nervous and handles him confidently. It is important that the rider maintains the contact and puts the horse in a shoulder-in position (i.e. flexed away from the object) and uses the aids to prevent him from running away. This is moment when the rider must be a tenth of a second quicker than the horse. The horse must learn to obey the rider’s aids and realize that being scared is not a reason to shy or run away. From time to time the horse must have more trust in the rider than fear of unusual situations. This helps the horse to develop a more balanced temperament.

Coffin
A coffin is a combination of three elements: a jump in, a ditch, and a jump out. The jump in is usually a tree trunk or another solid obstacle.

The horse cannot see what lies beyond it. After one or two canter strides downhill, he has to jump an open ditch which is sometimes filled with water. It is often easier for the inexperienced horse if the ditch has a jump over the top. After the ditch come one or two canter strides uphill and then out over a second tree trunk or similar obstacle. The difficulty of the coffin lies in the depth of the ditch and how steeply the ground slopes when riding in and out.

The horse must already be confident jumping over ditches before starting with an easy coffin. If the inexperienced horse previously had problems with ditches, then he should follow the lead horse again. It is important not to over-face him. The elements of the coffin must not be too far apart, otherwise the horse may run out.

This type of obstacle requires good co-ordination and quick reactions from both horse and rider.

Hedges
Hedges are found on the cross-country course both in their natural form and as ‘bullfinches’ (high hedges with straggly tops which are brushed through) and ‘brush fences’ (artificial hedges). Jumps of a type similar to the last form were also used until recently on the steeplechase section that was a phase of advanced events. Young horses who are not familiar with hedges of various types often jump too big over them because of lack of confidence so, when they are first introduced to hedges, these should be fairly small.

Combinations
A cross-country course includes combinations as well as single fences, the same as in showjumping. The distances between obstacles can vary, but they are always placed fairly and with a certain number of strides in between. A lot depends on the skill and concentration of horse and rider. One can practise combinations by using portable jumps such as hurdles, straw bales, logs, etc.

When you jump these as combinations, just as with single elements they should be approached fluently in an even rhythm. When jumping three elements they can each be of a different type such as an upright or a spread. The ground conditions are an important factor and should be taken into account when setting out the jumps.

Once you have practised different obstacles at home the next stage is to enter your first competition; the aim of achieving harmony and confidence over cross-country fences has been achieved. With every competition, the practising beforehand can be reduced as the horse gains experience. Establishing trust throughout the training makes it easy to overcome any doubt when riding in a competition. Trust is built by progressing in easy stages, using simple exercises. This how you achieve your goal!

Whatever you use, it is important to start with low steps. Also, the ground you will be landing on should not be too hard and should have no holes.

We prepare by loosening the horse, in this instance by trotting and cantering around between familiar obstacles, then jumping some and riding through water. If possible, it is also useful to do a little cantering up and down hills in the preparatory work. This is not only to improve balance but to exercise and strengthen the whole musculature of the horse. Trot and canter should always be ridden on long reins with flexion at the poll in a lively, but controlled tempo.

When it comes to jumping down the steps, they should be approached in walk or in a quiet trot to begin with. The rider should sit in the saddle in order to use the driving aids more efficiently. It is difficult to go with the movement of the horse in rising trot, especially if the horse jumps when the rider is rising. It is important to approach in a quiet tempo so that the inexperienced horse can jump down slowly and carefully. Be careful with young horses! They can sometimes jump down and land on all four legs together. This is one of the reasons why one should not jump down too high a step to start with since this can be overtaxing for the joints and affect the all-important trust.

The horse’s neck should be stretched out so that he can use it to balance with as he jumps down. Even with long reins, the rider should maintain a light contact with the horse’s mouth. In no circumstances should the reins be too short.

The rider’s upper body must lean slightly forwards without putting too much extra weight on the forehand. Keeping the knees closed and keeping the heels down and forwards gives the rider security in the landing phase and prevents the lower leg from swinging backwards.

The rider must maintain harmony with the horse by using a light seat and taking care not to land heavily on his back. The rider should sit in the saddle when riding away from the jump afterwards (at a later stage this will be out of a drop jump).

For the less experienced rider, it is always better to use a neck strap or hold the mane than to pull the horse in the mouth! Ride energetically forwards after the jump without going too fast, which can make the canter strides long and flat.

If the horse is reluctant to jump down it is important to decide whether he is not brave enough, or if he is in pain. If he has a weak back, growing problems, or undiagnosed front leg lameness, it is understandable that he does not want to jump down. If he is strong-willed, it is a matter of training and obedience. Assuming that there is no physical problem behind his reluctance it does not matter how long it takes; however, the steps should be small enough not to overtax the horse during his training.

There are horses who have no problem jumping either up or down. These are the ones with naturally good conformation, co-ordination and balance. If the horse has a weak back or poor balance, introducing him to cross-country jumps must be done in easy stages.

The next option after a step is a raised bank. With this, a lead horse is very helpful. The inexperienced horse follows the lead horse in trot, with the rider allowing the horse to look at the obstacle. (In fact, to begin with, many horses find it hard to judge exactly where to jump up. It can be helpful, before attempting to jump the bank, to stand the horse in front of it and allow him to sniff it – but the rider must take care that he does not try to jump from a standstill!)

When approaching the bank, the tempo must be lively enough to give the horse sufficient power in his hindquarters to jump up. Jumping onto a bank without impulsion can cause the horse to land on it with just his forefeet, and one or both hind legs can be grazed on the edge of the obstacle by not jumping far enough onto the bank. When jumping up a bank, step or otherwise uphill, it is important that the rider does not get behind the movement.

If the horse stops in front of the bank, the rider should approach again with more impulsion. Once the horse has jumped up, assuming that there is room to do so, he should be halted and praised. Once the lead horse jumps down again, the young horse should be happy to follow. With just one step down an inexperienced horse can be allowed to ‘scramble down’ from walk, or halt, if necessary. The bank should then be approached again without the lead horse, who should stand either on, or the other side of, the bank, but certainly not in the way of the young horse.

Riding over a small bank in canter is a good training exercise, as many horses find it easier to jump up from canter. Cantering forwards in a light seat is a way of ending the session. The horse should then be allowed to stretch down on a long rein in rising trot, and finally allowed to relax in walk and praised – a fitting end to the day’s training.