NERVOUS NELLIES

Try these tips to help a nervous horse discover that jumping is fun

- SHOSHANA RUDSKI

Jumping your horse is supposed to be fun for both of you, but if he's nervous about the activity, it can turn scary and dangerous quickly. Sometimes horses are nervous because jumping is new to them, and other times they just weren't born as brave as others.

These tips will keep you and your horse feeling confident and ready to jump.

BRING A BUDDY

It's always safer to have someone on the ground while you are jumping, and having a friend in the ring with you when jumping a nervous horse has a bunch of benefits.

If you have to get on and off of your horse to adjust jumps, move filler around, and set up grids, it can seriously break up the flow of your ride. Sometimes with a nervous horse, needing to pause to get on and off to move things around is like pressing the reset button on your entire ride, making it hard to see progress. Your barn buddy can also be there to support you and encourage you and your horse.

It's best to take regular lessons from a trainer, but sometimes extra practice sessions can help you reach your goals. Always get permission from a parent before jumping, and never, ever jump alone.

CROSS-RAIL OXER

Nearly every jump course has oxers, but having a second pole on a jump can make some horses wary. It's best to introduce your horse to oxers using something your horse is familiar with: cross-rails! Make an oxer with two half cross-rails, so that while the jump might be wider, it looks familiar.

Once your horse is confident over that, you can make a cross-rail on the front set of standards and a vertical on the second set of standards before raising up the front pole to complete the oxer.