Have you ever wondered how Event Riders teach young horses how to jump a skinny fence for the first time?
Redpost Rider and British Eventing Coach Cameron Beer talks us through the steps he takes to encourage confidence from his horses when approaching skinny fences. He starts off by checking the four main cues, then riding through a small gap, and progressing onto riding through a pole on the ground with some wing stabilisers. He finishes the session jumping a skinny brush fence, and his young horse Leo responds positively to every stage of the process.
Watch the full video:
The Four Main Cues
Before approaching any skinny fence, it’s essential to check your horse responds to the four main cues. Therefore, if your horse has a wobble on approach, they respond positively to a correction by the rider putting them back where they need to be.
- Moving off the right leg – this can be checked with the feeling of a leg yield, using the right leg and left rein aids to move sideways and forwards
- Moving off the left leg – again, this can be checked with a leg yield feeling, checking the left leg and right rein aids generate a positive response from the horse
- Slowing down – being able to reduce speed can be checked with a soft yet consistent rein aid
- Moving forward – a kind leg aid from both legs should create forward movement on a straight line
