Moving on to Advanced Lessons

After your child has mastered walking and trotting and has achieved the correct leg position, the next step is learning to canter (the horse's equivalent of a jog). Initially, the canter is introduced as they round the corner of the arena and will begin on just the long side to build the rider's confidence. Over time, this will gradually extend. Eventually, they will be able to canter around the entire arena for several laps.

Riders will begin jumping by using ground poles. The jump poles will be placed on the ground, and they will trot over the pole in a 2-point position.. The 2-point position is the stance riders take when jumping over fences (also known as jumps). The poles will then go into small X's and increase in height as comfort level increases

For instance, in a 2-point position over a 2-foot fence, Kat is off the saddle, with her hips back and a slight forward lean in sync with the horse as they clear the fence. She presses down on her heels to maintain balance, and her eyes are focused forward, looking toward the next jump. This position can be practiced in the trot over ground poles or over fences. This is the position all jumpers use over fences of any size.

As your rider progresses through lessons, they usually start with ground poles set in a double straight line pattern, referred to as the outside line in hunter jumper terms. This is the initial step towards jumping over fences. Gradually, more fences are added along with poles between them. The ground poles are then replaced with Xs (cross rails), and eventually, the sides of the rails are elevated to become straight across, reaching up to 2 feet in height.

Once your rider masters the outside line, they move on to courses that include angles and an increased number of fences. The rider then advances by raising the heights of the jumps and incorporating more complex elements such as bending lines and rollbacks.