Instructions
Incorporate trotting poles into the schooling regime. Place a line of six trotting poles along the ground roughly five feet apart and walk the horse over them. Trotting poles will teach the horse to pick up its feet as you guide it across them. If the horse consistently knocks the trotting poles, they may not be far enough apart for the horse's stride. Increase the distance between them.
Increase the pace. Once the horse is comfortable with a trot, speed up to a canter.
Replace the last trotting pole with a low cross-rail fence. By now, the trotting poles have acclimated the horse with obstacles in its path, so low fences won't confuse it. Make sure to get into the proper jumping position in the saddle and aim the horse for the center of the fence. Put your hands higher on the horse's neck than usual to give a little slack on the rains and avoid pulling on the horse's mouth. Make sure the horse keeps its quickened pace after jumps to keep enough momentum for subsequent jumps.
Increase the height of the fence bit by bit as the horse grows comfortable until the fences are the desired height.
How to Train a Horse to Jump Fences
For equestrians looking to show horses in competitions, jumping fences is an integral part of any routine or skill set. Teaching a horse to jump is a matter of gradually introducing larger and larger obstacles into the horse's path until the desired results, or fence heights, are gained. With a watchful eye towards the horse's ability and comfort level and continued, regular practice, a horse can learn to jump within the span of a few weeks.