Instructions
Warm up the horse with a long walk on the reins. Take the horse in large circles and wide serpentines for about 15 minutes, followed by a canter pace around the walk with an easy grasp on its lead. Keep the horse active and interested, but make sure it's relaxed.
Mount the horse and start off by jumping trotting poles and low cross-poles. This will get the horse acclimated to the idea of jumping over obstacles, and keeping these items low to the ground will slowly build confidence.
Clear away any distractions that might spook the horse. Keep other horses, loud equipment and people away from the jumping area. The horse needs to concentrate as the challenges increase.
Adjust your approach on the fence. Some horses respond better to a curved advance rather than a straight and direct path to the obstacle. Set up a series of trotting poles -- three or four -- on the lead up to the fence. These will get the horse to relax as it settles into the act of jumping before taking the larger hurdle ahead.
Avoid interfering with the horse as it jumps and lands. Make sure to sit quietly so as not to affect its form. If the horse runs away after jumping the fence, sit upright in a dressage position. Don't put all of your weight in the saddle and give a few half-halt commands to slow the horse down. The horse running away is a sign of fear and should be assuaged through light contact.
Repeat these steps while adding more obstacles each time the horse appears to respond well to the previous challenges. Perfecting the horse's form should be done through simple exercises that it can understand easily and quickly. In later stages, add oxers with their rails at different heights about 6 inches apart, leaving enough space for the horse to comfortably stride between the oxers.
How to Jump With a Horse That Overjumps
Over-jumping is the result of a horse lacking confidence in its own ability to jump fences. With young horses, this is merely a sign of caution and trepidation of the obstacles; but sometimes these actions might occur for a variety of reasons and they often fall to the responsibility of the rider. Pushing the horse to adapt too fast, poor training methods that have bred fear instead of assurance and overwork can all contribute to the horse reacting with overcompensation at the fence.