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     Free jumping is always a part of stallion testing. Studies done in Germany using statistics from both the Holsteiner and Hanoverian Verbands have shown that of 15 heritable traits evaluated, including all three gaits and ridability, free jumping was by far the most predictably inherited trait.  Consequently, breeding to a stallion who has scored very high in free jumping, or breeding a mare who free-jumps unusually well will very likely get you a jumper.  In a study done by the KWPN in Holland, it has been shown that foals tested in jumping technique at the age of six months by being free jumped over 2 foot fences retained the exact same technique as adult horses. So, while a foal who is an excellent free jumper isn’t guaranteed to be a success in the show ring, his technique will remain the same.  Horses who don’t have particularly good technique as babies might make up for it with heart and mind, but if you really want a jumper the odds are better if you select a young horse who free jumps well.

     As a young rider I was privileged to learn in Lowell Boomers “training pen”. The pen was an oval with high, solid walls measuring 45x90 feet.  Lowell taught both young horses and riders to jump in it, and his subtle, refined technique of working the horses was truly beautiful to watch. With the mere lift of his shoulder or a slight change in body position the horses would instantly respond to him. No chasing them around with a lasso for Lowell!  As riders we would jump four foot combinations with no bridles or stirrups. A crest release was unheard of, and not needed. When Lowell was teaching his sons to jump, his wife Gladys would have to go in the house because she couldn’t bear to watch.  One of his students who became a top international jumping rider laughingly said years later that, while Lowell’s lessons in the training pen would now be considered child abuse, it made her the rider she was. When free jumping, the rider has only himself to worry about – the horse is controlled by the ground person. I don’t believe I ever remember anyone falling off in the training pen – we were afraid to! Free jumping of riders should obviously be done with a trainer who knows what he/she is doing, but there is no better way to develop balance and confidence as a jumper rider!

     Most of us do not have access to a training pen like Lowell’s, and a high, solid fence or wall is necessary to be safe when free jumping. There are ways to work around that, though. If you have access to an indoor arena there are easy ways to make a jumping lane. In my indoor, which is 66x100 ft, I use 50 gallon plastic barrels, jump standards, and yellow caution tape. If the arena you have available is bigger, it can be blocked off to a suitable size with jump standards and caution tape. I set the barrels or jump standards at each end of my proposed lane, then wrap the plastic tape around one, stretch it tightly, and wrap it around the one at the other end.  It makes a quick, easily constructed lane that can be taken down quickly. I can easily set up three jumps in the length I have, and the smaller size of the arena makes it possible to guide the horses with three people with longe whips, or even two if the horse is experienced.  I often use PVC poles for the jumps as they are easy to move, but I keep a couple of heavy wooden poles in case I have a horse who doesn’t respect the light weight ones. The plastic jump blocks work very well as standards for the smaller jumps, as front standards for spreads,  and when placed on top of the barrels can make a nice jump over 4 feet high.

     When starting a horse free jumping for the first time, I recruit a couple of other people to help. They are all armed with longe whips, and I first show them the body language they will need to communicate with the free horse. The most experienced person should be in the position near the front of the lane. At first we lay the poles along the sides of the lane, and have the horse move through it to get him comfortable with the idea. The horse learns to stop when asked at any point, and trot or canter on request. When the ground people are familiar with their jobs and the horse is comfortable with the routine, four ground poles are placed about 4 ½ feet apart at the beginning of the lane.  When the horse is trotting over those in a relaxed manner, a small crossrail is placed 9 feet from the last ground pole. As the horse develops confidence and starts to figure things out, the crossrail becomes a small vertical.  The next step is a second jump one stride from the first, about 18 feet as the horse is approaching the first at a trot. The second jump can be raised as the horse becomes comfortable.  Eventually we may add a third jump, a bounce, and other types of jumps.  We also introduce jumping from the canter, in which case the one-stride distance will be about 21 feet. It is surprising how high a young horse may jump confidently on his first day, as there is no rider to mess things up.  If the horse makes a mistake, no one gets hurt, he doesn’t get his mouth or back punished accidentally by the rider, and he will learn from his mistakes. If at any time the horse becomes tense, afraid, or doesn’t seem to be figuring out how to negotiate the jumps, we back down to something easier and try to end on a good note with something the horse does easily and with confidence. Not only does the free jumping tell us about the horse's natural technique, but we can also tell how bold he is, how he responds to new challenges, and how quickly he learns from his mistakes. His character really comes out in this game. 

     Free jumping is wonderful for improving a horse's jumping technique. If your horse jumps flat, try placing the second jump a little closer to the first so he'll have to rock back on his haunches and jump more up. If he doesn't and knocks the jump down, he'll try a new technique the next time around. If he hangs his knees, a fairly high square oxer at normal distance usually will make him pick them up quicker. If he hangs below the knee, a vertical with a heavy pole at the top will remind him to fold more. Bounces and poles in between the jumps will make him agile and think fast. Being on the ground, the trainer can see what is happening in the horse's body and teach him better ways to use it.

     Free jumping is useful in so many ways, and is really fun as well - for both horse and rider! If you have never tried free jumping your horse, find someone to help you learn and you may get some very useful information about him!

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