Jumping
Beginner
25 min
Liverpool or Filler Introduction at the Trot
Focus: Confidence, Bravery, Focus
Equipment: 2 jump poles, 2 jump standards, 1 tarp or filler
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Place a tarp, plywood sheet, or commercial filler flat on the ground under a small cross-rail.
- First, trot your horse past the tarp/filler from each side. Let it look and sniff.
- When the horse is comfortable, trot over the tarp/filler on the ground without the jump.
- Once confident, add the small cross-rail over the tarp/filler. Approach at the trot.
- The horse may look hard at the filler. Keep your leg on firmly and your eyes up.
- Repeat until the horse jumps calmly. Never punish a look — reward the effort.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not introducing the filler on the ground first, causing an unnecessary scare at the fence.
- Hitting the horse when it looks at the filler, creating a negative association.
- Approaching too fast to try to blitz the horse over the scary element.
- Giving up after one refusal instead of re-approaching calmly.
Variations & Progressions
- Use different fillers: tarps, flower boxes, barrels, decorative panels.
- Place fillers under different fence types (vertical, oxer, cross-rail).
- Include filler fences in a course to practice them in context.
Tip: Confidence with fillers comes from positive exposure. Let the horse look, sniff, and process. Then ask it to jump. Patience wins.
Shop Equipment at sstack.com
