Jumping Beginner 25 min

Skinny Fence Practice at the Trot

Focus: Accuracy, Straightness, Bravery

Equipment: 2 jump poles, 2 jump standards, 4 cones or markers

Set up a narrow fence (4-5 feet wide instead of the standard 10-12 feet). Use cones or standards to contain the width.
Start with the skinny fence as a ground pole to establish the horse's willingness to go between the standards.
Raise to a cross-rail at 12 inches. Approach at the trot on a dead-straight line.
Your leg must be strong and equal on both sides to prevent a run-out.
Look at the center of the fence, not the edges. Your eye guides the horse's track.
Progress gradually: cross-rail to vertical. Only increase height when the horse is reliably straight.

The horse running out to one side of the narrow fence.
Not enough supporting leg, especially the outside leg if the horse tends to drift one way.
Approaching on a curved line instead of dead straight.
Over-riding the approach and making the horse tense about the narrow fence.

Place guide poles on the ground angling from the fence to funnel the horse to the center.
Jump the skinny fence from both directions to prevent side preference.
Include a skinny in a course as practice for cross-country or jump-off scenarios.

Tip: Skinny fences appear in cross-country and jump-offs. Master them at low heights first. Accuracy is more important than height.