How To Desensitize Your Horse for a Showjumping Competition

Showjumping can be a fun, competitive sport for many horseback riders. However, because there are so many unfamiliar sights and sounds, your horse may be spooked if you have not taken the time to properly prepare it. Use these three tips to desensitize your horse to a show jumping competition.

Introduce Your Horse To Different Types of Jumps

Big jumps can be scary to a horse if the animal has never seen the obstacles. You can set up a wide variety of obstacles in your home arena and walk your horse around them until it is familiar with the jumps. Make sure to use various horse jump colors so different hues don’t scare your mount.

Familiarize Your Mount With Noise

Showjumping competitions are crowded events, and because there are usually so many people around, there is also a lot of noise. Many horses are scared of loud and unexpected noises, and if you want your mount to stay calm, it is a good idea to get your pet used to a lot of noise. Start with small noises, and as your horse becomes comfortable, increase the loudness. Once your horse is reliable with noise that is equivelent to a cheering crowd, it is ready for a competition.

Let Your Horse Know What You Expect

You and your horse are partners in a showjumping competition. You should practice in clear signal to your mouth so it knows exactly what you should expect. When your horse trusts that you know what you’re doing, it will follow your lead.

If you want to enter showjumping competitions, it is important to have a good horse under you. If you do these three things, you can desensitize your mount to the uncertainty of showjumping events and trust your mount to stay calm even in unfamiliar situations.