Jump With Joy
Positive Coaching for Horse and Rider
Chapter One
A Horse's Talent for Jumping
We love horses for their beauty, their kindness, and their generous
spirits. We also admire and perhaps envy them for their strength,
their pure athleticism, and the joy they find in movement.
One of the most impressive athletic movements a horse can perform is the
jump, an action that propels a half-ton horse over an obstacle in a smooth,
gravity-defying trajectory.
At least, that's how it appears when everything goes well!
All horses are born knowing how to jump, just as all horses are born knowing
how to run. Leaping over obstacles is part of the prey animal's defense system,
the flight reflex that sends them rapidly forward and away from danger.
Some horses, however, find it easier than others to become airborne.
The Mechanics of Jumping
Ever since 1887, when photographer Eadweard Muybridge published his first
stop-action photos of a horse and rider trotting, cantering, and jumping
(Animal Locomotion), we've known exac ... read full excerpt from Jump With Joy: Positive Coaching for Horse and Rider ebook
