The horse must be able to master collected canter, terre à terre and levade perfectly before teaching it the jumps. These exercises should be practiced in left- and right bending and on the straight central line to create a strong hindquarter.

Step 1

To teach a jump, a levade in hand is first asked. Only when the front is lifted correctly and straight, can a straight jump arise.

Step 2

From pesade, the hindquarter is encouraged with an energetic aid to jump off the ground. A response, however small, is rewarded greatly and the training should be stopped immediately after the first few times.

Step 3

When the horse is confident in courbette, the horse is then capable of pushing its body from the ground more powerfully. The horse is encouraged to jump more upwards to reach a horizontal line in the body. This can create a croupade or ballotade.

Step 4

A horse with the right mental and physical abilities will show capriole-like jumps during its training. With additional years of training, a horse like this can become a true “caprioleur”. A horse that mastered the capriole perfectly has finished the entire Academic schooling as it is the final and most difficult exercise.

Here you can see the different phases of the capriole: From raising the front until landing. In the landing both hind legs are supposed to land first to catch the weight of the body with flexibility and prevent the front legs from an overload of pressure.