First, I believe that flat work should be solid before jumping is introduced. Should be going well w/t/c and picking up leads pretty consistantly. Should be balanced, soft, and able to maintain tempo. Should not be rushing. Transistions should be well schooled, balanced as well.

Horse should be able to walk/trot and canter quietly over ground poles without getting excited or rushing.

Horse should be responsive to half halts, should be schooling leg yeilds, be able to bend and understand and respond to leg pressure and seat.

Once these things are acheived, you can move up to cross rails. I start with trotting a single then work up to varied gymnastics, again, requiring the horse to stay quiet and maintain a consistant tempo. If a horse begins to rush at this step, stop him until he is quiet then walk on. Repeat until he can complete exercise quietly. When he can quietly do this at a trot, proceed to canter work. I like to utilize a ground pole 1 stride out to help him find his distance. Again, start with a single cross rail, the build up to gymnastics... there are many gymnastic excercises, but I like to start with a 1 stride, the build to X - 1 stride - X- 1 stride - X....as your horse becomes better schooled begin to change it up such as X - 1 stride - X- 2 stride - X - bounce - X.

Teaching a horse to jump properly takes time and doing it right takes even more time. BUT, if you skip steps or rush it will only cause holes in the horses education that you will have to face sooner or later - and re-schooling a horse who has learned that it is okay to rush, charge, ignore half halts or pull is a much longer and tedious process.

If you don't have the patience to do this...which many people don't and that is okay - then it may save you a lot of heartache to hire someone to do this for you.

Also, its very important that the rider schooling the horse also be a competant and experienced jumper - its unfair to try and teach a green horse if you yourself are still trying to learn...