Shoot small animal seen over top of ridge (5)
I believe the answer is:
sprig
'shoot' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sprig that I've seen before include "Small nail without a head" , "Youth" , "Young family member; small stem" , "Headless nail; leafy ornament" , "Stem or spray" .)