Jumping higher with a rider?

[BeachRiding]

Gitch can jump 4 feet free-lunging on his good days. I have just started having someone jump him for me though, meaning the first time he has jumped higher than two feet with a rider. I notice he is not lifting his front legs very nicely at all which is causing him to knock down about 30% of his poles I would guess.

It was just a fun day, so we weren't really trying to train him, it was the girl's first time jumping in months so she was getting used to the movement again. She is a lovely little rider though, nice forgiving hands, a soft seat, and a lovely jump position.

So, is Gitch just inexperienced or lazy? or a combination of both? and what can I do to help train him? His rider weighs less than 100Ibs so it should be really easy for him.

Just to give an idea, on a free-lunge he jumps like this:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/willielove/MOV04190_0001.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/willielove/MOV04197_0002.jpg
with a rider, he is umm.... way less tidy.:p

[Kate F.]

He's managing the height loose jumping, but in both these pics. he's jumping rather "flat". That means he hasn't yet learned to lift his back and round over the fence, jumping out of his hindquarters - he's more throwing himself over. This will be more noticable with a rider on - however light the rider.

I'd start doing cavaletti (or rather sequences of poles and very small fences if you don't have proper cavaletti) to get him to start shortening his frame and lifting his back. Then do sequences like pole on the ground, to crosspole, to straight pole - then start building it up. He obviously has the spirit and enthusiasm - now he needs the technique, and that will have to be learned and built up gradually. When the technique is right over the small fences, the height comes automatically.

I think I've said this before - but PLEASE don't use chairs to support poles - it's so dangerous. All he has to do is knock one over and get his foot stuck in the chair and you're into serious injuries.

Blocks of wood, old oil drums, old rubber tyres - there are all sorts of cheap (or even free!) things you can use that are much safer. Whatever you use, just look at it and ask yourself whether there is any way the horse can get caught up in it - and if there is, don't use it. Why not ask at your local petrol station? The usually have loads of oil drums, old tyres, plastic bins etc. that they are often happy to get rid of and they make great fence building materials.

Good luck with it!

[Skyhuntress]

Unfortunately, free jumping does not necessarily equate with talent under saddle, otherwise Limerick would be in the international ring right now jumping 5'6 :P But it's not really feasible for him, he's so big and heavy that he looses the momentum (or ambition) at about 3'9 or so.


As for gitcha, how many times has he been jumped under saddle? It's a gradual processm they aren't just suddenly able to jump 3ft with perfect form with a rider on their back. Generally, the best thing is to set up grids and bounces, so that the horse learns to control his body through tight spaces with a rider on his back.

[BeachRiding]

K.F thanks for the tips. I am no longer using chairs, have built some proper wings.

StormArion- Under saddle he has been jumped probably eight times. Mostly under two feet.