Is position important???

[Lolo-b]

I want to know what you all think...

When riding a newly-turned 4 year old, is the position of the rider important? And would you advise or agree with a 4 year old 13.2hh to be jumping 1metre uprights on the wrong canter lead?

So what do you think?????

[showjumper-zoe]

I think position is important with a young horse so it can balance itself properly without worrying about what the rider is doing.

[coss]

i think position is very important at all times but especially when riding youngsters. as showjumper-zoe says, the horse has to concentrate on their own balance and the rider has to allow the horse to do that.

i wouldn't want a 4yo 13.2 jumping a 1m yet. if they are to jump at all it should be small jumps and aiming for getting a good technique so that the horse/pony will have the ability to jump bigger later on and have the balance. a horse that has focussed on technique in the early years will jump bigger and better than a horse that has just been put over big fences early on and left to sort itself out.

[Bay Mare]

i wouldn't want a 4yo 13.2 jumping a 1m yet. if they are to jump at all it should be small jumps and aiming for getting a good technique so that the horse/pony will have the ability to jump bigger later on and have the balance. a horse that has focussed on technique in the early years will jump bigger and better than a horse that has just been put over big fences early on and left to sort itself out.

Agree.


With regards to position I do believe that it's important no matter what age the horse but especially a youngster. Sitting incorrectly or out of balance is obviously going to affect the horse but even in balance you can still block the horse's movement by sitting in a chair seat, for example.

[helenc]

Echo above

Rider position is always important. With youngsters it is even more so - the last thing a young horse needs is an out of balance rider making things more difficult.

& NO I wouldn't be jumping a 13.2hh 4 year old at 1m height. I might be popping a few small logs out hacking & doing trot & canter poles with maybe a few x's here & there but nothing too demanding

[NicP]

I can't disagree with any comments here but wondered what was behind the post in the first place? Sounds like you are talking about a pony you know?

[Keket]

Position is even more important with a young horse then it is with a well schooled horse. The young horse simply isn't as able to compensate for your position and that can make training ineffective at best, dangerous at worse.

Keep good posture and a proper seat are the important things. Hands aren't an issue. When schooling a young horse, the reins are constantly making adjustments and they tend to end up wherever. Make sure they're soft hands though, a young horse won't be too forgiving about his head being restricted.

Leg position changes though. While shoulder-hip-heel is the best alignment for schooling, the safest position on a young horse is to bring the leg forward slightly. It gives you a more solid grip in the saddle if something goes awry.

And I'm not sure I'd want any four year old jumping 1m. Ground poles and maybe the odd small crossrail, but that's it until the horse turns five.

[Lolo-b]

I can't disagree with any comments here but wondered what was behind the post in the first place? Sounds like you are talking about a pony you know?

Yes, i am talking about someone i know of who is doing exactly what i described with her relatively new pony. I have had what seemed shocking responses to me, when i suggested that what she is doing is far too much for her pony. So i wanted to double check myself and what i had said to her, and it seems that my thoughts are the same as what all of you have said. So thank you for reasuring me that i'm not loosing it!

xxx :)

[NicP]

Well I hope she takes your advice then!

[Skyhuntress]

I would say that rider's position on a young horse is more important then rider's position on an older, schooled horse. The reason for this is because the horse is still finding their balance and the rider can really effect how the horse will travel