my jumping progression (longish)

[Brandy Snap]

I'm just so proud of myself I had to post this!!

I've always been a big chicken when it comes to jumping. Even when I rode as a little girl (I was never one of those fearless children!)

I started occasionally jumping my pony last year and here is a wee picture post of our progression. (B jumps very nicely and was a pony club jumping pony before I got him so you just have to point and he goes! Great for someone like me who sits there shaking!)

started off in april 06 leading him over! (was too scared to go over it whilst on him!)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/7%20April%2006/76.jpg

then I got brave and in may I jumped him whilst on his back!

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=138A977B0EED3BD3

then didnt do anything for three months. Moved yards and had access to an indoor school so I decided to start from the begining and do trot pole work (I used to put wings out so I could get used to riding round them, as even riding with jumps up even if I wasnt going to jump them used to get me nervous!)

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=5423B6978DAEA5B7

a month late we started jumping tiny cross poles!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/12%20September/24c.jpg

started getting a tiny bit more confident and put the cross pole up a tad!

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=172F74D73843CC88

again didnt jump for a few months (I just didnt have the berve to do it regularily! I forced myself to do it as B loves it so much!) But christmas came and I had my own mini olympia! lol!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/15%20December%2006/th_V1.jpg (http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/15%20December%2006/?action=view&current=V1.flv)

by the end of the year I was getting really brave and jumped a mini course! (the upright was the highest I had jumped at that point!) and I was jumping from a canter now!

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=3A2B510A47CDE29E

a week late and I'm jumping bigger still! (still totally terrified everytime I jump tho!)

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=1A7EA4AE7C3698D2

again we had a break from jumping for a few months, but in april I started getting back into it.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/19%20April%2007/23.jpg

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=67F76BBB647E81B7

in may I entered my first ever clear round at a show! (the people cheering are by Bf and his mates!)

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=FC8B3D9A5FD0DEC7

after that I got quite brave and started jumping little logs out on hacks! But I didnt jump in the school again till our horse camp in july

This is the biggest I had ever jumped (and my first ever double) voice on the video is my instructor

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/22%20July%202007/Horse%20Camp/th_V13.jpg (http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/22%20July%202007/Horse%20Camp/?action=view&current=V13.flv)

horse camp gave me renued enthusiasm for jumping and I went down to the paddock with a friend and we did the jumps putting them up as we went. We came back and measured the jumps after we'd finished and we'd jumped 2ft2!!

I was so chuffed withmyself! I couldnt believe I'd jumped over 2 foot! (my goal to myself was always to jump 2ft. I never thought I'd want to jump higher!) I dont have pics from that first time jumping over 2 foot. But a friend came to the yard last weekend and took pics and vids of me jumping, so here they are... me and B jumping over 2ft at last! (and they didnt even seem all that big!)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/23%20August%202007/41.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Hannah_and_Brandy/23%20August%202007/45.jpg

(voice on this vid is my friend!)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE7i0EYmkJQ

So there you have it... my jumping journey so far!

And I've got a comp this weekend, I'm entering my first ever jumping comp! 50cm and 60cm... and if I feel brave I may even do 70cm!!!

I love my little pony so much! He's given me so much confidence!!

[NicP]

Well done, you have made great progress (I am another jumping scaredy cat!). You look really relaxed and like you are enjoying it now!

[miggy]

Well done, love the way you have got there gradually. Gives the rest of us some hope too! :)

[Sparklie]

that's so lovely to see :)

You're really flying with him now.

I was scared of jumping when I bought Twig and I got him to help me start jumping again. He's a bit of a nutter though and when I first got him he'd bomb 90mph at tiny cross poles so I didn't dare go any higher.

No we've cleared courses of 75cm and a single fence of nearly a metre. I just take it slow, forget other people's comments and do my own thing.

Well done you :D

[suzanne7575]

well done, you have come on really far. I did a lot of jumping as a child with my pony up to about 3ft6 SJ and 3ft XC and i was always a bit of a scaredy cat and my fear of jumping used to transfer through to my pony and we would end up with refusals because i was holding him back more than pushing him forward, however with a lot of lessons we started doing really well and his new owners affiliated him. However I am now back into riding after a 14 year break and my instructor is on about putting me in the class which is jumping and i'm petrified. Think i will need to overdose on the rescue remedy when i start, but i do really want to do it as i would like to have a go at some eventing when i get my own horsey in a couple of years

[Brandy Snap]

Thanks everyone!

Totally think that the slowly but surely course was the right thing for me. I didnt jump bigger until I was ready (appart from once and I scared myself and had to start back at the tiny xpoles again!)

suzanne - maybe you'd be better having individule jumping lessons until you get your confidence up a bit again. That way you can work at your own pace rather than having to fit in with a class of other people. (sometimes this can work against you though as it can make you progress slower, depends how nervous of it you are I supose!)

Oh, and my other thing is never feeling too shy/scared/nervous/silly to say "can you put that down please?" I'm good at telling instructors if its too big for me these days. And my instructor is really good and as she knows I'm such a nervous nelly she wont push me till she feels I'm ready (which might be about now! lol!)

[sarah--x]

Awww im glad you had gained your confidance

im the oposite i need someone to tell me NO! my 2nd time on a horse i jumped! the horse went into a canter and i was like wow tis is a fast trot! :)

[coverblown]

That jumping diary is delightful - as is your pony, and you have a lovely bond. Well done, lets see how you are getting on now - good luck with the comp...