jumping

[irishhorselovr]

i just started jumping. i do fine on the cross poles but when i jump anything else i lose my balance. The horse i ride loves to jump and i can tell she tries to help but it isn't working. could anyone give me some tips on how not to lose my balance?

[minx]

remember to shorten your stirrups 2-3 holes, keep your heels down when u jump, and hold your reins shorter than u usually do (at a shorter but comfortable length). all these help u to gain more control in your balance.

and also, when u jump, look ahead in order to keep your back straight, and also for your horse to move in a straight line.

good luck, hope that helped!

minx

[Edited by minx on 11th Aug 2000 at 07:39 PM]

[Rebecca]

I don't know if your instructor has you doing much practice at jumping position, but you could always ask if you could work at this in trot and canter. When I was a teenager we would do jumping position for what seemed like ages on end, and I'm sure it's good for your balance, although it kills your legs. In particular, balancing in jumping position for a while in canter is quite difficult.

Good luck, have fun

Rebecca

[fionahogg]

I agree with Rebecca. The muscles you use when jumping need to be developed; the only way to do this is to use them! Try riding for a bit whenever you ride in your jumping position when trotting/cantering, concentrating on kepping a good position with your heels down and your head up. Also try not to throw yourself over the jump - it's the horse who's jumping, not you. If you lean forward then you are much more inclined to lose your balance. Try pushing your seat to the back of the saddle, you will find that your upper body will then naturally go slightly forwards, but not too much. Only jump the height of the jump - if the jump is only 2'6" then there's no point jumping it as though its 4' because you will then throw yourself over it and probably lose your balance. Remember not to lean on your hands, as this will cause you not to be able to get your balance especially on landing. Try letting go of your reins, going into your jumping position with your arms stretched out beside you to help you find your own balance.

Anyway hope this helps!

Fiona.

[Jo]

One of the things that helped me with my jumpping was having my stirrups taken away!

I was on a horse who never refused, no matter what the rider did, so I had no problems with run outs or stops. My problem was that I kept letting my legs swing back and this made me lose balance (and considerablt weakened my position). When you jump without stirrups (and reins) you have to concentrate on what your legs are doing. You also have to stay balanced to stay on. It worked for me.

[fionahogg]

Good idea Jo. Jumping without stirrups also helps you not to push yourself way out of the saddle into mid air and helps you to therefore keep in balance better. You could also try having lessons on the lunge over small jumps but ride without reins so that you can't balance on your hands.

[Missy Mops]

I don't know if the horse you ride wears a martingale or not, but if he does hold onto the neck strap, alteratively you could use an old stirrup leather to put around the horses neck to hold onto as you go over the jump. This also prevents you jabbing the horse in the mouth.
Hope this helps. Missy Mops.

[fionahogg]

Be careful with that though as you might not be able to give enough over the fence - small fences should be OK but when they go up try grabbing a piece of mane if you need to. Also it may encourage you to lean on your hands instead of having an independant seat.

[Flo]

The only thing that I would add is to look over the jump where you want to end up, rather than at the jump itself (or worse at the ground in front of it). Make sure that you are riding confidently and that you commit yourself to the other side of the fence no matter how small it is. Other than that, keep your heels down and don't let anyone make you jump more or higher than you feel confident with - everything else will come with practice.

[showjumper13]

Just keep practicing! The more you jump, the better your balance gets. You just need to get used to it. Also, work on your forward position a lot, make sure you're legs aren't swinging back when you go into the forward position. That will make you balance on your hands instead of your heels, and it's a quick recipe to losing your balance. Until you develop a stable position, it's better to stick with crosspoles! Try a grid maybe, of 4 low crosspoles a stride apart, so you can practice your position. Approach at an active trot and let your horse do the rest! Just concentrate on maintaining your position. Good luck!

[irishhorselovr]

thanx u guys. it all helped alot, my intructor said i was doing alot better.

[Jess]

I don't really agree with shortening your stirrups that much. 2-3 holes is alot. If you need to shorten them that much, they are too long to begin with for the hunter ring.

[Jo]

Hi Jess,

I hike my stirrups up by two holes when jumping because it places my thighs in the best place to balance me when going over a jump. If you fold well down you need something in front of you - look at jockeys going over fences!

[Roz Morris]

When you go over the fence, push your heels down and FORWARD - as though water skiing. This will make you much more stable.

[Wally]

Don't be fooled about how much you need to take up your stirrups. I had to do a training course south. It had been 15 years since I last went over a fence, (Jumping ain't my sport!) I took up my stirrups the book learned two holes, off I went over the fence, I found I couldn't keep my balance well. The BHSI told me to take them up another two holes, Don't be daft says I, I'll be like a jockey, I took them up to humour her and found that as if by magic, jumping position worked so much better. I had taken my stirrups up 4 holes. I'm glad I did because the horse I was on was putting in some stinking big jumps.

All I can say is practice jumping position in all gaits, and experiment with your stirrups.
And don't forget there is no standard spacing between stirrup leather holes!!

If you can't keep your balance with stirrup, you will find it hell on wheels without. Get better with stirrups first, then try without.

[Edited by Wally on 27th Sep 2000 at 07:14 PM]

[Somethingroyal]

If you are losing your balaqnce, try grabbing a chunk of mane with your reins. It will make your hands go with the horses neck, and will help you keep your balance. Also, the more you practice your jumping position, the better. Practice at the canter, that really makes you keep your balance! Also, once you are comfortable in that position, i suggest trying to canter in it without your reins, BUT ONLY DO THAT IF YOUR HORSE IS NOT LIKELY TO RUN AWAY. A good old staedy school horse would be good for that. Jumping without your stirrups will give you a great seat, since you will rely on it for balance. You might want to try bareback as well, it is difficult, but at the stable i ride at we do bareback lessons and everyone in my class sticks to their horse like glue!

[Jess]

let's say for example that you've got a hunter hack/fences class (one that I commonly have)... you do flat and then you sit in the middle of the ring in position, not even moving until it is your turn to jump. You can't reach down and hike your stirrups up. Correct hunter flat position entails the same leg position as o/f. Besides, your balance should be in your heel, not in your thigh.

[Edited by Jess on 23rd Nov 2000 at 07:55 PM]