Getting striding for jumps right

[Kat_and_beauty]

Hi all,

Im having a bit of trouble. Me and Beauty are finding judging take off for jumps a bit hard at the moment. She either takes off too early, or I get left behind or in front of th emovement, or she takes 1/2 strides or just leaves one out etc...any ideas to regulate it a bit?

[Showjumper]

Try setting up trot/canter poles in front of the jumps to get her to pay attention and regulate her paces.

Or pop a placing pole before the jump to get her to take off in the right place.

Gridwork is also very handy to help the horse slow down, build impulsion and get used to taking off in the right place.

[Kat_and_beauty]

thanks :) any particular combinations of gridwork that would help like should I stick to cross poles or what to help her? any fences that are easier for a horse to judge than others for example?

[Showjumper]

I tend to use cross poles for grid work as they help the horse to aim for the middle of the jump instead of drifting.

Most horses jump better over small spreads than they do over random uprights.

[Kat_and_beauty]

thanks again! will try that and get back to ya!

[Showjumper]

Good luck! :D

[jUmPingIsLifE]

definatly grid work does wonders! also when cantering into a fence it helps if you count the strides down 'three, two, one...jump' then you can help her to get the distance alittle better if you set him up so he doesn't have to scramble .

my old pony used to do that half stride thing and would get all messed up with her feet when she jumped so i just started counting into every jump and it helped me to get her into the right distance so she wouldn't get all confused.

[Kat_and_beauty]

thats a really good idea thanks! Will have to get piccies of the disasterous attempts lol!

[Kat_and_beauty]

:D :D :D :D

WOHOOOOOOO!!! Went out and did some jumping in the field today (in the drizzling rain I may add made my face all itchy lol). I did about 2"6ft!!!!! yayyyyyy! Id lost my nerve so this was ace!

I set up a double with exactly three canter strides in the middle and it is so much easier to relax when you know the striding and can count it! Thanks for th ehelp am much happier now.:)

[RachelEvent]

I sympathise with you here - quite often I get things wrong, but there are a few things you can do to maximise your chances of getting things right.

First of all, to start with do not worry about 'seeing a stride' because that will come, without you even realising.

The most wrong you can get a jump is by half a stride - with little jumps, this means that even if you get it pretty wrong, you should be able to recognise you have a bad stride and just keep in balance and still clear the fence.

If you approach the jumps with the horse between hand and leg (that is quick off the leg, but responsive to the hand) in a definite rhythm, and a forwards pace, you are giving the horse the tools to be able to make the best of whatever stride you get. Practicing counting down the last three strides is a good technique to help you stay with the horses movement, as you will realise you are on a long stride, and you can keep forwards.

When you begin to see a little further out that the stride is wrong, you have to options - to hold for a shorter stride, or to push on to make up for the longer stride. In most cases, if you are say 6 strides out from the fence, pushing the horse onwards a little more, means that they will still be moving positively forwards over the jump. Bringing them back may be a better option while showjumping uprights, but beware of putting the horse off by taking up too much pressure on the reins.

It's a skill which will keep developing the more you practice.

Grids are very useful, helping you to recognise strides, building athletiscism and confidence, but you must remember that you still have to jump single fences at some point in the future :)

Rachel xx

[Kat_and_beauty]

:D wow rachel lots of very good advice there!!! I usualy try 2 collect her to take another stride rather than lengthen her frame cause she would tend to flatten then and be a bit harder to control after the fence too, but itll just take some practise which we are both well and truely out of after a winter of just jumping single fences in my wee arena!

Got a mini course set up in my field now so can practise every day thankfully! yayyy! Thanks again appreciate the reply :D

[Ryoko]

i'm with you kat! recently i've been getting left behind or cracker has been jumping to early or higher! i've been told to bounce him in i.e. the canter being steady and foreward but bouncy...gosh that is hard to explain.....but i may try some of the advice you have been given too :D i'm glad you've posted this and that i'm not the only one!! :D

[FreedomStar]

Try to find a steady canter beat before going to the jump. It's important to be able to get a steady canter and keep it all the way through the jumping. Set up a single canter pole on one side of the arena, and 3 or 4 canter poles on the other side, and work on maintaining the same pace throughout the exercise. When you feel confident about keeping the pace steady, put up the last pole in the canter line to a crossbar or small vertical, and try again. Gradually work your way up to the single jump and the grid.

[Kat_and_beauty]

hi again!

Well I havent been jumping her this week. I had a show on sunday and had two clears. My first round was relaxed and beauty was brilliant- perfect striding etc and I didnt get left behind once. Second round....well she was in season and had been looking at a horse before I went in- the wee tart didnt want to listen to me and decided she'd try and get round as fast as possible to come back out :rolleyes: silly mare! But got a clear anyway, even if it wasnt particuarly stylish!

Ive been busy with bits and pieces around the farm this week so havent ridden her- and its absolutely roasting today so am giving her a bath!! And riding as well.

I have to go out to the field and work on her jumping today, as Ive the 2nd week of the league on tomorrow and Im hoping to enter novice horse (75cms :( )

Any tips for this afternoon or tomorrow? Ryoko, am also very glad IM not alone! heehee!!