Getting going with jumping....

[*toHorse&Away*]

As some of you know (I post sporadically on here) I have been re-learning how to ride after a long break and one of my goals is to be able to get jumping again.
I normally ride in group lessons and we don't do it a lot so that when we do anything I might have learned seems to get lost in the interim.

Today I had a day off and went for a provite lesson to see if I could make any progress- I know I will know when its right and it all clciks, it just hasn;t yet - all bad position, hells up bum, too far foward, out of sync - you name it! :o

Anyway today I asked for my fave gorge little horse, she is about 14.3 and a real confidence giver so we had a go at a couple of uprights, the heel thing was happening again, too far forward again etc.:(

Then as the lesson progressed I was asked to knot the reins and drop them 2 strides before the fence keeping leg on - Hurrah! we had a few goes at this, supposed to be in trot, but as she wanted to go in canter, well what they hey.....ultimately over a small double with a couple of canter strides in between and it was blooming brilliant:D . I wouldn't by any stretch say I was, but it felt better, it made me get my weight in my heels and my body position flexed with the horse, and strange as it might sound it all felt a lot safer and more stable.

Having a big grin and would recommend if anyone else is going through similar/ crisis of confidence - give it a go!!!:D

[NoviceNic]

I jumped without reins and loved it. Amazing feeling of flying. Brilliant news keep up the trying.:D

[honeychop]

wow - that is brave dropping the reins but a good way to make you notr ely on the horses neck for balance. Another good one is when you have the horse in a nice steady canter - stand up in your stirrups straght- then bend into jumping position. this will also improve your balance and make you put your heels down - and if you do it wrong and take your leg off the horse will grind to a halt!!!

seriously though - i am going through the exact same scenario at the moment.
I fell off in the middle of a competition last year :o and have been crap ever since when it comes to jumping. i was so nervous my horse just refused the fence and i kept on going! was totally my fault as he is a jumping master. In my lesson on monday we were joining 2 fences together (not double or related distance) just 2 fences - and the thing is we approach the first fence in trot with placing pole and then canter to next fence with placing pole 2 strides out and I jump the first one perfectly but am rubbish over the second one - not folding, just standing up, going to one side whatever. My instructor says I am obviously nervous - she is a great teacher - really supportive. But she says i am unique as she is not sure why the first is fine and the second not!!!!!!
Anyway - I am seeing a chiro genius lady who has totally fixed up my old and crooked body. well - yesterday at a session we were talking about my jumping lessons and i was telling her that my instructor has taken me right back to basics again which i am finding really useful but that i am faliing apart at the second fence and she suggested that my lack of confidence is to do with this and have i ever considered Paul McKenna's confidence book and CD that you listen to when you go to bed. She told me 2 of her colleagues who were practicing hypnotherapists thought it was really good.
well it hadn't crossed my mind. I am really confident in all areas of my life EXCEPT for my jumping - should i give it a go? has anyone got any experiences of this hypnotherapy??????????

[Canabeanz]

Hello there!

My first post...gosh :o

I've been lurking about on NR since I started riding lessons in January - what a fantastic help you've all been!!

Honeychop - I just had to reply to your question about the Paul McKenna book and CD because it has worked fab for me. My OH bought it for me, I think because he was sick and tired of me moaning on about how I just could NOT get the hang of canter because I was scared of it - this was how my face looked :eek: . I was so nervous that I tensed up terribly and just hung on like grim death - there was no learning about position/transitions etc etc because The Fear took over!!

However, I've been listening to the CD - despite thinking it was a load of old guff to start with - and the transformation is amazing! Now my face is like this :D My position and everything else is still fairly rubbish, but now I can work to improve that because I'm less of a fraidy cat. I highly recommend the CD in particular :)

Anyhoo - all the best of luck with your jumping (wowzers - jumping, I can only dream!)

R

[honeychop]

awesome - i am so glad you posted this reply!!!!
I have another jumping lesson tonight and have just bought book/CD from Ebay so await it's imminent arrival!!!
I can't wait to try it all out and be the excellent rider that I am supposed to be!!!

[*toHorse&Away*]

Thanks NoviceNic - its defintely getting more fun - just a b***er I don;t get enough opportunity to practice!!!

Honeychop -
Sorry about your fall. Hope it was just :o not anything worse....funny what you were saying about the second jump. I have the opposite - first one is pants because I am doing too much thinking- second one is there before I know it and it works better!

On the hypnotherapy thing I would think its guff too - I am a terrible cynic!!! But it sounds really cool that it worked - certainly would not hurt. Though I have been told to stop reading so much as its causing my brain to go into meltdown as its simultanuosly remembering all this sporodadic information I have read on how to do this stuff properly and trying it make an unwill bod do it as well. My own worst enemy!!! :D

Canabeanz - Welcome to NR. Its a mine of really good information as I am sure you know. Loads of lovely helpful folk who know their stuff!

[CrisO]

I alway used to like jumping through a grid without reins (and without stirrups) as I always felt it improved my balance. However alot of riding schools don't do it anymore as if there was a accident they would not be coverd by insurance.

[coverblown]

sounds great - I am going to try it! I get such a panic with jumping that everything else disappears from my brain.

[honeychop]

I had another jumping lesson last night and we did a double - just a small one obviously :o but it was the same again - i did the first part fine and then fell to pieces at the second. My instructor says my problem is that i need to be able react quicker - land, sit up - leg on in then fold again. The thing is I am trying and when i do a good one it feels right - the problem is my 37 year old bones are letting me down!!!!!!!! And also being older you tend to learn slower!! Anyway am doing loads of stretching and about to start yoga so with any luck i should become more flexible!!
anyway at the end of the lesson i felt like i had learnt a lot and my good ones were getting better and getting more frequent. told my instructor that when i do finally get a grip of it i want a rosette saying "Worlds Greatest Achiever!!!!

Sorry for hijacking this post - but we're in it together!!:)

[*toHorse&Away*]

CrisO - that is my nextchallenge - ha ha! Had a go at cantering without stirrups, now the no rein thing, well it makes sense to join it up at some point!!! Hope we are allowed (not ready yet though!!!) so many restrictions with insurance and the like..shame!

AAH - yes, have a go -let us know how you get on!:D

honeychop - still think its odd its the second jump, are you getting all out of kilet on the first one and not recording in time? hoe far apart are they - these ones were just 2 canter strides so no time to worry......37! pah! its no age at all, younster - you will be fine :)

[Dummer&Drummer]

hey well done you guys, its great for your position no rein or stirrup work and bare back lol :) having a great time on my bare back pad, only trouble is i keep cantering round and round building up courage to go back to trott lol :rolleyes: :)

[honeychop]

no my firdt jumpi is fine - reallygood in fact and the distance I'm doing is a bounce or one stride!!!!!
I'll keep at it - I am having 3 jump lessons a week at the moment!! - luckily my neddy is very kind to me and very patient.

[*toHorse&Away*]

Thanks D&D - doubt we will be allowed bareback but I would love to manage to get good enough to go over with a cup of water - one in each hand and no stirrups - seen pony club kids do it - bril

honeychop - maybe its the one bounce then? how about trying 2 strides and seeing what happens?

Nice horses - they are so tolerant!!!:D :D :D