How long did it take you to jump?

[Horseluver]

It took me exactly 2 months for my first jump. Was that a little too late? I only started 2 months ago.....(I'M REALLY NEW TO THIS) Also can anyone give me some tips on jumping better?

[myEllie]

I like your avatar.

I took me about two years before I started jumping. I started riding when I was five, but I rode western, so obviously, no jumping. Once I started riding english, I started jumping almost right away, but I had a good handle on the basics. Two months does not seem like a long time. I would actually question an instructor who would let you jump that early as I seriously doubt that you have the foundation you need to be secure over fences.

[Horseluver]

Hmm........I am pretty good at the trot and canter. I trotted the jump I jumped ( DID THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE!??). I didn't canter it though since I doubt myself I'm ready for that.....hm...but I never firgured 2 months was too little time for a jump.......(I THOUGHT IT WAS LATE!) I AM RealLY NEW TO THIS AREN'T I?

[jUmPingIsLifE]

if you count when i first started lessons than 7years, but i did five years of lessons in horse care and w/t thats it....than i did western for a year than i didn't take lessons just rode my horse at home than on my first lesson (english) i jumped....so i can't really give an reall answer lol.

[Kathleen3]

I have only been riding for 6 months and I started jumping 4 months ago. Still lots of people told me that was too early to be jumping. But them my instructor said that you are not really jumping unless you canter while you are going over the poles. I am not sure if that is true or not. So technically I have only been jumping for 2 months.

[Horseluver]

Go figure. If you gotta canter while jumping than I'm not up to that! I only I guess pre-jumped? Since I jumped while trotting.

[Mehitabel]

i quite often start my pupils trotting over poles and tiny (1 foot and under) jumps quite early on, even before cantering. obviously, only on horses that are 100% safe and sensible. i've found it gives people a sense of achievement when they're learning, when they feel they're taking ages and not progressing. a lot of people want things to happen before they're really ready, and little jumps and poles help them to feel they're getting somewhere. i also think it helps with balance and coordination, so if you're happy and you feel safe, just enjoy it.

[HoRsE ChIcK]

i started to jump after about 2-3 months of riding.i could canter easily and my trot was good.the reason i started jumping early was because i was on an 18 year old horse and he was as quiet as can be.It really wasn't even jumping becasue i just went into the hunseat and the horse steered himself over hte jump!He was basically a push button horse.i only took from this instructor for a year because then she had to go to college.i then went to a different instructor and i jumped after about 5 months with this instructor.The reason i wasn't jumping as early as before was because i was on a horse of the track who was 17 hand high and i was only 8!at first, i was VERY scared but as soon as we started cantering i got my confidence.i really don't think there is a set age on this matter, it completely depends on what level you are at and what your confidence level is!i would say, once you can walk trot and canter on the ground, and go over trotting poles, then you should be able to start some jumping!
bye and good luck!
~Holly~

[Horseluver]

I agree with you that it gave me MUCH more confidence when i got to "jump" since I thought it would take me years before I ever will be able to.
And also thanx for the luck cuz I bet i'm gonna need it!

[Dice]

Originally posted by Horseluver
I thought it would take me years before I ever will be able to.


That's what I thought too, but I did my first jump last week, having only taken up riding 4 months ago! :D
It sounds like I'm in a very similar situation as Chicky, the only horse really suitable for me just happens to be the most sought after school horse in the stables! :D

[Horsegurl_kayla]

It took me about 4 months to jump my frist jump.I have a friend that rides at a different riding school and it has taken about 4 years for her to jump. These school is based on Dressage though. She is a wonderful rider, she has been riding for 6 years but hardly has any work outside of the ring.
Horsegurl_kayla

[BlueSky]

Well, I've been riding on and off for years, but after riding at my current school for about a year, I had my first jumping lesson. Before that, my instructor made sure I was comfortable in walk, trot and canter, and started me off trotting over poles, then trotting over small cross-poles, and finally cantering over them.:D
I guess you could say it took me a long time, compared to most people, but I'm glad I did it later rather than sooner, as I didn't feel ready anyway.

[Horseluver]

Originally posted by BlueSky
I guess you could say it took me a long time, compared to most people, but I'm glad I did it later rather than sooner, as I didn't feel ready anyway.

That's cool. I REALLY WANT to jump and I think my instrutor knows. But she is still taking it slow for me so I won't fall off the horse~! By the way did anyone NOT fall off a horse? (i really don't want to~!!)

[Katie_85]

Falling off is not the be-all end-all of horse riding. It can actually be quite beneficial! You learn if you want to really continue in this sport than you have to get back up and ride, and if you don't, then you'll know that maybe it's not the right sport for you. Some falls can knock confidence quite badly, and that's never good and no indication that one should quit, but minor falls which usually leave you laughing are good, especially for beginners, because they let you see that falling is not bad at all.

As far as the jumping question. I have been riding for about 15 months and have yet to jump. I started out Saddleseat, moved to Western, spent about 3 months Huntseat with a Western instructor, and then finally now am back to Western. I suppose if you really want to jump, you should go at your own pace. I've done some trotting poles, (hate them!) and Bonanza has jumped over a mud puddle before, but other than that I haven't done any. At the mo. I'm focusing my efforts on becoming an all-around rider, being able to stay on a horse no matter what the saddle. :)

[Horseluver]

The only reason i don't wanna fall is that my mom said if I can hurt in any way, shape, or form I won't be able to ride. I'm not afraid of falling, HECK I broke my wrist in GYM~!!!! BUt its my mother......always the moms,......JK:)

[Mehitabel]

when i was small (about 9) my pony was on working livery, and i used to ride the other ponies at the riding school when mine ws being used. there was one pony called cha-cha (still going in her mid 30s now) who used to buck me off about 4 times every lesson. always going into canter in the same corner. my instructor wouldn't let me stop riding her until i could stay on for a whole lesson. it took about 6 months! i hated cha-cha at the time, but she taught me so much about sitting a buck! i was so proud of myself when i finally stayed on her.
falling off (if it's not serious) is a normal part of riding, and most falls aren't serious. it happens to everyone!

[*Horse*]

I've been going riding for about 2 nearly 3 years.....
the riding school i went to closed down about a year ago, the instructer i had went really slowly and hardly let us jump and when we did, the jumps were REALLY TINY.....i was really dying to jump higher. Then when the riding school closed i went somewhere else and on my first lesson there we jumped like four or five times the height of the ones i used to do. I've been going there about 9/10 months and we're now doing grids and jumping courses.
I've fell off quite a few times as well.....and i've never really hurt myself, well except the time when i got flung into the wall in the school coz the pony i was riding heard a noise outside and got scared, or the time when we were jumping and he stopped dead infront of the jump i nearly managed to stay on but he threw me off onto the jump....:o

[Natalie_W]

Can anyone tell me how many lessons/how long it took you to be able to canter?

thanx
nat

[Horseluver]

It took me about 2 months. My teacher said I was ready to and its the GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD~! I wish I could just canter or gallop :D in an open field....ahhhhhh......ok well, tats not gonna happen until I GET MYSELF MY OWN field....but watever, how long did it take U?OWN

[myEllie]

Horseluver, I don't mean to be picky, but you said you cantered after about two months, but above, you said that you started jumping after two months. That means you cantered, what, one lesson before you jumped. That is just not enough. In one lesson, I doubt that you would have been secure enough with your position.

[Horseluver]

well, like i said before, i really didn't jump but trotted a jump. :rolleyes:

[hoosier horse]

I rode western for about a month, then loped (er, cantered). Last fall I rode English for the first time and cantered in the first lesson. I took two lessons after that, then jumped a crossrail at a trot. (these two English lessons were after a year of western riding) Whenever I think over these lessons I am surprised at how fast I went forward (though at those moments I wondered, "WHEN am I going to canter???" and "WHEN am I going to jump???") My instructor made repeated remarks that I was moving up quite fast, and told me on my second English lesson, "I think you could start jumping soon" I was so excited! (of course!)

[Horseluver]

I ride English. But i dream of riding western. It looks so much more free....like in English, I gotta wear my helmet, shirt, breeches/chaps, paddock boots or tall leather boots and it sometimes seems....not nature-like. But like when you see those movies like The Horse Whisperer they ride western and it seems so NATURAL and FUN~!!!!! Is western more "fun" then English? What do you think?:rolleyes:

[hoosier horse]

I love western, and one reason being it's extremely casual--jeans, boots, that's all your really need. The Western saddle is very comfortable (to me). I ride Western pleasure, which is a slow and extremely relaxing style. There are horses I could trot (jog) all day. You don't have to worry about posting and diagnals and all that stuff. However, I started English because I want more action--jumping, etc. I would love to try Western barrel racing, reining, but there aren't any people who teach that around here. My mom wants me to barrel race too, but as of yet haven't found a trainer for it.

Yes, western is very natural feeling, to me, though I would love to try bareback sometime! :D

[galadriel]

Eek, I can't stand riding Western. I feel like there's a muffler between me & the horse, and we just can't communicate. If I want to experience free & relaxed without breeches, boots, etc, I go bareback ;) (Often when I have work boots on & don't have my paddock boots around or don't want to change, or wearing shorts, etc.)

But then, I firmly believe that there's no reason to ride except for fun. I try to use the riding time as well as the groundwork time to really bond and communicate with my horses--and of course, they're _my_ horses, not school ponies.

And I'm not about to make judgement calls for other people. :) I do what I feel is most right & fun. You should too!