The correct position for landing?

[MaisieMoo]

When I look at pictures and videos of myself jumping, my position on take off and over the jump looks ok but where it seems to go wrong is during the landing.

I know that I need to give more with the reins and I’m working on that but I do also have to keep a good hold of C on approach to the jump otherwise he tends to mess it up a bit. C is also a bit downhill so I can’t really fold forward or I end up going over his head so I try just to sit up straight, keep my head up and focus on the next jump which helps a little but because I’ve got such a tight hold with my hands when C lands he gets jabbed in the mouth and I get pulled forward and it doesn’t look or feel particularly nice. Another issue is that when I try to soften my hands, he pulls the reins through my fingers and then I spend the approach to the next jumpt trying to gather them up again (you can see this in one of the vids)

Can anyone give me any advice on improving this issue? I’d also love to see some landing pics so I can have a look at other people’s position - most people tend to post pictures of take of rather than landing so it would be good to see some for comparison.

Here are 3 vids of me at jumpX – you can clearly see my being unbalanced and pulling on his mouth when landing.

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[summercandy]

These are the only ones I could find in my albums that are of landing from a jump.The first one is better than the second as I am not sure what was happening with my arms in the second pic lol. From looking at your vids it looks as though your horse is not going forward properly when you are getting left behind and it looks like you are anticipating the jump to early which is why you are getting an uncomfortable landing as you are slightly in front of the movement.This combined with the horse not going forward into the jump is what makes for an uncomfortable jump.To correct you need to send your horse forward into the jumps and make sure you sit upright until the take off so as you go with the horse.

 

[joosie]

I've got a habit of sitting up too soon on landing. Here's a couple of recent pics that show my typical position -

And the worst one!

I didn't learn to jump in lessons, I learned by trial and error, so my position is far from textbook! That last photo in particular shows my problem. I now have lessons with an instructor, and she has assured me that it's better to sit up too soon on landing than to get left behind on takeoff - either way, the most important thing is that you don't jab the horse in the mouth. She has told me a very simple but useful tip... basically on approach to the jump, hold your hands higher and wider than feels "right", and you find that even if the horse gets the stride wrong and the jump itself is uncomfortable, you have enough give in your arms to avoid catching your horse in the mouth.

You say you stay upright over the jump rather than folding forwards. The problem is that your arms can only stretch so far! If you are upright over the jump you can't necessarily provide enough give with the reins, and especially when the jumps get a bit bigger, you are even more likely to catch him in the mouth. He does look like he's lacking a bit of impulsion coming into the jumps which means that when he does the jump you're going to have problems because of the lack of fluidity - when the jump is more fluid your position comes naturally, when it's awkward you are more likely to be pulled around by the horse's movement. My interpretation of "being soft with the hands" is that you follow the horse's movement with your arms to give him the rein he needs to stretch his neck out over the jump, rather than having your hands so open that they slide through your fingers - although of course there will also be instances when you need to do exactly that (bloody confusing isn't it...)

I love jumping but I am finding it a major learning curve! Maybe you could have a go jumping on a more straightforward horse to understand what your natural position is, and then learn to adjust it to suit your horse?

 

[Brithdir Barrd]

This is my positions.
Take off

In the air

Landing

jake is down hill, very short back and 14.1 and im 5ft7 so im too big for him really and the saddle isnt a good fit for me. but there nothing i can do about it from the saddle fitters.

Release ya elbow what i did was over exagerate is the only way to learn. when you learn to realse you will fold more and put weight down ya heel. on landing sit up and pretend theres a jump a stride away. to help have a pole a stride after jumps or jump some bounces.

 

[MrKia+Me]

I cant say that I have ever found a right way of landing hun as every horse is different.

I when i jumped Arnie it was totally different from Kia and I found at the beginning I was sitting up to early and getting left behind.

Try staying in your fold a little longer then you might find that you wont be jabbing him as much.

Is there anyway that your instructor could lunge you over some jumps to allow you to work on your position rather than having to worry about reins etc??

I had this done years ago and it worked ok for me

Nikki xxx

 

[BlueWicked]

tbh, i dont think about it... it just kinda happens, i think you can over analyse these things. but hey, im no expert! What i would say - is if you feel he is taking the rein, let him.. but try to allow your whole arm to extend forward from the elbow and shoulder rather than lengthening unless you have to... try riding in with a longer rein and really sitting back more into the fences, shoulders well back, it will almost feel like your leaning back but you wont be, just keep the leg on)

there is a kind of landing pic from balkello- http://www.peak-photo.co.uk/index.php?pageId=100&id=112117&start=0&lightbox_page=&search_mode=

and here's one

ETA - with a horse who has a low head carriage like casper, i know it must be really difficult... and i dont think there is much wrong at all in your vids, i actually think it will come together better as both you and he just carry on doing what you are

 

[MaisieMoo]

Thanks all.

My dressage instructor is trying to get me into the habit of putting more of a bend in my elbow but when I jump I tend to shorten the reins and reach forward so when I land there is no give and I end up getting pulled down.

Got a jumping lesson tonight so I will ask if we can work on this.

 

[angelfben]

I think it's just trial and error The more you do, the more you will find your natural balance over fences. I find I naturally shift my weight back when landing over bigger fences, it's not something I conciously think about. The more I do think about my position, the more I usually manage to **** it up

Bad weight shift, going "over the handle bars":

Better weight shift:

 

[fielder]

Had a jumping lesson the other day. Haven't been able to sit on the saddle for a few days afterwards. I kind of landed and hit myself off of the back of the saddle. It was very sore

 

[acw295]

Only found 1 landing one so far....no idea if it is good/bad/or indifferent. I am a total novice at jumping and lack confidence, but I am happy to stay on

 

[xGreyponyx]

tbh, i dont think about it... it just kinda happens, i think you can over analyse these things.

Totally agree with this. My position goes totaly pants if i think about it, i just let my position come naturaly, including landing
Im quite happy with my position, its by no meens perfect, but its improving

This is the only landing picture i have, it not a very good example tho

xx

 

[ClaireBear_nz]

You mean this isn't the correct position for landing? How sad....

Not my finest moment by any means.

My theory is don't over-analyse it. As long as you're balanced and your horse has the freedom to land and continue, then I don't think there is a correct position.

A few landing shots, apparently Mum likes the landing shots on XC courses. My position isn't one you want to copy, believe me! But it does give you some idea.

(Ignore my shoulders, I got the protective vest when I was 12 or 13).

 

[rgbilyeu]

try to stay in your jump position for 2-3 strides after the fence, if your doing an sj round, you should really be back in your saddle unless you become unbalanced to where going back down will help you quickly. or you need to sit deep into a fence ie if your horse likes to back off big spreads and you need to sit deep and go sort of thing.

sitting back down as soon as the front end touches the ground is not correct, strictly speaking. you need to be able to balance your weight through your legs, and if you have to sit straight away, you need to work on your jump position to increase the strength through your thighs and calfs. also in the long run on some horses could end up hurting their backs if your just plonking down right away.

 

[rgbilyeu]

also in your video you seem to be standing up and tipping your front end rather then a true fold from the hips.

if you work on your folding from your hips over the fences, rather then up and tip it will help your position on landing ten fold