# Kai and I jumping 28th July 2008



## xNigelx (Jul 28, 2008)

Jaimie! Wow, so many UHBers here!

You guys look amazing, as usual. Seriously, your eq is near perfections and your pony is so cute and tight with his knees. Do you post up to critique here just to make us feel bad about ourselves? :wink: :wink: 

The only thing I could suggest is that you may want to start trying an auto. You are certainly ready and it seems that sometimes he gets to fast, and this could give you more control.

Keep up the amazing work and give a hug to that pony for me.


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## Pinto Pony (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks,

I think maybe in the pics where I came up ok but got left behind where due to my hands being too high so yeah, I should have used an auto release there. Any tips on remembering to do one as I approach the jump??? I always just do whatever happens haha, I try not to think too much.

Anything obvious with Kai from these pics that we can work on??? He hasn't jumped for months! Any suggestions for slowing down exercises?

Jaimie


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

put trot polls in front of the jumps and one or two after the jump or you can put a little cavaletti before the jump. i had a pony that would rush to the fences and that's what we would do.

hope that helps!


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## JumperDreams94 (Jul 29, 2008)

Jamieee. Picture perfect EQ there. I think grids, gymnastics, and bounces would be helpful to stay sharp. You two look great.


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## Just Jump It (Jan 13, 2008)

You are quite a stylish rider. Very classic, no frills or trendy posing, very workmanlike and correct. You have the perfect figure for riding - long legs that can really wrap around your horses barrel.

A couple tips to make your position even more supple.

Repostion your iron. Your stirrups are a great length and your irons are where they should be on the ball of you foot, but repostion your iron so that the outside branch leads the inside brach. The iron will now lay diagonally across your foot rather than straight across. 

With your irons adjusted in this manner, your ankle will be more supple, and your heels will remain down and relaxed. This will help prevent your toes from sticking out and will keep your entire leg more elastic.

Your release is nice for a beginner to intermediate rider, but you have a strong enough postition to begin using an auto release. This will give your cute ony freedom to use his head and back even more and will keep you in control in the air and on landing. 

An auto release separates the men from the boys. 

Practice the auto by beginning in a two point position at a standstill. While in two point, spread your hands apart as far as you can while still keeping them level with your waist. Its easier said than done. If your position is the least bit weak or wobbly, you'll fall out of two point. When you can hold your two point with your hands spread wide, move up into the next gait until you can successfully canter round the ring in this manner. Once you are comfy in the flat, jump a small grid in this manner.

This wide hand position mimics what you may feel when you begin using an auto release. You cannot use your horses neck for support in an auto, so you are forced to rely on the strength of your base. An auto release will improve your balance and core greatly.

As for your pony...

Tight distances will get him to snap those knees up more, as will nice wide oxers. Right now he seems unchallenged by the small height, so hes just popping over the jumps without being super tight.

Lots of flat wirk will improve his rushing, Get his canter under control, be able to lengthn and shorten his stride on caommand the minute you ask it. If you can control his canter on the flat, you can control it over fences. 

Lots of walk trot transitions help with jumping. They get a horse stepping under himself and carrying a much more collected canter. 

If he still rushes the fence, then trot more jumps. All of the jumps in the pics you could jump form a trot. This way, the hrose is forced to wait, wait, wait, and you have more control ovre his speed than at the canter. Lots of half halts right before the fence. 

If he is a spooky guy, I would introduce trot poles before and after the jump carefully. But if he is a solid citizen who isn't easily fazed, then I would right away put a few trot poles in front of a jump and a few closely set canter poles after. Teach him that after the jump he must collect himself and prepare for the next fence. 

Good luck!!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

You guys look good!  I think you should place your lower leg back a bit more *push through your knee*.


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## ArticMyst (Jul 8, 2008)

The only thing that I have a suggestion on. Is your jumps, I use the same type of set up...

I would just suggest moving the poles more toward the end of the barrel so that if one gets knocked that if falls of instead of potentially rolling into your way. I have had that happen before luckily my horse just tripped instead of actually falling but It was a lesson learned. 

-Myst


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## Pinto Pony (Jul 28, 2008)

Just Jump It, thank you soooooo much! That was really helpful, not having an instructor at the moment I really need someone to to remind me and nag to move on up in the world. And I totally agree with the Auto releases, I was working on those at the beginning of the year when Kai and I were training 1m+.

ArticMyst, thanks for pointing out the position of the pole for me, you are so very right, I should not have a pole that can roll under us like that! Eeep, I will go make some new arrangements this morning. Not having access to standards can be so annoying but I just have to make do and safety is a big issue for me, thanks so much for pointing that out!

Thanks to everyone who commented! Very much appreciated!

Jaimie


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## Cheval (Jan 1, 2008)

He's really adorable, you guys look good & I think everyone pretty much covered it. I'm in love with your pony; you should do some hunters with him!


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## crossiii (Jul 28, 2008)

Jaimie you guys look awesome! Jeez I'd never know you were out of the country for so long by looking at the pics! Kai looks like he just stepped right back into it  You and he both look quite excellent.


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## Pinocchios Girl (Jul 28, 2008)

^^Yeah seriously. I agree 100% with Catie. haha

butt you guys look amazingggg as usuall<3 

But a few suggestions for rushing, Skye has been working REALLY hard with me and Gracie and Izzy and Owen with that. What she has us do its lots and lots and lots of trot fences. We pretty much only trot fences right now. And when we're coming into the fences she has us sit wayyy up and back, and really stay behind our horse, like we don't get left but we stay behind them coming into the fence. And we think as sloww as we possibly can. And it works. lol Quite well actually. haha. =] Hope it helps! and you guys look so amazing, as usuall. =]


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## Pinto Pony (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks everyone, again.

I have decided just to make a journal and put all the pics there because I will probably have pictures almost daily so any constructive critiques can be left here... http://www.horseforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=13125

Thanks again!


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## Kenzaroo17 (Aug 1, 2008)

you guys look so comfortable! Your position is at ease and overall its gorgeous! good job!


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## We Control The Chaos (Sep 19, 2007)

you look like you are a little "up" in the saddle in the first picture but it could be just cause it was a smaller jump, my horse does that when we are jumping smaller i think he is going to jump higher than he really does. other than that you two look AMAZING  


i LOVE your saddle pad by the way. i am in love with plaid.


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