# Trail Partners Jumping Badly



## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

"Wanna have a gaited horse jump off?"

"SURE!" 

So it began. Baby Girl and I aren't well practiced in our jumping; we had a jumping lesson together a few months ago and occasionally pop over cross rails. Our inexperience shows. 

But since I had a friend at the farm who brought her fox trotter for the weekend and someone was there to baby sit the both of us and give us advice, I decided I might as well.


Below are a couple pictures. I'm horribly over the cantle.  Critique horse and rider! Tell us how to improve! 

I like jumping and hope to have another jumping lesson this weekend when my trainer comes to town.

Our first jump was very awkward...









We got a little better afterwards. A little.


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

Well, you're inexperienced so you will have a lot to work on anyway, but the main thing you will work on is not jumping ahead. It's making you go over the pommel, not the cantle, that's the back of the saddle. You will probably work on this over time as it is a common fault. Your leg should strengthen and not slide back with time and your elbows need to be closer to your sides and not out like they are in the pictures. Lots of stirrupless riding will strengthen your leg and releasing with your hands on the side s of your horses neck will help with your elbows.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Cantle =/= Pommel. Typo! Now I look like an idiot. :lol:



Ah, okay! So... How do I not jump ahead? When _should_ I jump?


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

It takes practice but eventually you will just wait for the horse to jump and you will have our body move with your horse in jumping position. Remember, it takes quite a bit of practice so you will probably go in to two point before the jump, but instead of moving forward, you just wait for the horse. Your instructor should be able to help you with this. Make sure you mention it at your next lesson.


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

For someone who doesn't jump, you have a pretty good idea of where to start. 

You've got the idea of the crest release, just make sure you keep your hands either buried in the mane or resting on the crest for support. 

Like Jumanji321 said... you'll need more stability in your leg. I want to say your stirrups are a bit long, but it's hard to tell because you're just standing in them. 

Does your horse canter? If he/she does, practice cantering in two point over poles. Learn to just move your hands and let your hip angle close as your horse hops over the poles. Jumping position is more like a squat over the saddle center than a standing up motion. Advanced riders don't do anything, they let the horse's thrust determine how much they come out of the saddle and absorb the shock with their ankle/knees. 

I think you have a pretty good start considering your experience. You have the jist and your eyes are up and I think once you stop standing you'll have good heels too. 

By the way... LOVE the wraps!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks! I think I'm trying to make going into two point too big of a motion and end up over doing it. I sent the pictures to my trainer. "You're jumping 18 inches, not 4 feet. Calm down." I guess I'll break out the ground poles and do some proper two point tomarrow! More folding over the saddle; less standing in the stirrups. 


She doesn't really _canter_; she gallops. She's fast and tends to break gait when asked to slow. I would like her to canter like a normal horse. Tips regarding this? 


Oh, and thanks! I love me some zebra.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Your pony? horse? is a good soul and dead cute. She is making a really good effort with her front end and is as tight as your could ask for. 

However, her hind end tells me she doesn't really understand how to do what you're asking her to do. See how far apart her hind legs are when she takes off? Ideally, she should push off with both hind legs equally and the same distance from the jump. This requires that the bring the trailing hind leg forward a half step in the moment before the take off, and that is mostly a learned skill. 

Starting off jumping from a trot, and using a series of cavaletti with a one step gap in front of the fence (4 trots poles set 4 - 4 1/2 feet apart, then a 9 foot gap to your jump, approximately. Adjust for your horse's stride.) will help her with this. Using a placement rail one canter stride out from the fence is another technique, but starting out from the trot is easier and safer. 

You'll know when she's gotten correctly because you'll feel a controlled, even push off when she jumps. 

Also get your instructor to talk to you about ground lines. Ground lines help your horse see the bottom fence and correctly judge their take off. In photo 1 and photo 6, you're jumping a fence with no ground line - that's really not fair to a green horse/green rider combination. ALWAYS use ground lines, on both sides of the fence, and rolled out to 1 - 1 1/2 times the height of the fence. It will help the horse, and help keep you safe.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Thank you for the reply! I'm sorry I didn't see it till now; I somehow didn't notice this thread had a new reply.  I apologize and appreciate your help.


I followed your suggestion about the cavaletti. I set up some today, as you specified. There was no one around to watch me and make sure I didn't get killed, so I lunged her over them. (I hope this is acceptable.) Is some tripping and general confusion common during the introductory stages? Her legs went everywhere! She knocked down the little cross rail I set up quite a few times before clearing it, though not neatly nor elegantly. Should I just keep it up until she learns where to put her legs?


Also, I used ground lines.  Useful things, those. It helped her take off at nearer to the right spot.


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

Does your mare pace to fences or actually trot?


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Great question, Mud Paint. 

Brighteyes, I can't really tell what's happening from your description. Would it be possible for you to post a video?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Brighteyes said:


> Cantle =/= Pommel. Typo! Now I look like an idiot. :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> Ah, okay! So... How do I not jump ahead? When _should_ I jump?


 

*I always remember it this way: I put my Palm on the pommel, cause it's in front, and my "can" in the cantle, cause it's in back.*


Super cute horse!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I'll try to get a video! She just seems to be... Not getting it. She trots the first poles, comes to the next to last one before the jump, and tenses up. She tries to fit in an extra stride or take a huge stride to the jump instead of taking off at an ideal point. She also takes the line a lot faster than what I believe is ideal, based on watching a few Youtube videos of "real" jumping horses jumping grids. She acts overwelmed, almost.



Pacing or trotting:

We trot. She's trained to trot as well as do her gait. I have taken fences at a pace before though; her performance wasn't any better or worse.


Tiny:

Good trick!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

It may be that the poles are not adjusted correctly for her stride and that's causing the confusion and tension. 

Try to get a video or get someone else to watch you and experiment with the distance between the poles.

It may also help to start with a little pyramid of three poles for the jump rather than a crossrail until you feel that you've got the striding correct, then raising it to a crossrail after she's comfortable with the series of cavalette.


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