# Losing stirrup while jumping



## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

You keep loosing your iron, because you are blocking your weight flow from occuring, by gripping or pinching to find that false sense of security.

You need to allow your heels to be your anchors, they must beable to do their job, and by allowing them to do you, you must permit your bodies natural weight to flow from your head, down into your seat and down into your heels.

Ensure that your leathers are at the proper length. Then ensure that your feet are placed in your irons correctly - where the base of the iron is at the balls of your feet, the outter bar is placed at the tip of your pinky toe and the inner bar is placed at the ball of your big toe - that way, your ankles can relax and flex and act as shock absorbers.

Then, your heels will be allowed to do their job - which is anhor you in your tack. Open up your knees, do not grip or pinch..the moment you do that, you block that weight flow from occuring. Opening up your knees and allowing that weight to flow down. 

Once you've found that, now you can work on stabalizing your lower leg, at the girth. As George Morris says, you are not ontop of your horse, you are wrapped around your horse. So, by opening up your knees, allowing that weight flow to occur, your legs can then wrap around your horses girth. 

Make sure your feet are balanced under you, glue your calf to your horses side. You want to find your "sweet spot" as I call it. You don't want your toes pointed completely forward, nor do you want your toes so pointed out, you're mimicking Charlie Chaplin. Find that sweet spot, find YOUR proper calf placement.

THEN - you are solidifed in your tack. NOW, you can go over a fence, with proper use of security in your saddle, and you wont lose your iron. 

Work on your two point position over, and over, and over, and over again. Muscle memory. 

Proper leather length
Proper placement of foot in iron
Finding your calves sweet spot
No gripping, no pinching of knee's, allowing weight to flow into your heels
Muscle memory of lower leg at girth
Wrap around your horse

It'll all come, when you put all the correct puzzle pieces in the correct spots. One piece at a time, you'll soon beable to see the whole picture.


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## Dresden (Jun 24, 2011)

Thank you so much for the advice! I have follow up questions if you don't mind. 

My stirrups are at my ankles. Do they need to be shorter for jumping or is that correct? 

Also, my instructor has me jumping in 3 point. Is that incorrect? Should I work on 2 point at all gaits before going over jumps?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## freddisam (Nov 19, 2011)

Are you "leaping" with the horse? If so---don't!!! He'll take care of the jumping! Try to think of taking a fence this way: approach the fence in a half seat, and try not to do anything upon takeoff other than keeping your knees bent and allowing your weight to flow down your lower leg. When you land, allow your horse to rise up and fill your "fork" the space between your thighs, still keeping your knees flexed---soft, but not weak--and letting your weight go through your lower leg.


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

MIEventer said:


> You keep loosing your iron, because you are blocking your weight flow from occuring, by gripping or pinching to find that false sense of security.
> 
> You need to allow your heels to be your anchors, they must beable to do their job, and by allowing them to do you, you must permit your bodies natural weight to flow from your head, down into your seat and down into your heels.
> 
> ...


Couldn't have said it better myself!! Everything MIEventer said is completely true. I have tried riding with my heels level (just because I wanted to see if it was actually easier since I rarely see people with their heels down) and honestly, I could not balance and was just totally thrown off. Do lots of exercises like standing and really sinking your weight down into your heels so you get used to it. Also, practicing no stirrups will help because then your legs will naturally be tighter around your horse, thus keeping your legs AND heels down in place! Hope this helps


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Dresden said:


> Thank you so much for the advice! I have follow up questions if you don't mind.
> 
> My stirrups are at my ankles. Do they need to be shorter for jumping or is that correct?
> 
> ...


I was always told a 3-point was sitting? Correct me if I'm wrong. But you should be 2-pointing over jumps...


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Sorry I keep posting- but this should help: When To Use Two-Point Position, Three-Point Position, and Modified Three-Point Position


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## Dresden (Jun 24, 2011)

What she has me doing is leaned forward on the neck but with my crotch for lack of a better word still touching the saddle. So not sitting per se but not in proper 2 point. Thank you all for the responses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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