# NEVER HAD A LESSON IN MY LIFE!! what do you think?



## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

Well, i've been riding for a year now and i got my first horse, a year ago. She is my pride and joy, and i am the sort of person who likes to teach myself things, just to prove i can. what do you think of us?

We've gone from this




to this, in just under one year





What do you think? after all, as i said, i have never had a riding lesson in my life. 

I don't have a picture of it, but we're now jumping 90cm. the first picture of a jump was 30cm


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

Very good job! I am a self taught jumper as well. It is hard, so cudos! I know the dedication that it takes to try and teach yourself!


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## Cowgurl060405 (Jun 7, 2009)

Just curious..why are you against taking lessons? I understand wanting to teach yourself, but it seems that when doing something potentially dangerous such as jumping, it would be more fair to your horse to have someone helping you. There are always things to be learned and even the most experienced riders will tell you that they don't know it all and still benefit from coaching. You look like a good rider and if you had an instructor, you would probably reach your goals much quicker as well as make is safer for both you and your horse. Just a thought...


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

It doesn't necessarily sound like she's against taking lessons, it simply sounds like she just hasn't taken any as of yet; maybe because of finances, or lack of decent english type trainers in her area, etc... alot of things can inhibit lessons, not just because a person is 'against' it...

To the OP, I think you've come a long way already; would finding a good trainer help, possibly, but I think you've already got a good foundation built; you can only get better. It seems like you've got a good minded, willing horse to learn on, as well, and that is a great thing to have. 

*shrugs shoulders, and grins* I learned how to jump bareback on trails over timbers that were strewn over the trails...we would purposely add more timbers too!


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## Cowgurl060405 (Jun 7, 2009)

It seems like since she said she prefers to teach herself, that she has chosen not to use an instructor. That's fine..just thought I'd throw the safety thing out there. My sister broke her hip trying to teach herself so sorry if I feel strongly about that. I just wanted to add that using a more experienced person is safer to both you and your horse when you are learning something new.


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

I know I don't have a trainer now because I went through three years of emotional abuse from a trainer. I don't do well this authority either lol. Still good job for improving yourself. As long as you are smart about it and don't do anything you aren't ready for you should be good.


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

REALLY good!


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## Chuckface (Apr 25, 2009)

lookign real good there!


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## Piper182 (Jun 18, 2009)

Looking at your now picture, I would say, concentrate on not jumping ahead of your horse. It can turn into a sure fire way to fall off. I can't see your heels because it's too far away but it looks like you could shorten your stirrups one hole.


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

I 2 taught myself to jump and got up to 3'! And when I did take a lesson from my instructor for jumping all she could say wow because shes never seen anyone with and pretty good position who taught themselves. So its possible!  You look really good just try not to jump ahead so much. Let the horse close your hip angle.  Keep it up!


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

thanks guys 

and don't get me wrong, im NOT against having a trainer, it's just that where i live, there are only about 50 people in the whole village, and we live a good hour away from any decent trainers. as it is, we travel 30 minutes into town each morning just to get to school and i dont want to ask my parents to give up more petrol and time to take me to lessons.

And yes, i do realise how potentially dangerous it is to me and my horse, but i am a sensible person and bubbles is kind of like a trainer to me, she pushes me to do something i dont want to do when she knows im ready and i don't, and she refuses downright to do anything she realises i cant do, but all in all, she looks after me really well. and i couldn't ask for a better horse.

and thankyou for the tips about not jumping ahead and shortening my stirrups.
i will shorten my stirrups a bit, the only real reason for not doing this in the first place is because my stirrups would not go any shorter, i now have new stirrups yay 
and i don't really know how to not jump ahead of her, do i wait a tiny bit longer before going up into position? or just not go up out of my seat as far?

and as for the jumping bareback, i like that lol. i've done it once and my horse was kind of like, what the hell are you doing? (and so was i to be honest :L)

and so far (*touch wood*) I haven't fallen off. that day will come though and im not scared of falling off, im more scared of hurting bubbles... which is also why i ride her in a hackamore


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

If you approach the fence in a light seat, (30 degrees in front of the vertical) the thrust from the horse's jump should put you in the proper position. There's really nothing active you should have to do other than stay in a balanced light seat. You don't close your hip angle. The horse's jump should do that for you. 

A good exercise I can suggest is, set up a small vertical and then put a ground pole 9' to 11' after the jump. It's the beginning's of a bounce. Your only job is to get him to the first fence and keep yourself in a stable position over the fence and ground pole. It serves two purposes. It helps your horse jump round if he tends to jump flat (your's looks pretty good) and it helps the rider find the correct in air angle and not jump ahead. Once your comfortable doing it, raise the ground pole into a second jump and repeat the exercise. There are a zillion ways to build bounces. They're very fun and very helpful with fixing position flaws. Definitely raise your stirrups a hole. If you don't care about the leathers, just punch a hole in with a nail or something. 

You're doing a fantastic job for self taught. He looks like he loves to jump. New Zealand seems to have a lot of natural talent over there. Looks like beautiful country.


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

It looks a bit better 

I'd say to try and take lessons, if not in jumping than in general riding. It does help you tons. I know that for myself, I could sit on a horse before I took lessons, but now things are improving. But it's important to take lessons for a trainer that teaches in a way you understand and respect... I've had enough trainers that just didn't feel good and reasonable at all to prefer riding alone.

Maybe you can ride for a trainer just once a month, to get new things to practice at home and to help you kill the mistakes before they grow into a habit (like jumping ahead of your horse . 

Anyway, keep up the good work and if it's impossible to get a trainer, just keep going anyway 

Zab - who rides academic dressage on her gaited horse for a trainer who know nothing about gaiting, and jumps logs in the woods alone insted of with help from the instructor - who competes in jumping.. as long as the trainer know more than me and can share the knowledge, it's good enough!


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

how do you mean light seat? i need simple terms lol. i have videos up on youtube showing me and bubbles jumping. if you want to watch, go to youtube and search "hothorseridagalholly" that is my channel on youtube i have a few videos up.
MyBoyPuck, thankyou for that, i will try that excercise once the weather clears up a bit. at the moment it is the middle of winter, very cold, very wet and muddy, very windy etc and i don't think its fair to my girl to force her out in riding in this weather lol. i'm not that mean


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Good job! I've never had lessons either but I do have a network of support people I can call on the phone or email. I suggest you look into the same thing. 
It really helps to have someone to say "yes, thats the way to do it" or "no your going to screw up". This forum will help a bunch so try and take the advice given. Its usually given with good intention behind it. Is there someone in a decent range that can come to your aid in person if need be?


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## OperationRescubilitate (Jun 29, 2009)

You look good... but everyone can benefit by getting a trainer out and critiquing you once in a while... they see things you can't and can really get you moving forward in your riding


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

You look pretty good for not having any lessons!  That's pretty awesome...I'm sure you feel really proud & accomplished learning all that by yourself- that's really cool. More power to you! Adorable horse as well, aw!  Thanks for sharing! & yes, there's nothing wrong with some constructive critisism- we can supply that! LOL. :lol:


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

Thankyou everyone 

I havent ridden bubbles since about 3 weeks ago lol. but hopefully tomorrow or the next day. if the weather clears up lol.

this is a vid i put together of a few clips of us. its not finished though, i will finish it with new footage.




 
and another one 




 
We've been jumping 90cm at our highest lately and i went out to the paddock and put up more jumps and some gymnastics to try lol

=D


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## dancehabit7 (Jul 11, 2009)

They are great videos , Very gorgeous horse! You are a fantastic rider. How long have you been riding for?

I've never had a riding lesson in my life either  High five!!

The jump you do at 30secs on the first one... I'm sorry to point it out, and I feel a bit mean, but your cres-realese isn't great. I might just have been that one jump, but you were hanging off the horses mouth, and by the way he was holding his mouth, he seemed to be in a bit of discomfort.. But after watching the rest of the video it just seemed to be that one.

Sorry, This may sound mean too, but I'm trying to make it constuctive cristisim. Just watch out when you land jumps... try and keep your bum in your seat a bit better, when the horse lands and you come out of your cres realese you seem to rise again and pull on his mouth quite a bit. 

Sometimes, and I've been riding for a little over 15 years, I find it hard to keep my seat too sometimes, I jump 1.70cm, and sometimes if my horse races into it, I come out of my seat.. I understand sometimes its very hard!


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

thankyou for that dancehabit7 I realised i was pulling on her mouth a bit when i first got her, so i changed her into a hackamore, which we both like a lot better lol, but yea thanks for that, um, I have gotten a little better, and have a vid of us jumping 90cm now... these were taken on sunday...


90cm
After The Storm - What Ive Done.wmv from HollyT958 on Motionbox

thats the video taken on sunday, we hadnt been for a ride in almost 4 weeks


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

and i just watched that jump you pointed out at 30secs.

Explanation for that mistake::

I was really fighting her to try and make her go over the jump and not around it like she had 5 times before that shot.
Just off screen she actually slowed down to walking pace, still in the canter, so i thought, yep here comes a refusal so braced myself for it, and she jumped it instead, i was kind of like SH*T, thats a new one, so after that ride i felt soooo guilty for pulling her mouth, which is when i decided to change into a hackamore bridle..

And you jump 1.70?? :O
WOAH!!!!!! thats HUUUUUGE!! lol.

I've only been riding since June 08, which is when i got bubbles


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