# Jumping



## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

This is the only picture I have right now of me jumping. I mostly know whats wrong.. like my leg going back but is there anything else I should work on?


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## Whiskey Lullaby (Feb 24, 2009)

I don;t know a whole lot about jumping, I'm still learning myself, but I think your hands need to be up a bit higher, just not on his/her neck. Just a few inches suspended above. That's what i was taught. Hopefully someone with more experience can come along and help.


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## ridingismylife2 (Nov 4, 2008)

also keep ur heels down


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

Flyinghigh12 said:


> This is the only picture I have right now of me jumping. I mostly know whats wrong.. like my leg going back but is there anything else I should work on?


 First, try to even up the jump. Your leg needs to come forward, and your heels need to sink down. You are looking up, which is really good. Also, push your shoulders back, that will help you sit up more


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## saraequestrian (Dec 4, 2007)

having your hands suspended above the neck? that makes no sense to me at all whatsoever ahah. 
It looks like you're balancing on your hands/arms/shoulders, thus throwing away the rest of your body. I don't really have much time, I'll give a more detailed response later, if it hasn't been covered.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Alright, I'm working off of very little sleep... please let me know if this doesn't make sense at all...

Good for you for looking up and to your next obstacle! Overall this picture just needs some fine-tuning and you'll be well on your way!

First off, it looks like you are a lovely rider that just needs some fine-tuning, so yay!!


You want to develop your base of support: your legs/thighs/pelvis. In this photo, as you mentioned, your leg has slipped back and your thigh has come off the saddle; you don't want to grip with your leg, knee and thigh, but that is your base of support. You want to think about sinking your weight into your heel, and keeping your leg underneath of you and wrapped "around" the horse so if your horse takes a crazy jump, you are completely secure. 
To correct your leg, I would really suggest for you to take some time to do a little flatwork and work on your two-point position at the walk, trot and canter without reins and without touching her neck. This will really really help develop your base of support, as you will notice that you will fall forwards or backwards if your base isn't strong. Trust me, this will be very hard at first!! But if you can stay close to your tack with your butt and just close the angle in your pelvis, and really focus on your legs, you won't need to rely on any balance from your horse's neck. 
Once you have the flatting down pat, then try over trot poles, then elevated trot poles, then have a go at this height again. 
If you work on this even for a short amount of time each time you get on your horse, you will see a great improvement very quickly! 

One thing that a lot of people have trouble with is keeping their chest and sternum open, and rolling their shoulders back; so think about there being a star on your chest that you want to show off. If you think about this over your jump, you won't collapse in as much over the jump; remember, you want the horse to jump, not you  This jump is fairly small and it looks like you may be adding a little too much movement to it. 


I'm just going to point out something to keep in mind if you want to get a little more technical:
- it looks like you are looking to make a turn, but that is only with your head (great start!!)... to take it that bit further, translate that into your body. Since you are looking into a turn, you want to make it easy for your horse to follow and land on the correct lead. Getting off her inside shoulder will allow her to free herself up and land on the correct lead. Now, the trick here is to balance yourself so you're allowing her to free up that inside shoulder while not throwing your weight to the outside, throwing her off balance. It is something that you will get to as you progress. 

If you can put the work into developing a more solid base of support, you will just make the (fairly minor) adjustments to this picture to make it look even better. 
I am really looking forward to some update pictures


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

Since that is not a 'big' jump, you do not need to lean forward as much, it puts to much weight on the front of the horse.


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

I'll talk about the release with your hands, since I don't see too much of one. Put your hands forward to give the horse more rein; and as soon as you get a solid base, most AWAY from the crest release and work with a trainer to start your automatic, or following release.

Second what JustDressageIt said, with maybe some posting without stirrups.


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks guy's, I will totally try to get a picture of me jumping again to see if i'v been correcting this stuff.. I'm excited!


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## saraequestrian (Dec 4, 2007)

I think JDI basically covered it 
Just remember, also, to sit and wait for the horse to come to you.
I think your release is fine. It's a small jump and your reins look fairly loose. As the jumps get bigger, though, reach for those ears! 

jumping is so much fun and I'm glad you're willing to improve!


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

As the jumps get bigger, do NOT reach for the ears. When the jumps are bigger, you should be doing an automatic release, as the crest release forces you to come too far forward in order to give the horse a proper release.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Agreed, MayfeildK. Once you get your balance on the flat and are jumping this height very solidly, you should learn the auto release, it will be an asset when you start jumping bigger.
*hint* - if you don't have a solid base, the auto release won't come easy and won't be correct... now... you don't have to worry about that juuuust yet  all in due time!

Can't wait for update pics!! If you can, get someone to videotape you working on your two-point on the flat; if you get to see yourself in motion, it might make the connection stick better  

Good luck! 

(& good for you for being so willing to learn! it's admirable)
*sits and waits patiently....*


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

> As the jumps get bigger, do NOT reach for the ears. When the jumps are bigger, you should be doing an automatic release, as the crest release forces you to come too far forward in order to give the horse a proper release.


Maybe Saraequestrian was speaking of the long crest release? 

I do agree with you about the crest release - although I do feel it is highly overdone and over taught.

Far too many riders today, continue to do the crest release, even when they have a strong base of support to keep their upper bodies where they need to be - which is a shame, because it is highly over done and GM complains about it all the time. He created the Crest for beginners to a) not interfear with their horses faces and b) support their upper bodies due to their weak lower. 

I dislike the crest release - even GM says that it is over taught and has lost the reasoning behind the main purpose of him creating it. It is far overly done in today's show ring and lesson programs. 

Although it has its place, I believe it impede's the riders progression over time and it hinders them in the long run.

*BUT!!! To the OP - I am proud of you grabbing onto mane! Good job and way to go!!! There is NOTHING wrong with grabbing onto mane, to a) stay out of your horses mouth and b) give you that sense of security*

I do not see you interfearing with your horses mouth   

~~~

In this picture, you are not pinching your knee's at all. I see a big gap between your knee's and your saddle. Although, I do see you reaching for your toes.

Proper leather length, creates a strong base of support. Too many riders go around with incorrect leather length.

There should be 110 degree angle in your knee's - when you have the correct leather length, then you can learn to allow your heels to do their job - 

ANCHOR YOU in your tack  

They MUST do that. Many riders end up searching for another avenue of support and security in their tack, that is why we see allot of knee pinching or gripping with their calves. When this is done, our heels cannot do their job.

I also see your iron placed incorrectly on your foot. You cannot accomplish securing your lower leg when this is placed on the wrong place on your feet. The iron should be at the ball of your toes, the outter bar on your pinky toe and the inner on the ball of your big toe.

You also must have the correct leather length - the moment you do this, you can now search for your security and base of support in your tack. 


Also, work on pushing those legs to that girth. Knee's open, weight flowing down into your heels, inner calf wrapped around your horse. Train those muscles as to where they need to be.

I don't see you ahead, which is fabulous! Your seat does appear to be over the center of the saddle - what it does look like is that you got popped out of your tack. 

One can tell you what to do - but you need to know why you need to do this. When you are on approach to the fence, going over the fence, and departing from the fence, our horses need that consistant support through our lower leg.

Many riders just stop riding all together a few strides out, leaving the rest up to our horses - which results in veer outs and refusals and lack of impulsion and a flat horse. So we want to aid our horses at all times, it is about bringing out the best in our animals - because afterall, it is about them.

That is why your form is so important when riding on the flat, and over fences. The moment you are out, your horse is out. The moment you unbalance, your horse does too.

~~~

Your upper body - I believe the reason why your upper body is where it is, due to not only being popped out of your tack, but also due to lack of security in your lower leg - most importantly, your heel. 

Your lower leg flings back, your upper body flings forward. 

Remember, our horses are supposed to close the angle, but - if the horse jumps flat, we have to aid them. 

What many riders today do, is ride the fence - instead of their horses. When I ride the fence, I end up anticipating it. I stare at it, race to it and then - my form goes out the window. 

My coach tells me, "Ride your horse, not the fence"

You know the fence is there. Your horse knows the fence is there - why stare at it? Allow that fence to come to you...

How do you do that? 

By riding your horses rhythm. The most important factor to jumping, is what is under you. Not ahead of you. 

Learn to focus on your horse. His canter or trot. His rhytm. Where your leg is, heel is, seat is, upper body is. 

Focus on supporting and aiding your horse to the fence.

Your job, is to get him to the base of the fence in a safe, controlled, rhythmic manner. His job, is to get you over the fence.

You need to learn to remain supportive and aiding every step taken. Well, we all do  

When I ride my horse, not the fence - my form is solid and supportive.

~~~~

I would recommend lots of lunge line work. Reinless lunge line work is phenominal.

SPS ridres spend years doing lunge line work without reins, so do GP Riders when they want to correct themselves. No one is too good for lunge line work 

Reinless work - will make you focus on yourself while the grounds person can focus on the horse. You then, can focus on correct leg placement, your seat, your core and your upper body.

You will find your seat, asap - and your core...HELLO.  lol.

What my coach also does with me, is have me going around reinless on the lunge line - where I will imagine myself on a course. Focusing on my body placement to aid my horse on approach, take off, over, landing, depart.

He will say "fence" and I have to mock going over the fence, without actually going over a fence. That way, I can focus on my form, without interfearing with my horse. 

Cavaletti's get introduced and then small xrails.

~~~

All in all, I think you look pretty good compared to many others out there. I am impressed that your seat remained centered over your saddle, and I love that you are grabbing mane. And looking ahead


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

MIEventer said:


> Far too many riders today, continue to do the crest release, even when they have a strong base of support to keep their upper bodies where they need to be - which is a shame, because it is highly over done and GM complains about it all the time. He created the Crest for beginners to a) not interfear with their horses faces and b) support their upper bodies due to their weak lower.
> 
> I dislike the crest release - even GM says that it is over taught and has lost the reasoning behind the main purpose of him creating it. It is far overly done in today's show ring and lesson programs.
> 
> Although it has its place, I believe it impede's the riders progression over time and it hinders them in the long run.


Wow, I've never heard that argument against the crest release before. It's interesting, though, and makes sense. I've only been jumping about 5 years, and I still use the crest release. I've never learned how to do an automatic, though I think it would be neat to learn. Right now I don't think it's really impeding me, though... Hmm.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

George Morris created the crest relase for 1 reason - for riders who cannot support their upper bodies through their lower bodies.

I see riders with impecable form, continueing to do the crest release, even when they have strong lower body position.

It is over taught and over done.

Again it has its place.


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

I doubt I really still need a crest release but one time I tried to do an automatic just for fun... haha it kinda failed. xD


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

I don't really know how to do the automatic release... haha.
I would have more pictures, I don't know if i can get a video, but its too stupidly cold out right now.. -30 it sucks! I'm hoping to go this weekend! Can't wait to show you more, and I'll keep working on the flat in two point, it should help tons!
Thanks guy's for all your information and help! Can't wait to put it to use.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Oh no, I am not saying for you to do the Automatic - you aren't ready for that. When a rider can fully support their upper body with their lower, then they are ready to venture to the automatic release.


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

Ok.. isn't that when you just don't grab mane, lol.. 
Holy crap! Not going riding today, it feels like -40 out! Hopefully I'll be able too on sunday, its suppose to get warmer.


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

Flyinghigh12 said:


> Ok.. isn't that when you just don't grab mane, lol..


A crest release is where you put your hands halfway up on the horse's neck and press your hands into the crest of the horse's neck. It helps you support your upper body up in the 2 point position, and also it keeps a bit of slack in the reins so if you get left behind you don't bop your horse in the mouth.

There are short and long crest releases. A short crest release may just be 6 inches or so, and a long crest release is about halfway up the neck or more. I don't think one is much better than the other, but they key thing is that you are able to support yourself, but you aren't throwing away your reins (you want to be able to sit back after you land and have contact through the reins).

An automatic release is where your hands follow the motion of the horse's head as he jumps. Usually your hands don't touch the crest of the horse's neck and you don't use your hands to support your weight.


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