# Bareback jumping critique



## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

oops here it is


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## ptvintage (Feb 12, 2010)

I really don't want to be harsh, because I think you and whoever is working the video camera seem very well intentioned, but I noticed alot that I think you should fix.

You position is not secure enough to be jumping bareback. You are just grabbing onto the mane and expecting the pony to go through the line without any direction. That is why she is running out on the jumps. 

Are those little girls sitting on the ground? If Pepper did decide to bolt or spooked sideways those girls would not be able to move in time. 

I think you need to put a saddle on her to teach her to jump. All you are doing now is teaching her to run out on jumps. In my opinion, your position is not secure enough to be jumping bareback at all, let alone trying to teach a horse to jump bareback. Once you can jump without grabbing mane you could try bareback.


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

you look like your having a lot of fun which is great, but i agree with the person above. you need to work on your position so you dont need to grab mane to go over the jump. if your hands are full of mane, your cant stear the pony over the jump. and if yournot stearing and you keep letting her run out, it will teach her to run out. try with a saddle until your position is perfect, then try bareback


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Agreed with the above posters. I don't think this kind of activity will benefit either of you.

Cute little pony though, makes me think of a black Merrylegs [from Black Beauty].


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## Snapple122 (Aug 8, 2008)

I agree that there are some things that you need to work on, but it takes practice!

What an adorable little pony! He reminds me of my pony Snapple. I think after a little bit of work, he is going to look great over jumps!


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Agreed with the ^^ posts. It will also help you greatly to find your center of gravity while riding, and get some balance. It looks like you fell of before the jump and thats probably because of a number of things, but especially because you are not balanced. Do basic work like walk, trot, canter in the saddle or bareback (which is what I would suggest) and when you can do all three gaits bareback without feeling unstable, than move to the jumping. But of course, make sure your pony knows how to jump as well first.

Other than that, you guys look very cute lol


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

Although I agree with what everyone is saying, the reason I'm grabbing mane is because I want her to have complete room to stretch out her neck while she jumps without me holding onto her at all. I can jump without holding the mane, but I wanted to be off her mouth and her back as much as possible. Also, I am very secure bareback at walk, posting, sitting and 2-point trot, canter and gallop, especially on Pepper.

Pepper was a great jumper before, she just switched owners and had some time off.

Here's how this went: yes, there are little girls there (I am a camp counselor, and this is at a spring break camp for little girls), but they're not sitting on the ground. We free-jumped Pepper before I got on, and the reason the girls are standing there is because before, they all had longe whips and lead ropes to steer her towards the jump. We free-jumped her three times, then I rode her through 3 times, the 3rd being when I fell off. The 4th time, when I got back on, we got over all 3 jumps easily and then we let her go back to her buddies.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

If you are completely stable at the walk and trot and canter, you can give her her mouth and get off her back without grabbing mane. Grabbing mane alters your whole center of gravity.

However, by watching the video of you trotting and cantering on your pony, I would have to disagree. You could definitely be more secure.


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

I know that it's not perfect and there's a lot I need to work on- I'm not disagreeing with that. But I was under a lot of pressure here, I had been been looking after six very young kids and seven horses with not much help for two whole days, and I had zero chance to establish a good walk, trot and canter before I had to jump her. I just hopped on and the owner told me to go.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I'm sorry. You're last post made me giggle. Two _whole_ days? Teehee. =D


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## pepperduck (Feb 14, 2008)

lol, two whole days made me giggle as well. lol.

That pony is so freaking cute. I want that pony... just saying I totally do. 

That being said, everyone has made a really good point. You need to be more secure before you jump her bareback. If the owner wanted you to ride her and jump her, you could say "sure, let me go grab a saddle, pepper and I aren't at the point where we are jumping bareback"

You aren't secure... watch the video closely. Watch your legs, see them swinging. When you grab mane your are throwing your upper body forward and your lower leg slides back. You loose control. 

When pepper runs out repeatedly, don't start over. Circle her around and make her go over the one that she missed. 

That pony really is so cute, I think I am in love with her cuteness. I have a super soft spot for little ponies.


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

Lol two whole days is a long time for a 13 year old girl with limited patience and 6 little kids hanging onto her legs and NEVER SHUTTING UP!! hahaha can't wait for the summer when I get to spend the 2 whole months being a camp counselor.......

Yeah, Pepper is such a cutie! She's one of the sweetest ponies I know with SUCH an attitude! She's wonderful <3

And yes, the next time I'm out there, I'm going to be jumping her with a saddle. Gosh, it's been a REALLY long time since I last rode her in a saddle!! I think maybe four months? And that was when she started bucking because the saddle didn't fit quite right, so we just took it off and went bareback lol! This was just a "Hey, I wonder if she'll pop over those with a rider?" things, and we won't be jumping bareback again until we both get more into it.


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## Snapple122 (Aug 8, 2008)

Please guys, let's not turn this into yet another fighting, negative thread. The OP knows that she has things to work on, but I don't think it's harming the pony. 
I think that Pepper is absolutely adorable! He reminds me of Snapple kind of.


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

Thanks, Snapple122!

Yeah, apart from the different colored mane, Snapple looks quite a bit like Pepper! But luckily for you, he doesn't have a baby-belly like Pepper does! Poor little thing, before she was bought my her current owner, she had 8 foals in a row, which has cause her belly to become quite large and her back to sag a little  But she's lost quite a bit of the extra weight she was carrying!


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Wow, that pony is cute. I'm sure she was quite a nice little jumper in her day! 

That being said, I have to agree with the above posters, and I'm glad you know that leg and seat need to be worked on. I totally know where you're coming from, and what I do to try and improve my bareback in a ton of bareback flatwork and no stirrups work. It really helps me feel the horse under me and be strong enough to jump. You may want to practice on a more reliable horse over fences before you try jumping Pepper, just to get some practice in. I think bareback is a great way to improve your seat and feel, but it isn't necessarily the best way to school a pony. 

Also, maybe try putting the jumps at crossbars or verticals with two standards, just because if she hits the jumps they could get stuck under her legs and roll on the fence posts. Plus, the other side of the jump may create a more solid and less hostile obstacle for her. 

Schooling her in a saddle may be best for a while, but you definitely have the potential to try again with bareback later!! Keep up the good work, I salute you for working summer camp!!


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

looks like fun! although you are not secure enough, good job you didnt have to far to fall. If Pepper is sway backed from being in foal then I dont think too much bare back work is the way to go with her.


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

She's not sway backed, she just has a bit of a dip from carrying all that baby weight, but it's not severe at all. We've had the vet look at her, and he says that her back is plenty strong to go bareback, and she's as comfy as a couch! She also HATES almost every saddle, but will do anything for you bareback, so when we do have to ride her with a saddle, we almost always use a treeless.


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

If she's sore with a saddle, I recommend getting a vet or chiropractor out to check her. It could be a major problem.


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## horsegirlmaddy (Dec 6, 2008)

She's not sore, she just prefers it without. It's hard to explain. She's been looked at by a vet and is perfectly sound, it's just an attitude thing. She likes to have more freedom than a saddle provides her.


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