# a pretty good jumping lesson



## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

anyone?


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## eventnwithwinston (Feb 15, 2009)

You guys were looking really good there Daria. Shes becoming a good little jumper!


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

thanks! im really proud of her!


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## huntseat7 (Dec 31, 2008)

Over the fence you need to let your body go with her more, I feel like your staying up right too much and just jumping your butt out of the saddle. You should bend from the hip more. Also I would try not to let her run into the canter before the fence its a bad habit, establish your canter at least before the turn and keep an nice even temp up to and after the fence. Your horse is cute but could use a little work on a head set and rounding out more.


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

thanks, and we werent cantering before the turn because the far corner that the turn is, theres a huge ice puddle on that side of the arena. thats why we werent cantering. when i watched it, i felt that too.i agree about rounding and her headset, but shes only 4 so shes got a lot of time to learn


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## eventnwithwinston (Feb 15, 2009)

I agree with a lot of what you said Huntseat7.
Daria, you do need a more established release and to let her jump up to you, closing your angles. Again, I know shes only 4, but she needs to learn not to poke her nose up in the air. Bad habit  lol


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

again, i agree, but HOW do i do any of these things? lol i feel really stupid right now but how?


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I am going to disagree.

How is a Pony, who is 4, turning 5 - supposed to know all this stuff, when she is already being over faced with jumping 3'0" with a green rider on her back? 

How can you guys be giving this advice, when the rider is just learning all of this. LacyLove needs to learn strong fundamentals and funtionallity first, on a horse that is "been there done that" so that she can learn and grow as a rider and become this functional rider that she wants to be.

There is no way, she can be transferring her lack of knowledge/experience to a pony with lack of knowledge/experience.

*Don't take me the wrong way - you have allot of basics and have allot of potential - but there is allot you need to work on yourself before you should be focusin on a green mount.*



> Over the fence you need to let your body go with her more, I feel like your staying up right too much and just jumping your butt out of the saddle. You should bend from the hip more.


I disagree - I watched this vid over and over and over...and you can clearly see LacyLove already jumping the fence, before her pony is even a stide to it. She is clearly over bent. Her upper body, is way to forward. She has already tossed her upper body's weight, onto her horses forehand..creating her horses job, to be that much more difficult.

What she is doing, is standing up in her irons over the fence for her base of security, isntead of sitting and waiting for her mount to lift her out of her tack. She is not closing her knee angle, like she should be - instead she is opening her knee angle, and reaching for her toes.

The rider does NOT close the angle - the horse does. 



> Also I would try not to let her run into the canter before the fence its a bad habit, establish your canter at least before the turn and keep an nice even temp up to and after the fence. Your horse is cute but could use a little work on a head set and rounding out more.


The pony is a baby still and green. If the rider cannot establish seat to legs to hands, how is the pony supposed to? If the rider cannot establish functional form over the fence, how is the pony supposed to?

~~~~~~

LacyLove - I know it is exciting that you get to go over fences, and I know it is exciting that you get over them and I know you are very proud of the fact that you are going over 3'0" - but remember, it isn't the height of the fence that counts, it is the quallity.

How well do you do it? That is what counts.

Don't feel stupid, there is no need to. We all can only know what we are taught, and we can only do what we know how to apply. If you aren't taught, how do you know? If you aren't shown, how would you know?

That is why asking questions is so very important. Reaching outside of the box.

I am really going to recommend that you start reading George Morris columns on a regular basis - go to the Practicle Horesman Magazine where you will find his critiques.

This man is a wealth of knowledge, and he is who he is for a reason - he speaks allot about functional form over fences regularily, and I feel he would be a wealth of knowledge for you, for any rider out there - to learn from.

I read his columns religiously and I learn so much from him - so can you.

~~~

I am not going to talk about the pony, because he is green - and so are you. 

Lets focus on YOU the rider - because you improve, so does your pony.

You are still jumping ahead - you need to learn how to sit and wait for your pony to jump for you, not you for him. 

You are still gripping with your knees, you need to open your knees up and allow your heels to do their job, which is anchoring you. 

Your seat is coming waaaayyyyyy to far out of the saddle - you need to, again, allow your pony to lift you out of your tack....not you lurching ahead.
Work on pushing your tooshy back towards the cantle.

We need to figure out why you are jumping ahead allot - 

- stop looking at the fence. You know the fence is there, your pony knows the fence is there. There is no need to focus on it. Ride your pony, not the fence. Ride your pony's rhythm. Ride your pony's stride. Allow the fence to come to you, not you to it.

Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit and allow your pony to jump the fence. 

- No base of security in your lower leg. Your leg is either being way to over active, and not remaining at the girth - or you have no strength in your lower leg to stay at the girth.

Your leg must remain at the girth. You are there to lift, to support and to encourage. 

When you are posting your trot, that's fine - but 3/4 strides out, lock and load those legs and your heels at the girth. Knee's open, heels deep and legs locked at the girth. 

- Your upper body is anticipating your pony's jump. Once you've learned to lock those legs at the girth, heels deep and no knee pinching - your seat will follow *light and low to your tack* your upper body will follow. 

Right now, you are loosing your lower leg due to knee pinching. You aren't allowing your knee's to close *no lower leg stabillity* and lurching yourself up and out of your tack.

You have to realize that you need to AID your pony is doing his job right. Not hinder. You as the rider needs to bring out the best in your animal, and by that, you bringing out the best in yourself.

I already covered allot in your last thread where you posted your vid. I don't think you took much of it in.

You and your pony have allot of work ahead of you - especially flat work. If I were your coach, I would focus allot on flat work instead of over fences, incorportating ground poles and cavaletti's.

~~~
Glad you feel you had a better lesson. 

It isn't about the height of the fence or getting over it - it is the quallity of the fence that counts.


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

thanks.....but its 2'6 not 3'0.....theres a big difference to me. i said it was _like_ 3 feet. i kind of get what you are saying, but it confuzes me. can you try to explain it in an easier way to interpret if its not too much to ask for? sorry im just a kid and i want advice with my riding thats all.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I totally understand how words on a computer screen can be confusing - that is why we need an educated coach who can competently work with us one on one, filling in the holes that have occured in our training.

Is there anyway your coach can put you on a more rounded, advanced, experienced horse? That way, you can focus on yourself and where you are and what you are doing. That way, the horse can teach you, so that you can grow and learn and mature.

Is this pony your pony? Or does she belong to the barn? Are you leasing her or are you assigned to her for lessons?

It is difficult for a green rider, to learn and grow and focus on themselves to improve, while being on a green horse. The green horse is still learning themselves, relying on their rider to teach and guide them.


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

im leasing her starting next week so i can work with her more. and i pretty much see what im doing wrong. next time i tape myself i think it will be better. i need to release a LOT more and push my butt back. thats all that i can see. I really wouldn't want to switch horses either because I like her a lot


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

You need to work on stabalizing your lower leg. Without your lower leg being strong and supportive - nothing else will come.

When you aren't allowing your heels to do their job, due to your gripping your knees...because you have no lower leg stabillity.....nothing else will come.

The chain of negative reaction in your form over the fence, occurs when you loose 1 part of your body.

You are ahead of your horses motion. 
You are jumping the fence before you even get to the fence. 
You have no lower leg stabillity. 
You are throwing all of your bodies weight onto your horses forehand

No lower leg stabillity. Results you pinching your knees. You pinching your knees, heels cannot do their job. Your heels cannot do their job - you pinch your knees. 

See the cycle? All this causes you to lurch ahead instead of sitting and waiting.

You need to do allot of 2 point work. You need to really strengthen your lower leg and work on opening your knees.

I would put you on the lunge line, with no reins. I would make you really work on seat into legs. 

I would make you do allot of grid work, on a horse that is more experienced to aid you instead of holding you back. 

I would work on having you learn to ride your horses rhythm, focus on the horse under you instead of what is coming ahead. 

I would work on having you ride your horse, not the fence. 

Stop looking at the fence. You know it is there, your horse knows it is there. Ride your horses rhythm. Allow the fence to come to you, not you to it.

I would also have you working on allot of flat work, and lunge line work. You need to stabalize yourself first.

~~~

This is where you should be:

Leg at girth. Seat low to tack. Horse closes angle. Heels deep, allowing your body weight to sinken into them, to anchor you in your tack. 

Allowing horse to do their job, while you stay out of their way.

*my releases are atrocious. My coach tells me I have the typical eventers release....non existant* Big issue of mine.


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

Also to help strengthen your legs, it might help to work out during the week on the days you don't ride. I have one lesson a week and two days a week I work out (one day I do my arms, the other day I do my legs, both days I run 2 miles). I have to say, it REALLY helps.


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

Also, like MIEventer was saying, here's an example of what NOT to do:










See how I'm just standing up in the stirrups? I'm pinching with my knee, which is sending my lower leg back, and I'm standing straight up in the air. My whole center of balance is ahead of him, so he's going to have a hard time clearing the jump.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Good for you Equestrian - I am so thrilled that you can see your faults.

I do the same, but when I look at the jump - or aniticipate the jump. When I ride the fence, and not my horse - I lurch forward.


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## juju (Oct 8, 2008)

I totally agree with MIEventer on this. I'm also curious to why a horse so young is jumping so large already?! How long have you been riding? I believe that in order to start jumping you must start at the beginning with the basics. 

There is an exciting rush to jumping and that is why we do it, however that doesn't mean AT ALL that you shouldn't do x-rails. I show 2 feet 6 inches - the 3 feet but some of my lessons we focus simply on x-rails, and those are the ones that help me the most! 

As for helping to get your position further, I suggest lots of no stirrups, jumping position and general working out. By strengthening your muscles you wont be as loose in the saddle and your riding will progress by leaps and bounds! PM me if you want more help!


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## Iluvjunior (Feb 15, 2009)

I dont see why everyone is being so hard on her and saying she shouldnt ride lacy! lacy is normally a bad horse to ride but with lacylove she behaves obviously they match and i disagree that shes a green rider


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm going to go off of what MIeventer suggested, to have a lesson on a longe line.
Try closing your eyes so you can really feel the horse's movement. Shutting off the visual aspect of riding really makes you feel a lot more. (Its kind of like feeling your way around a really dark room. You don't rely on your sight, but on your touch and sound)

If you feel comfortable on her, you can try closing your eyes while riding her. Though don't do it for too long.

I feel that you should go back down to basics with her. I saw in your previous jumping video that she would run out, and in this one she only ran out once, but she still did it. I feel there are some holes in her training and that's why she's doing it. Maybe she was rushed into jumping or maybe she is going too high too fast.

She's running out for a reason, either because she knows she can get away with it and you won't get after her (I personally think its this), or because she is nervous or anticipating the jump.

When you drop back down the basics and go over trot poles, then raised trot poles than a small cross rail, you can work on everything, not only with you, but with Lacy too.

Personally I feel that a 4 year old should not be jumping that high and definitely not oxers. The jumping basics (ground and trot poles) should be introduced and then at 5 start with some actual jumps. Just my personal preference.


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

You look much better than your last video 

The only thing I will say is that on the first 2 clips you were on the wrong canter lead. And just sit and wait for the fence to come to you, just ride to a steady tune in your head cantering in a rhythm


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

thanks, especially iluvjunior.


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

Alright, Daria. Here I go.
I think you guys look amazing.. 
It seems like Lacy shouldn't be jumping this high, but I'm sure as heck that she can do it and doesn't seem to h ave a problem with it, so I'm not gonna argue. 
You might wanna do some flat with her and then work up from day to day just to see what she's cabable of.


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

but.. real quick..
move your leg back and a little and try to pick up your canter from 1) a slower trot.. she's kinda rushing into it and 2) obviously enough, a sitting trot.


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