# Critique my jumping form



## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

Ok, what I see that I THINK im doing wrong is my seat should be a little farther back in most of those photos, my releases vary a lot, and my leg isnt always as stable as it should be. When I look at the first picture I think that I have very good form. Please correct me if im wrong!!! In the second my burying my hands and just leaning forward with leg slipping. That was the first day doing xc with Sophie and I was riding defensively and then sort of throwing myself into a stiff form when I knew we were def. going over it. (ive unfortunately ridden a lot of horses who stop and kind of prepare myself for that  ).Third pic I dont think is terrible, but I feel like im ducking a little but the angle makes it a little hard to tell how much. Is this ok form or should I be up more because I think its ok. In the bareback photo I think im pretty good but feel that my leg should be a little farther back and under me more like it is when I have stirrups. The other two awkward photos I just need help to go from the extreme of adjusting a green horse to a fence to jumping in proper form in a short time period  Am I on point? And what have I missed?


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

your form is really good, you're a little a head of the motion sometimes but not bad. i personally to help with the issues you've been having with your hands and to help with the over jumping, i would put a neck strap on her, that way it will remind you to put your hands in the correct positon and if she over jumps you have something to grab onto so you dont catch her in the mouth


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## ErikaLynn (Aug 3, 2010)

I don't like your release, some pictures you have no contact with the horses mouth others you aren't releasing at all and all the pictures you are resting your hands into your horses neck; if you have been jumping for 10 year you should be strong enough to not have to hold yourself up using your hands The best release picture is of the one where you are jumping bareback. You have nice contact with the reins, not too much or too little, and you are following the horse mouth.

I also think you are ducking too much and putting too much weight on the horses forehand. You don't need to lay on the horses neck, especially since the jumps aren't that high.

I do like your leg in most of the pictures...it has slid back a little, but if you practice your 2-point at the walk trot and canter, it should help you so when you are jumping, your position will be more natural, so you don't have to think, legs, release, hands, upper body, etc., you can just concentrate on your course/jumps and your horse. 

I think you have the best position in the bareback picture.

You have a very pretty horse, she seems like she enjoys jumping. She has nice knees over the fence, they're very even. But she does jump a little flat try practicing gymnastics with her to get her to round her whole body, not just her neck. 

Good luck!


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## Tamibunny (Jan 14, 2011)

Oh isnt riding defensivly on green horses fun. lol I feel your pain and frustration been there.
Anyways I think you need to work on strengthening your lower leg. You seem to ride more off your hands instead of your seat and legs. I big part of jumping greenies is having a solid leg there for support.
In some of the pics to tend to get a bit 'posey' and then you lose the effectivness of your aids. ie. pic 2, your lower leg is completely off ( you can even see light bettween you and the saddle) and back and you've just planted your hand on her neck. 
In the last pic your leg is in a better spot, becuas eim assuming you had to add a bit a of leg to get her over that big scary jump, lol i love that expression on her face. I think you just need to work on consistancy over all, and get that solid leg again and everything else should fall back into place.


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

Yea Ive noticed my leg hasnt been as solid which highly irritates me haha. My mare is so sensitive and just LOVES to go so Ive noticed ive kind of taught myself to keep less leg on and ive just gone to the extreme with it! Ive been working more on that for sure. The most recent of these pics is from February becuase Ive been doing so much flat work with the horses that I havent been jumping. I have a jumper show coming up towards the end of June and I know that your not judged on form, but I want to be solid and safe. Ive just developed this sort of throwing myself down over the fence because Ive been riding horses up to it in such a deep driving seat that once were going over I dont want to be caught behind so I just lean and loosen lol. I throw my shoulders forward and either am not quick enough to move my hands with it or I just throw them with no contact like erikalynn said. I need to find exercises to quicken my timing of going from that strong ride to proper over fence form instead of just a hasty throw everything and so forth. Its like in my head that I have to over compensate for them since theyre green lol.Although I will say *erikalynn* that in those photos where you see that extremely loose reined release is from last year when I first started training my mare to jump. Her old owner would put her on a longe line and tie the reins to the saddle horn and jump her on a tight tight rein and my mare would expect that pull in the mouth so shed pop her head straight up as she went over the fence so I developed that looped rein until she learned that she wasnt going to get hit in the mouth. I keep contact with other horses when jumping so they dont fall apart, this was special just for her  Ill find a pic of me riding a diff horse....


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

a little pony I trained


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## Moonstruck (Apr 22, 2011)

Your toes in the last few pictures are really far out..


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## Tamibunny (Jan 14, 2011)

wow, your leg looks a million times better with the pony. Which is super cute btw.  
Personally I dont mind the loose rein on the release, because your in a good position. In my opinion on that last pic with the pony you probably could have pushed your hand a little further up the neck. The pony sure does use itself. 
Try oiling your saddle and get it a bit more 'grippy' too it'll help you keep your leg where you want it. You should be just fine at the show. just remember dont get so behind the motion going to your jump that you feel like your throwing your upper body at your horse when you jump.


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## FSHjumper (Apr 26, 2011)

moonstruck-that pony wasnt a brave jumper hahaha, he took a lot of encouragement going up to the fence so most of the time i had very strong leg on!

tamibunny I LOVED that pony. He was the barn owners where I used to board. Only had him for when the grandkids visited once a year. His brother breeds ponies and thought this little guy wasnt worth anything. When I started boarding there I asked if I could work with him because he was the cutest thing ever, was 150lbs overweight and foundered and had long over grown hooves :'( made me so sad. Trained with him for a year and then begged and begged for them to let me buy him and they wouldnt. I now board elsewhere and I miss that little guy! Sure did have a lot more talent than all of us thought! Hes 12.2h and that last jump is 3'3!!!!


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

> Trained with him for a year and then begged and begged for them to let me buy him and they wouldnt.


Moral of the story is, do not train other people's horses. I used to do the same thing, and I would have the horses pulled out from under me, and then sold - making money off of the hard work I put forth.

The first few pictures, I think you can be a bit more effective with your leg, to have her back round over the fences, instead of hollowing out. What are you doing on approach?


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