# Backyard Jumping To The MAX! =P



## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

The 6th pic you look REALLY good. But you really need to release.


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## kerplop (Sep 22, 2008)

I would ditch the dressage saddle asap. A more forward flap, like on an all purpose, is automatically going to require the use of new leg muscles, and even if the saddle is a piece of poo, I'd still use it for jumping. (I've been there... had no idea what I was doing several years ago and bought a crap "jumping" saddle on ebay :lol Your leg is obviously looking for support, and it seems like this saddle is only throwing off your balance and tipping you forward, and blocking your leg. If you get into trouble jumping in this saddle, I'm fairly certain that it won't be fun.

I think if you train yourself to ride in your all purpose, your position will solidify. Also, if you get into any sticky situations, you won't be as screwed. 

Exhibit A:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/tyedyeme/Lena/Picture12-9.jpg

(I had issues getting my horse into water, so ended up trotting through it. Coming out of the water, trotted up a short bank, and that jump was waiting for us. Practically took it from a standstill. :lol: Notice where my knee is. Obviously that saddle isn't an ideal jumping/cc saddle for me, but I don't think I would have made it over in one piece if my leg were blocked.)

Oh, and if your horse has issues with a bit, try a hackamore. I've seen several people at jumper shows competing with them. You also might want to invest in a shoe with a heel... and maybe a helmet.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Thanks. Maybe I'll give a go in the all purpose and let you critique. I honestly feel WAY safer in the Dressage. I've done everything in that saddle and it's like my second child (my horse being my first, LOL). But I'll see if I can make it work.


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## ragazzabella023 (Aug 8, 2009)

your pony is a very cute jumper and you look good yourself, you just need to work on your release's. also you should always wear a helmet when your jumping, i sometimes dont wear a helmet flatting but when your jumping that should be #1


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I'm 23, it's my decision :wink: Thanks for the comments!


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## ragazzabella023 (Aug 8, 2009)

ohh also it will take sometime for you to learn how to ride in your new saddle, you may have to adjust your riding style a little bit to find what works better for you. if you ride in the new saddle without stirrups it will help you out. if your horse doesnt like the bit, then you should try a hackamore or you can try a loose ring with a drop nose band. if she is rushing the jumps, put a pole a stride infront and after the fence so that way she has something else to think about.


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## jumpwhat007 (Apr 10, 2009)

I get that you are 23, and it's your decision, but it's extremely dangerous to not wear a helmet. I am 18, and last october my horse spooked after a jump and I came off. I broke my femur, and if I were not wearing a helmet, I could have suffered major brain injuries as well. My old trainer came off and split her helmet completely in half. If she were not wearing a helmet, that would have been her head. 

Heres several other stories of people that would have died without a helmet:
Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE: True Helmet Stories from HORSE-SENSE Readers

I've fallen off even the most calm horses that are "bomb proof" as well. One time, I fell off and fractured part of my back, during a flat lesson, on a dead quiet school horse that had a bird fly into his head. 

Anything can happen, even to the most experienced riders on the most experienced horses.


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## azarni (Aug 17, 2008)

No critique, but cute horse!

I too understand that it's your decision not to wear a helmet, but I've always been curious .. what reasons are there NOT to wear one?


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## Tayla (Aug 13, 2009)

You have a beautiful horse


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## luvmytrakehner (Aug 7, 2009)

not to be a pess. but you should probably put some sort of leg protection on your horse when you jump!


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

azarni said:


> I too understand that it's your decision not to wear a helmet, but I've always been curious .. what reasons are there NOT to wear one?


It's such a humid heat here in summer, the reason NOT to wear one is heatstroke. If I'm going to fall, I'd rather the reason be a buck instead of passing out. :lol:

Zierra is more than just "her horse"...she darn near helped her out of the womb, trained her from the get go, and knows her inside out, backwards, and upside down. I know that sounds naive...but trust me. A new horse to jumping or new to her and she'd wear a helmet for safety.

And luvmytrakehner - this is actually the ONLY time I've seen Mikolaj ride Zierra even on flatwork without her SMB's this summer...pretty sure it was a whoops, but she ALWAYS rides with them for Zierra's protection. :wink:


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## azarni (Aug 17, 2008)

Thanks, EveningShadows. The best I've heard is, "It gives me helmet hair", which isn't much of an excuse! :lol:
Like I said, I'm not judging anybody for wearing a helmet or not. I just didn't "get" why somebody wouldn't wear one.


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

Why do I get the feeling I'm being mocked? :?

I don't think it's about fashion as to why you would wear a helmet...I just think there's a higher risk of us falling off from wearing it and getting heatstroke as opposed to falling off without it. Each to their own. Obviously if I were taking lessons on someone else's horse I'd wear one...heck, anything over 2'6 and I'll throw one on just because of the height factor but we're jumping smaller than that and crossrails. Not saying accidents don't happen, but I'm willing to take that risk.


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## azarni (Aug 17, 2008)

I wasn't mocking you. I'm sorry if it came across that way.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

luvmytrakehner said:


> not to be a pess. but you should probably put some sort of leg protection on your horse when you jump!


I'm really confused by this - why? Boots are entirely an option, and typically used for horses that have specific issues or require extra protection. Tons of people, including professionals, jump without boots. To be perfectly honest, I find boots a bit of a silly "fashion trend". If your horse needs them, great, but don't put them on "just because". As far as support, only SMB style boots offer anything close to "support" and even that is iffy. The rest are made mainly for brushing, or protection from nicks and cuts, which at this height, I'm really not concerned enough about to buy $50 boots. Normally she wears her SMB's but it was so muddy, I couldn't properly clean all the dirt off her legs and it's better for her to be bare legged then chaffing and causing irritation.

As for the helmet, Shay-la kind of nailed it. I know they make all sorts of magical helmets now, but ever since I was little, they all give me severe headaches (trust me, I've tried literally dozens of them) and I have extreme issues with over heating. I actually had an incident where I fainted from my horse while wearing a helmet. We don't have any arena, so in winter you CANNOT wear a helmet or you'll get severe frostbite and in summer, the heat almost kills you on the prairies.

I understand safety and if I ride young or snotty horses, I'll wear a helmet. With Zierra, as Shay-la said, I've had her since she was born. In 10 years (broke her in entirely myself) I've had one fall off her when I was "serious" about jumping and she was quite novice. I was putting her at a fence to big for her and after several refusals, she attempted to jump then slammed the brakes on in mid-air. I flipped over her shoulder (I was wearing a helmet). Hence, the reason I never jump her over 2'6". She's a seasoned pro now, and all I have to do is "hang on" really. If I were to get interested in serious competition again, I'd wear a helmet again as the falls would likely be inevitable as the jumps got bigger and scarier.

So that's my reasoning anyway. You'll see a helmet on my head when I break in my 2 year old :wink:


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

jumpwhat007 said:


> I get that you are 23, and it's your decision, but it's extremely dangerous to not wear a helmet. I am 18, and last october my horse spooked after a jump and I came off. I broke my femur, and if I were not wearing a helmet, I could have suffered major brain injuries as well. My old trainer came off and split her helmet completely in half. If she were not wearing a helmet, that would have been her head.
> 
> Heres several other stories of people that would have died without a helmet:
> Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE: True Helmet Stories from HORSE-SENSE Readers
> ...


How many people have fallen down the stairs? How many people have slipped on ice? How many people have been in car accidents?

In each and every instance, a helmet could probably have saved some of them from severe head trauma. Does that mean we should walk around with helmets on at all times? I'm more likely to fall down the stairs and break my neck then I am to fall off of Zierra. It's great if you think it's a huge safety concern, but life itself is a huge safety concern and we can't spend 24/7 paranoid. Everyone has their own opinions and views, and I've stated mine.


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## leapoffaithfarm (Jun 26, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I'm 23, it's my decision :wink: Thanks for the comments!


All it takes is one fall and you will regret the decision to not wear one. You should always wear one when jumping, I have seen first hand what can happen when you don't and this girl had the same attitude she was 18 and suffered a MAJOR head injury hopping over some cross poles.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

leapoffaithfarm said:


> All it takes is one fall and you will regret the decision to not wear one. You should always wear one when jumping, I have seen first hand what can happen when you don't and this girl had the same attitude she was 18 and suffered a MAJOR head injury hopping over some cross poles.


Then that'll be my problem, won't it? Are you going to start wearing a helmet every where you go if you fall down the stairs and get a concussion?


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## kerplop (Sep 22, 2008)

(We should probably make a new thread if we're going to talk about helmets, but I'll give my two cents while it's fresh in my mind.)

I, personally, always wear a helmet. Last summer the one time I took it off, my horse and I almost galloped off of a 20 ft cliff into a cement ditch. ("We're going for a trail ride! Western saddles are super safe! Let's start galloping! Oh crap, my horse doesn't steer anymore and we're veering off the path toward that drop off! Wow! If I hadn't violently yanked my horse's face back on the path we would have died!" etc) I've also fallen on my head twice coming off of a horse. The first time, I smacked my head so hard I was seeing pink flashes and couldn't remember locations for an hour and jogged for a quarter mile on a broken leg (I was so out of it I felt no pain) trying to get back to the barn, (horse took off with me and I did a very failed emergency dismount) and the second time my horse randomly bucked me off during a quiet hack around the barn. I hit the back of my head hard on the ground, and actually suffered from whip lash in my neck and back. Both falls are documented in dents in my old helmet.

I'd like to maintain my motor skills, thanks very much. Yes, it's true that my computer could blow up right this second and kill me, or that my rabbit could suddenly turn monty python on my butt and eat me, but I demonstrate extreme caution when working around animals because they're really unpredictable. I even make a point to putting on my helmet before picking out my horse's feet. You never know if right when you bend over next to that hock if a horse fly might decide to have a snack on your pony's tummy...


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Granted, and I respect all your opinions. I would never discourage someone from wearing a helmet, and try to make it a rule with minors riding on the property (in winter it's just flat out impossible, people can't believe we even ride in the arctic conditions of Manitoba). Maybe I'll learn my lesson the hard way, but weighing the options between feeling sick to my stomach or enjoying my ride, life is just a party anyway. We all die sometime. That's just my philosophy. I was raised barefoot and dirt covered on a farm, so maybe it's just ******* stupidity but it's MY ******* stupidity and nobody elses.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> maybe it's just ******* stupidity but it's MY ******* stupidity and nobody elses.


 
That might be one of my favorite quote EVER:lol:


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## kerplop (Sep 22, 2008)

:lol::lol::lol::lol:


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