CC on my jump position

[Tinsel Town]

So I will soon be starting to jump my new horse (who is a grade B showjumper) so think he will be showing me the ropes! but I havent had a jump lesson in I cant remember how long! (will have some tho)
I used to love jumping but my old horse was a little full of it,strong and fast into a jumpn which put me off a bit, so here are some pictures from last summer of me jumping my old horse, how is my position fairing? be nice.....

 

[eggs]

You don't want to pivot from your hips so that your upper body is thrown up your horse's neck whilst your lower leg swings back. Think more of folding from your hip so that your lower leg stays in a 'normal' riding position (this will give you greater security). Your weight won't then be loaded onto your horse's shoulders just as he is trying to lift them off the floor.

 

[Cortez]

So I will soon be starting to jump my new horse (who is a grade B showjumper) so think he will be showing me the ropes! but I havent had a jump lesson in I cant remember how long! (will have some tho)
I used to love jumping but my old horse was a little full of it,strong and fast into a jumpn which put me off a bit, so here are some pictures from last summer of me jumping my old horse, how is my position fairing? be nice.....

Hmm....you say he is your "old" horse? As in "ex"? Good! Because I think he is causing some of the problems in your position that we see here: he jumps very round, but not in a good, bascule-y way, and he seems to always drop his left foreleg lower than his right, and hang both knees over the jump. In other words he is very on his shoulders, twisting and throwing you up and over your knee. He would be a very hard horse to sit "into" over a jump.

 

[Mince Pie]

Instead of thinking "upper body forward", think "bum backwards". That way your legs will stay forward on the girth and your hands will be able to move better with the horses head.

 

[Miss L Toe]

I would say you are a bit novicey, best to get lessons and forget how you look, it is how you both perform, and you need to be "in control".

 

[Luci07]

You are loading your weight onto his shoulders as well. Try working your new boy in the 2 prong seat position to get used to securing your lower leg. Works wonders for your stomach muscles as well! Stick a neck strap on to grab if you get caught out. Its so easy to get into bad habits if jumping something thats a little off so don't overlook what you do well, which is not catching him in the mouth as you go over.

 

[Tinsel Town]

Hmm....you say he is your "old" horse? As in "ex"? Good! Because I think he is causing some of the problems in your position that we see here: he jumps very round, but not in a good, bascule-y way, and he seems to always drop his left foreleg lower than his right, and hang both knees over the jump. In other words he is very on his shoulders, twisting and throwing you up and over your knee. He would be a very hard horse to sit "into" over a jump.

yes ex horse this was him on a good day! lol! he wasnt an easy horse to ride in most ways!

thanks for your advice and everyones so far

 

[Tinsel Town]

I would say you are a bit novicey, best to get lessons and forget how you look, it is how you both perform, and you need to be "in control".

not really novicey, been riding 21 out of my 25 years but yeah onwards with the lessons, always got to keep learning

oh this was one of the 'in control' days

 

[AmyMay]

Great advice from broke but happy.

 

[Kat]

You are tipping forward rather than folding so your lower leg is coming backwards and your shoulder forwards out of the correct alignment. In jumping position you should still land on your feet if the horse is whipped out from under you, in your pictures if the horse was taken away you would topple forwards and land on your face.

My old instructor gave me the best advice for finding the right fold (I used to stand up and tip forwards too) she said to think about going to a really grotty public loo. You want to go but daren't sit on the seat. That is the position you need over a fence. Try it, I promise it works and the loo analogy means it sticks in your head and reminds you of the feeling in your muscles etc better.

 

[Miss L Toe]

not really novicey, been riding 21 out of my 25 years but yeah onwards with the lessons, always got to keep learning

oh this was one of the 'in control' days

Yes, well you asked for CC, compared to a show jumper, you look novicey, relying on the horse to carry you. You and he need to think about Centre of Gravity, please don't lean forward too much.
Your job was to set him up for this fence then leave him to it, while you are thinking about the next one.
Most riders stick at the same level all their lives, this is because the are in a "comfort zone", it happens in all sports not just riding.
Show jumpers look as though they are sitting in an armchair over small jumps.
Ride with stirrups one hole shorter than normal for schooling, and start riding over two and three smallish cross poled fences in a row, then three in a row with no reins [leave on neck], no stirrups then no reins and no stirrups.
This will let you concentrate on keeping straight and going forward.
Remember, rhythm, rhythm and rhythm [horse], balance balance balance[rider].
Make sure you do lots of grid work, and fences which are part of a learning zone, pointing a good jumper at a single pole is no good, imho.
I see lots of kids riding the same fence day after day after day, yes they are different colours and have different wings but the same height, the height the rider decides on. They are all the same design.
They should be doing cross poles, horizontals, spreads , combinations, related fences, unrelated ditances, shorten strides, lengthen strides and so on.

 

[Tinsel Town]

You are tipping forward rather than folding so your lower leg is coming backwards and your shoulder forwards out of the correct alignment. In jumping position you should still land on your feet if the horse is whipped out from under you, in your pictures if the horse was taken away you would topple forwards and land on your face.

My old instructor gave me the best advice for finding the right fold (I used to stand up and tip forwards too) she said to think about going to a really grotty public loo. You want to go but daren't sit on the seat. That is the position you need over a fence. Try it, I promise it works and the loo analogy means it sticks in your head and reminds you of the feeling in your muscles etc better.

Great advice thanks!!