Constructive comments welcomed on our jumping clinic photos!

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ecrozier

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Hi guys
My friend took these at a jumping clinic we went to a couple of weeks ago, and we would appreciate any constructive comments! I've posted below each photo what I know I need to do, but any other hints and tips appreciated. Think the fences are about 90cm/1m which is the height we are schooling and competing at.

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Right, got a weeny bit left behind at this one, what you can't see is that it is the second part of a related distance on a dog leg built at BSJA striding, which we mucked up slightly the first time (when this photo was taken! Think I managed to not upset him too much though despite having a slight miscommunication about what stride we were taking off on!!


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He took a bit of a flier at this one, should probably have tried to chip a short stride in and get a bit closer do you think?


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This is better, took off about the right place I thought?


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Got the best shot of all at this one, I could have given a bit more with my hands though which I am usually OK with but for some reason think I restriced him a bit this time
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Any comments welcomed!! He is a 15hh arab btw, if it makes any odds!
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i think it looks like you're doing well. your position looks nice and stable, you're looking where you're going. you're hands are IMO about right. don't worry if you get a fraction behind him once in a while - horses are more likely to forgive you for being behind them than in front over a jump. and besides if you're behind and he stops you'll only catch up, if you're in front and he stop you'll keep going!
in the bottom one, it doesn't look like you've restricted him much, but your upper body has collapsed onto his shoulders a little, not really a problem just something to be aware of as it can make you less secure.

he's got a great jump, nice bascule and his feet are more or less a pair suggesting he's well balanced and capable. so keep going and enjoy it!
 
Hi jencash, thanks for comments! Very true about being slightly behind rather than in front - he used to have a major problem wth sliding to a stop infront of a fence and I went out the front door a few times....hence if we have any ambiguity about a stride now I'd rather be behind him than in front...my regular instructor always talks about keeping 2/3 of the horse in front of me so he's got less chance of slamming the brakes on without me being able to do anything about it!
Very true about collapsing on his shoulders too, that was something picked up in this clinic, that I get a bit heavy on his shoulders sometimes making it harder for him to pick himself up!
Do you think he would go bigger than this? I think 1m is quite big but as you say, he looks like he is enjoying hi,self and not struggling too much!
 
i think that with enough help from the right instructor and plenty of time (so no-one gets scared by it) you could probably get him competing at 1.20 ish.
and practising things like doglegs and jumping on the turn is always good for keeping them listening to you anyway, even if you don't compete much. the main thing IMO is to keep him interested though, especially if he used to slam on the brakes, so he's not going to get bored and start creating problems.
practising transitions within the paces and between them, and especially things like walk to canter and back will help keep him in front of and responsive to you legs and seat, which will help stop him from wanting to stop too.
 
Crikey, really? Not many dinky little arabs out doing that! He has jumped 1.10 with me before and cleared it fine though....
His slamming on the brakes phase was after we corrected his main problem when I first got him (he'd hardly done any jumping) which was that he would gallop flat out at a jump with his ears back! We slowed him down, and suddenly he started looking at the fences and decided fillers were actually quite scary when not whizzing underneath him in a blur!
He will still put in the odd stop at something new but will always jump when re-presented now, so improving.
He absolutely loves his jumping now, gets all overexcited and bouces around on the spot when there are jumps being built. Only ever jump once a week and compete fortnightly though so he shouldn't get bored! Got lots of good instructors too - one on our yard, one we go to once a month for special lessons and one who does th RC team training etc.
Thanks for advice again!
 
I knew a pure bred arab that competed very well at Foxhunter level. He won a lot as he was very clever and nippy in the jump off, so don't write him off for being an arab.

Good luck, you sound like you are having a lot of fun.
 
Oh, don't worry, I don't - he jumps as well as many bigger, more 'typical' jumping horses! He is exceptionally powerful behind for his size, and is certainly nippy, he can turn on a sixpence!
Good to hear others have done well at affiliated SJ though...perhaps I should get a move on and affiliate mine!
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Hi Beau2005, no, I've never hit the back of the saddle I don't think? I think possibly the dark seat on my jods makes it look like I am closer to the saddle than I really am...usually get a couple of inches clearance from the seat/back. Is that what you meant? Only thing I hit in that clinic was my chin on his neck when we totally misjudged one of the fences!!
 
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