Do I just go for it again?

[Kellys Heroes]

Hi, guys.
I just want some advice/opinions...what would you do?

I regularly ride a friend's horse. She's not small at 16.2hh but is quiet sensible and a real pleasure to ride. I even faced one of my hacking demons on her two weeks ago!

The problem is I've knocked my confidence jumping again - I was jumping her one day (only small X poles as in the indoor and its not big enough for her to jump properly) and the first jump I took her to in canter went wrong. She took off a stride early and jumped it like it was a 6ft wall. I sat the jump AND the landing, but somehow lost it a stride after....?! Managed to fall off, almost forward rolled on the floor, really hurt my neck and my back and winded myself. I got back on, jumped her from trot and from canter again (she panicked as she landed though and tried to run - she is the sort of horse who panics like mad if she loses her rider!) and haven't jumped her since.

My friend took me to her yard to jump her horse (a strong chunky Fell) who doesn't really DO jumping and also bucks whenever he canters, so aside from me being pleased I sat his naughty bucking, we didn't really get very far confidence wise!!

My question is; what would you do? Should I just get back on, grit my teeth and jump her again? I have jumped her before this happened and although she is a little bit 'untidy' in her strides and jumping as a whole, I've done okay.
There isn't really any other horses I can try to get my confidence back on atm. Maybe it would help if I could have a jumping lesson on her?
I do want to jump again as I do love it and its really playing on my mind - I feel so annoyed for knocking myself down again!!
K x

 

[vroutledge]

Maybe either set off at trot and only ask for canter a couple of strides before hand or practice holding her in trot and only letting her jump when you allow her to and not before and then slowly build you confidence. You could always put a big(ish) cross fence up with a pole on the floor in front and try that for your first canter attempt or get someone to stand next to the place where you would like to take off from so you can use them as a reminder to hold her until that point. It happens to everyone there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Maybe either set off at trot and only ask for canter a couple of strides before hand or practice holding her in trot and only letting her jump when you allow her to and not before and then slowly build you confidence. You could always put a big(ish) cross fence up with a pole on the floor in front and try that for your first canter attempt or get someone to stand next to the place where you would like to take off from so you can use them as a reminder to hold her until that point. It happens to everyone there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Thanks, that's a really good idea to have someone stood where I need to take off. She doesn't really rush to the jump, just sometimes gets a bit exhuberant and takes off a (big!) stride too early - she will happily trot to it if I ask her to.
Its just that in canter she tends to lose her strides and the logical height of the jump!
K x