Do you jump on your own?

[Fools Motto]

Earlier I set up a couple of jumps, barely more than 60cm. I intended to focus on keeping a forward rhythm slowly linking them together and thought nothing more about it. My mare is normally very good. Got on and warmed up. It then hit me that I was on my own, lost all my focus and nearly pulled out. Luckily it was at this point that a lady (that I do know btw) walked past and I called out to her if she'd be kind and just stay a few minutes while I pop the jumps.... luckily she didn't mind at all, my confidence flew back and we were off completing my planned exercise without any issues. Both my mare and the lady probably thinking what on earth all the fuss is about!
Got me thinking, what other people do?

 

[MuddyMonster]

Yes, I ride alone as I'm usually alone at the times I ride.

I don't jump big though & know pony well, not sure if bigger jumps or a younger or less well known partnership that would change it for me.

 

[Red-1]

With an established horse and within our easy limits, I just crack on.

With a baby or when doing more than usual, I prefer someone there.

That said, I took BH to the local farm ride alone and jumped the most XC I ever did with him. We had boxed there alone and didn't see another soul. I have done this before with other horses. I usually have a body protector with a camera, so if anything goes awry, Mr Red will be able to know what happened

I would not do this on an ambulance strike day though.

 

[lannerch]

Yes I used to frequently, the most annoying thing is when you have the jumps down you have to get off to put them back up. I don’t do it now though as at a large yard so someone is always around .

I have always done things by myself as well as in company as then you and your horse do not have to rely on other people

 

[Birker2020]

Earlier I set up a couple of jumps, barely more than 60cm. I intended to focus on keeping a forward rhythm slowly linking them together and thought nothing more about it. My mare is normally very good. Got on and warmed up. It then hit me that I was on my own, lost all my focus and nearly pulled out. Luckily it was at this point that a lady (that I do know btw) walked past and I called out to her if she'd be kind and just stay a few minutes while I pop the jumps.... luckily she didn't mind at all, my confidence flew back and we were off completing my planned exercise without any issues. Both my mare and the lady probably thinking what on earth all the fuss is about!
Got me thinking, what other people do?

I used to always jump on my own but i was on a busy livery yard so someone would always walk by. If I'd had issues previously, like a recent fall or my horse being a kn*b then I would tell my partner I'd ring him when i was done. Sometimes I'd go in the school as soon as we had first light as I used to like building a big grid (big as in number of jumps, not height) and didn't want to be disturbed. Again I'd ring/text partner when done.

Tbh I was more concerned with hacking out on my own so used to write on the white board on the yard when I'd gone out, my intended route and an ETA back at the yard and made sure friends knew it was on there.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I do everything at home by myself. Back and break, school, pop jumps if I can ever be bothered etc. If I didn't crack on I would never get anything done as there is no one else around.

 

[FlyingCircus]

I also do everything alone. I give my partner a time I'll contact him by and if I haven't he is to come find me..!!

 

[fidleyspromise]

I do but i rarely school now so i go out hacking and jump logs etc. If I had concerns I'd message Mr FP or phoned him and say I'll check in in x time and if I don't then check on me.
If I was on a young or unpredictable horse I'd definitely want someone around on the ground.

 

[AntiPuck]

Yes on a livery yard, but I find it scarier to think of hacking alone than jumping, as it seems like far more things go could wrong. All you can do is try to mitigate and have a plan in case of mishaps.

 

[sassandbells]

Depends on the horse for me. My old mare was quite unpredictable so would never ride her without someone with us.

My youngster however is a complete dope on a rope so will ride when on my own, I also tell family that I’ll call by x time and if they haven’t heard to try call/come find me.

 

[Lotsoflemons]

If its small and only one or 2 jumps yes but if its a course or big then I wouldnt jump without someone on the ground.

 

[SEL]

Had this conversation earlier with my mother (I'm old btw). I've asked for some money towards a couple of jumps for my birthday because I don't have any since I bought my own place.

She said I'd need to promise not to jump on my own (did I mention I'm very old? )

I spent my teenage years blatting around the countryside pre mobile phones jumping hunt jumps with my friends. That never seemed to bother her!

 

[Carrottom]

I don't if there is no one on the property, although they may not be in the school area. I prefer to have someone in the school if possible to put poles back if knocked down.
I used to hack alone in local forestry and always debated whether I should close the gate behind me me. If I came off the horse may head home, if I was injured someone might see him and come to look for me. But if I was fine i would have a very long walk home.

 

[LEC]

Yep - normally if feeling lazy I will set 1/2 jumps at 1m, the majority at 1.10 so I have fences to warm up over and then don’t have to get on and off. If I am doing grids by myself I tend to do 4 fences set at 2 strides and then come round on angles etc or have bounces. On the baby horses I just set them appropriately. I wouldn’t jump otherwise if needed someone. If I know I have someone to help then I get all excited and build some decent grids.

 

[NeverSurrender]

No, I used to before my horse ballooned over a 60cm straight and landed with a fly buck, dropped me on my head and I ended up in hospital with a suspected broken neck! I was very lucky that I could use my phone to call for help, and that somebody whos number I had was still on the yard.

 

[Squeak]

If there's no one on the property then in an exceptional circumstance I would let someone know I was jumping and when to expect to here from me by but otherwise I don't. I'm happy to jump anything with someone on the property who at some point would hopefully notice something had gone awry.

I jump out on hacks by myself but I've always let someone know where I'm going and when I'll be back.

 

[stormox]

I do everything at home by myself. Back and break, school, pop jumps if I can ever be bothered etc. If I didn't crack on I would never get anything done as there is no one else around.

This exactly

 

[SEL]

I do everything at home by myself. Back and break, school, pop jumps if I can ever be bothered etc. If I didn't crack on I would never get anything done as there is no one else around.

Precisely. Unless I was going to wait for the odd hour my OH comes down to help out with jobs then I'd get nothing done.

One of my old livery yards went for housing and I had it pretty much to myself for 6 months. I was getting back on my big mare after she'd had an extended period of time off and she has bucks that you need a parachute for. I used to ask the builders what time they thought they'd be getting stuff out of their lock-up which was next to the arena and ride her in the hour before - just in case I got splatted.

Tbh I think I'm more likely to get splatted out on a hacking route than popping a small cob over a cross pole. The pony eating muntjac nearly had me flying through the air last week.

 

[sport horse]

It was drummed into me by a long past pretty tough professional (ex army) never to jump without someone watching. His attitude was 'if something happens noone will ever know what'. It was good enough for him and it is good enough for me. Noone on my yard jumps without someone else present.

 

[Tarragon]

oh, I don't know. I remember the school rules were you had to have three people before you could swim; presumably one to drown, one to stay with said person and one to go and get help. I can see the sense in it, but personally I think that life is too short to take it that seriously.
I make calculated risks everyday. I am backing a pony on my own on a farm where there is no live-in farmer and no other liveries. I have had someone join me when I first sat on my pony, and again when I asked for my first trot, and I get regular lessons, but for all my everyday sessions I look at the pony in front of me on the day, consider the weather, the way I feel and which way the wind is blowing and decide what I am going to do that day.
As you can imagine, it is taking me a very long time to back said pony, and if I had had help I would be a lot further forward, but we are getting there!
If I was responsible for anyone else, then I agree - jumping alone is a risk I wouldn't like to have on my conscious

 

[Abacus]

oh, I don't know. I remember the school rules were you had to have three people before you could swim; presumably one to drown, one to stay with said person and one to go and get help. I can see the sense in it, but personally I think that life is too short to take it that seriously.
I make calculated risks everyday. I am backing a pony on my own on a farm where there is no live-in farmer and no other liveries. I have had someone join me when I first sat on my pony, and again when I asked for my first trot, and I get regular lessons, but for all my everyday sessions I look at the pony in front of me on the day, consider the weather, the way I feel and which way the wind is blowing and decide what I am going to do that day.
As you can imagine, it is taking me a very long time to back said pony, and if I had had help I would be a lot further forward, but we are getting there!
If I was responsible for anyone else, then I agree - jumping alone is a risk I wouldn't like to have on my conscious

Boating rules: in theory you should have one person (a swimmer) on the bank for every person in the boat, and at least two people in the boat. Makes going for a quick row a bit complicated.

I do jump alone, but not very big (for me that would be more than 1m10), and only on quite reliable horses. I wouldn't allow the children to do it (by which I mean those at the yard ranging in age from 12 to 16). Agree with those that say they would never get anything done if they always had to have someone else around.

 

[ponynutz]

Not since at 15 I got up at 5 to ride before school, was half asleep and decked it. Luckily was fine but had to do the walk of shame into the kitchen covered in mud to two very confused parents.

 

[Griffin]

I will ride on my own but if I do, I always text someone to let them know and if they don't hear from me by a certain time- investigate! My current yard is a bit more relaxed but at my previous yard, the YO asked that people text them if they were there if they were their own from a safety point of view.

 

[millitiger]

I don't jump alone.
Mainly as I'm too lazy to alter jumps and get on and off!

 

[SilverLinings]

I do everything with the horses on my own as I live on my own and keep the horses on their own, not at a yard. When riding a new horse I have sent my sister (she lives an hour away but is the closest friend/relative) a text just before mounting telling her to send help if she doesn't hear from me in 30mins/an hour/however long I'm planning to ride. Ironically the only time I've fallen off in the last 20yrs (fell off a LOT more as a teenager!) was in public when SJing at a show a few years ago when I fractured my pelvis. TBH I worry far more about being at home on my own and using the stairs or having a shower (as I have a history of non-horse related falls), but it doesn't stop me going upstairs to bed or showering (I'm sure you'll all be relieved to hear ).

I think we take all sorts of calculated risks every day, but the level is determined by what you feel comfortable with, and as long as it doesn't put someone else at risk and we learn from any mistakes then I think most of the time it should be up to the individual to do what they feel happy with.

 

[dottylottie]

i don’t usually jump alone, because i can’t be bothered to get off to put jumps back up - jumping session quickly turns into a pole work session lol. if i wasn’t a lazy sod, i wouldn’t think anything of jumping alone, someone on the yard would notice i was missing eventually lol.

 

[spotty_pony]

Yes on a horse I know and trust although I rarely jump these days just due to the horses I ride being not really jumpers. I do still jump ditches and dykes out hacking on my own though!!

 

[gallopingby]

Had this conversation earlier with my mother (I'm old btw). I've asked for some money towards a couple of jumps for my birthday because I don't have any since I bought my own place.

She said I'd need to promise not to jump on my own (did I mention I'm very old? )

I spent my teenage years blatting around the countryside pre mobile phones jumping hunt jumps with my friends. That never seemed to bother her!

Hmm how old is old? people have different perspectives and if you’re mother is still telling you what to do maybe not that old, wait until you’re really really old

 

[Hackback]

I do everything on my own on the horse I've had for 13 years. However it did suddenly hit me one day when attempting to pick up my youngster's feet, that as my OH was away with work no-one would know if he kicked me in the head (he did kick me several times in the early days but only on my padded thighs, not in the head ) It was a bit of a realty check tbh.

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

I would jump my old horse on my own as he was pretty reliable but we are on a livery yard so usually someone around even if they’re not actually watching us