Does anyone have any tips to stop me interfering before a jump?

Doormouse

Doormouse

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Please help! I cannot seem to leave my poor horse alone to jump a fence and although we have a lovely canter coming into the fence for some reason 6 strides away I suddenly start messing with him. It's driving me and my poor horse mad, I know I'm doing it and can't seem to stop myself.

Does anyone have any tips or exercises I can try to stop myself.
 
Would second knotting reins - I was made to cross arms or hod the out to the side, best way to use your seat instead of hands! Proper old school way , such a shame many won't teach like that now.
 
Sounds a bit woosie but I have started riding with a neck strap. I usually over ride if I feel like we're not on a stride and I panic rather than letting him use his eyes and work it out! Have found if I grab the neck strap, it helps me sit up and still, safe in the knowledge if it's a bit wrong I've got a safety handle. Invariably he then sorts it out and we have a nice jump. I've also noticed by getting a few nice jumps this way I'm more confident about sitting still and quickly get through the stage where I need it.
 
A friend or instructor shouting "do nothing" "do nothing" all the way into fences for a good few lessons - supprisingly effective for me

or

Set up a couple of fences on a 20m circle, friend/instructor in the middle in a lunging position and you have to canter round keeping eye contact with instructor (so not massive fences). Your horse will think he lunging and happily keep trotting round poping over fences and you can't fiddle too much as you aren't looking at fence and are concentrating on person in middle. It's quite difficult not to look away but quite effective to prove to yourself that horse doesn't reaslly need much from you other than keeping bouncy pace
 
Lord, reading some of this makes me feel slightly queasy!! I have the same issues, and these sound like brilliant ideas although a bit scary. I second the neck strap to keep your hands quiet, and have just been having loads of lessons to get me to learn to sit still and let my horse just get on with it ! From those, I've been learning to breathe, counting out loud backwards is quite handy, and just schooling around a jump then occasionally popping over it, to try not to overthink the fence. will be keeping an eye on this thread for more tips !
 
I too am a fusser over those last vital few strides , I will be reading this post with interest, although looking over the jump not at it does work for me , most of the time :-)
 
The problem with a neckstrap comes if you start to rely on it...the hand position could become habitual meaning that you're less likely to naturally 'give' with the reins when you start jumping a bit bigger. Not that I'm an expert in anyway, but I was always taught to look between your horses ears on the approach, and start to spot the next fence before you land the current one.
 
S
puppystitch said:
The problem with a neckstrap comes if you start to rely on it...the hand position could become habitual meaning that you're less likely to naturally 'give' with the reins when you start jumping a bit bigger. Not that I'm an expert in anyway, but I was always taught to look between your horses ears on the approach, and start to spot the next fence before you land the current one.
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Ideally you do look between the horses ears but looking away is a specific exercise to get out of the habit of interfering with the horse. You lose the incentive to alter the stride if you can't see the fence so then the horse can get on with his job of jumping the fence while you just keep the rhythm, power and balance.
 
You're fiddling to meet the fence, so don't look at it. Pick a spot behind it, in the distance and up high, like a tree or a building. Stare at the spot. You'll still be able to see the fence, but you won't be trying to meet it. Remind yourself to leave him alone! Say it, on the approach. "Do nothing, do nothing, do nothing." Keep saying it, out loud. You'll focus on your words, not your fence, which will help.
 
Thank you everyone, I will definitely try the not looking at the fence, because I do always find that the less time I have approaching the fence the less I interfere so this might hopefully stop me doing it.

I know I must ride forward more as well, I guess some of the trouble is that he has only been out of training a few months and not done much show jumping so I keep assuming he needs help which in fact he doesn't, he is remarkably competent and clever.
 
I recently found that half the reason my horse rushes is because I push & interfere!
My instructor was fantastic at helping me to over come this, by thinking small canter all the time & then telling me bluntly to stop messing & sit there & enjoy her! worked wonders!
 
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