Folding over hands when jumping...

welshponylover

welshponylover

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Im a bit confused here...one of my horsey friends said i shouldn't 'fold over hands' when im jumping. I didn't really think about it! Can anyone tell me whats right? Brom gets quite excited jumping and often runs into a jump so i have to hold him to a point so he doesn't trip or something (believe me he is so hyper he probably would do!!) - should i try and push my hands forward more?!
CONFUSED MUCH! :confused:
http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/ImgGalleryTn/93/188893/36064_123401.jpg
^^ Sorry the piccy doesn't work! ^^
 
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Okay, you look really secure in the saddle and your boy makes a lovely shape over that fence. But can you see how his nose is tucked in rather than reaching forward like his front legs? I can also see from the angle of the bit that you have a fair old hold of him. I'd say that you are restricting him a bit with your hands.

By all means keep a contact into the fence, and if you need to check him then do. But you need to either take the good old fashioned route of leaving him to it three stride before the fence and softening your contact, or get really good at timing giving your hands forward as he takes off.

You don't need to drop him in front of the fence or loose your reins, just push your hands forward as he begins to take off. Let him find his balance over the fence by giving him the freedom to stretch his neck. You might even find that once he knows you will do this every time he settles and approaches more calmly, rather than fighting you for room to stretch his neck. Or maybe not - some horses are just keen ;)

Anyway, if you can learn to let him bascule correctly, and match that lovely shape his legs are making with a rounded back and stretched neck, you'll help to maximise his scope.
 
You might find using more leg helps so you can do lot sof little half haltsl. You need really quick fingers and use your legs in time with the canter.

As for calming down, lots of polework and working around the fences then once he settles just randomly pop one then carry on working around them. You need to make jumping as un-exciting as possible.
Another good one is to circle in front of the fence and when he is calm pop the jump. OR halt him in front of the fence (only a little one) jump it then halt again on the other side.

Some horses you just can't calm down though, only to some extent. My boy is very wizzy jumping and sometimes you just need to accept that and go with it.
 
^Kokopelli said what I would have said *feels smug*

Rather than doing whole jumping sessions, put a small, boring, does-that-even-count jump up while you school on the flat. Pop over it a few times in a session, concentrating on schooling exercises in between. This can be really good for adding verve to paces too. 'Use the energy!' as my instructor used to tell me, after I'd jumped a weeny little cross pole then cantered wildly round the school for five minutes...
 
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