fun jumping exercises please?

[Pidge]

Ok after a serious wobble yesterday I need to regain both mine and Pidge's confidence in jumping together

So am after some fun things to do together? Please bear in mind it was a major wobble yesterday and that if the fences are under 2'6" he doesn't jump them just extends his canter stride. But don't think we're up to jumping 2'6" right at this moment in time

 

[TGM]

Here's an exercise that doesn't actually involve jumping but is an exercise to improve jumping. Set out a course with poles on the ground between wings. Lay it out exactly as you would a normal jumping course. Incorporate several changes of rein. Then ride the course in canter, concentrating on good turns, correct lead, crossing the pole exactly in the middle of the wings etc. 90% of jumping is actually flatwork - you only spend a little time in the air, and it is the rhythm, control, impulsion, balance and straightness between the jumps which is most important.

Once you have perfected the exercise, you can then put the course up if you wish.

 

[allijudd]

i did that exact thing thios morning with the young chappie i am teaching to ride......and he loved it..the scary jump wasnt so scary after all...when everything else is in place...

 

[u04elw2]

If you have someone (friend, instructor etc) who can help out get them to number the jumps at random - that cross pole is number 1, that straight is number 2 etc - and then get them to call out the numbers they want you to jump, changing it every time. Definitely keeps you on your toes and youll be concentrating more on remembering numbers than stressing about the fences th6emselves

 

[palomino_pony]

Put 2 small jumps on a 20m circle opposite each other - like at E and B. Ride the circle popping the jumps but when approaching the "E" jump, look at "B" fence etc. Helped us get a better rhythm and stop worrying about seeing a stride. Its a bit scary at first but good fun. You can count canter strides round and try to get the same on each 1/2 circle or lengthen or shorten. (Saw Pippa Funnell do it at a demo too). Its even more fun with 2 rider and you have to jump opposite jumps at the same time looking at each other and saying something daft etc. Have fun.

 

[YorksG]

How about playing pony club games with another rider for the session, not jumping, except for the handy pony section of your games? No stress (unless one of you is ultra competative!) and good for a little jumping as part of a bigger picture.

 

[DidiR]

If you have bloks or something very similar, you can set up the spokes of a wheel.. eg you have 2/3 bloks in the centre, and then 4 arms from that centre point to 4 other bloks/piles of bloks on the outside.

You can make it as small or big as you like, and then you jump each spoke on its own, and make a turn to jump any other spoke (not the ones next to it), so you will be doing circles, figures of eight, changing the rein etc, so that you jump all four of the spokes in one "round".

If you are then up for it, you can jump the middle blok(s) as a test of your accuracy in a straight line. If you keep it all small, then you are working on your canter, your balance, rhythm, etc as you will be on a lot of turns.

 

[Pidge]

thanks for the tips everyone I think I will have a play at the weekend and just hack and school until then.