Great Lesson but she is fraying my nerves!!

[_April_]

Had a jumping lesson tonight, just doing some bounces, grids and a bit of a course.

Was a very good lesson, she did everything we asked of her but she is high as a kite...
I only started jumping her last year and she used to have dramatics over cross poles and used to screw herself over jumps (just to make it more fun!!) and has mostly outgrown that now but she reverted a bit tonight I think with the spring grass coming through

It's so frightening to sit... it's like she jumps (and gives it a good foot of clearance no matter the height) then apparently she kicks out her back legs mid air so i shoot out of the saddle... it's like being caterpaulted...

Am I crazy to keep persisting! She is 22! Her old owner quit jumping because it frightened her so much. Thank God she never does it at shows as she goes into performance mode lol.

She is making such good progress but it's so scary sometimes, the silly old loon.
The problem is she doesn't do anything wrong, she doesn't refuse or anything it's just the mid air point and landing is a bit hairy... it's not a problem over bigger jumps either, just little ones she likes to make more interesting i think.... she even tried to jump the cross poles tonight and normally she never does that.

Ah well I just hope it's the time of year and she will calm down again soon....
She did nothing wrong but I am just a bit stressed as not the bravest at jumping anyway LOL

sorry for the ramble... if anyone has any tips I'd love to hear them. I normally do grids, bounces, poles before and after the jump and I have spent a long time boring her over little jumps so it's definitely not over facing

 

[hadfos]

Think her age says alot

set in ways,as we all get like that

dont we???lol,,most get hypo at this time of yr,signs of spring turn them into crazy nuts,lmao!!If she performs at shows and goes well can you not just leave it at that??Keep her fit and let her perform to the crowds??

 

[Starbucks]

I think she sounds fun!

Get some super glue and enjoy her!

 

[_April_]

hehe yes she is a little poppet but it's really not good for my old nerves

Yeah Jade i think I will just try to do more actual SJ, it's as though a full round of jumps gives her more to concentrate on, single fences just blow her mind LOL.

I think the other thing that made me very disheartened tonight was that when we were warming up we had to go into 'position' and the whole lesson was conducted in position.
Every one else on the lesson seemed to know what he was wanting but I've had millions of SJ lessons over the years and have never done that before. I felt very unbalanced and rubbish

, usually on jumping lessons I am yelled at to sit up and only fold going over the jumps so it felt very different. I can practice at home though and hopefully be better next time!

 

[jenbleep]

she does sound like a lot of fun!!

Frankie does this thing where he jumps massive, then humps his back on landing and does and big squeal and a buck

it does make me laugh, as he loves his jumping (

so sad I have to leave!) but it can unsettle me somewhat, and throw me off balance!!

Don't quite no what to suggest re the 'catapulting' thing......does she knock down the fence when she does this?? Because of her age I guess its more of a case of learning to sit to it - easier said than done!

She sounds cracking - a lot of fun

 

[_April_]

Oh No! She never touches a fence, she always gives them a LOT of clearance, I think that is half the problem because she is inexperienced lol

 

[Seahorse]

My youngster does this, but he is getting better the more I jump him.
I do know exactly what you mean, it's quite unnerving isn't it?

 

[_April_]

Totally seahorse and you would think that by 22 she would have outgrown it somewhat hehe xx
It's getting better and better so I think there is hope... a bit of hope anyway

It was quite cute the trotting poles part, we were supposed to trot them but she kept jumping them in canter doing each one like a bounce and without touching a single one, she's very neat I guess.
Had to ride them about 6 times before she trotted them LOL