Horse Overjumping and I Can't Sit It Very Well!

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aldato_daz

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As the title says...

My gelding has an amzing jump! And he never touches a pole. We havn't done much jumping together, but have now moved yards and getting to do it a lot more and also getting out to some little training shows. He is an 8yo Aldato and stands a good 16.3hh. I know that his overjumping will partly be due to being a bit green and possibly my lack of confidence at the mo, I get so nervous at shows!

Now my confidence is getting better, but this massive jump of his is making it really hard to get a nice technique over the fence. I am being thrown out of the saddle, my reins go long cuz i am beng left behind a bit and then I am just collapsing back in to the saddle! Went to a wee training show last fri night and it was an absolute disaster. My confidence has been knocked once again. I managed to stay on but riding was rotten! Fences were just at 90cm, but he must have been jumping a good 1.20.

How can i perfect my technique? I want to feel secure all the way over the jump and at the minute, because I can't sit it, it's really putting me off!

I know I am a capable rider and I want to be able to jump the bigger classes as I know he is more than capable as well!

Any exercises/advice out there that would help? I feel like crying every time I jump him :(

Thanks all, sorry it's long.

C
 
What type of saddle do you have? I find a good jumping saddle indispensible(sp) on horses that tend to over jump, as it allows me to stay alot more secure and in balance. In a gp saddle I often find the cantle too high so when a horse over jumps you get a shove up the ar$e, which is not helpful!!!! Also you generally can't get your stirrups short enough in a GP, which therefore makes your lower leg weaker, and you can't get out of the saddle enough.
 
Agree with Charlimouse. Also, are you getting a big enough canter coming into the fences? Sometimes if you come into a fence backwards on a green/careful horse they will just go up, which is where you will have problems! If you can get him going forwards and from a bigger canter, the jump should be smoother :)
 
Agree with KatB. When I first got Twizzy we were very green together which made me go slower to gain more control leading to twizzy jumping UP higher to get over the horse eating fences. Since having lots of lesson over the winter Twizzy now doesnt jump quite as oddly. Now if she is scared she jumps quicker but making a better shape and doesn't get as much extra height. Twizzy is very careful tho, she doesn't like to hit a fence. but implusion will help. I know its scary and 16.3 + a 90cm fence + the extra they are jumping = a long way to fall! but believe me the more inplusion and the more jumping you do will help :) and he wont jump over the fences soo big :)
x
 
my horse used to over jump too - she was green and scared so would give it plenty of space lol!
i found a good jumping saddle M2M for both of us a miricle worker - before i was in a jeffries VSD so not ideal at all - but we were noly jumping small (well the fences were small - HRH was jumping huge!)
as she got more confidence and happier she stopped over jumping - grid work was the key really for both of us :)
 
Yes I would certainly agree with the jumping saddle. When they jump like this it is very important to have a stable lower leg, I find this hard on my horse when he does his big powerful jumps so I know what it feels like but I pop some of the equilibrum stirrup straps on if he feels like this and that holds my leg in place thus keeping me in balance and not interfering with him.
 
Agree with all of the above. My horse is a bit green + over jumps if I back off a fence. He literally jumps as high as he possibly can, which can be disconcerting + make you back off even more the next time. The trick is to ride positively into the fence (even if you don't feel confident - don't let your horse know that). Also, make sure you're riding in a good rhythm, and not changing tempo on approach. I find reciting the days of the week helpful for this (avoid counting down from a number, as you run the risk of taking off before the horse if you're not at the fence before you get to 0!).

Also agree with the saddle; I'm waiting for my jump saddle to come + am jumping in a dressage saddle :eek: Keep getting bopped on the bum on the way down!
 
sounds real obvious but a neckstrap makes it alot easier,you can just pick it up a couple strides out and theres no danger of being left behind and yanking them in the mouth. plus you;ll feel more secure and so wont worry.
 
My mare is very similar, in size age and jumping bigger than needs to.

I also am saving up for a new close contact saddle as my GP isn't forward cut enough to have my stirrups shorter (i'm tall) and is too deep to be able to push my bum out so also struggle when she throws a big one in.

I'm also doing many jumps from trot though as she finds it easier to balance and it gives her more time to work out what she needs to do, as she's so big, when we canter she tends to loose balance on landing so I'm making it easier for her by going slower - it is helping as she is starting to jump more in tune with the fence size and she gives a better shape.
 
also, make sure that your stirrups are short enough so that you can stay in balance and so will help you stop "collapsing" onto the back of the saddle :)

My horse overjumps too, but I am used to it now, just try to stay with and dont be afraid to slip the reins! Ive become very quick at gathering up my reins now ;) :)
 
Not much help but I had an Aldato mare, she was fab and had a massive jump (i could only sit to it in my butet xc saddle) so perhaps a saddle change? she jumped 1m30 and went 2* eventing she was entered advanced but she was sold before then :( Would love another one by Aldato, they all seem to have lovely temps. Good luck!
 
Thanks so much for your replies!!! Great help!

I am seeing a common opinion though, more impulsion in to the fence, and this I have been told before. I think my lack of confidence is making me hold him back, I feel like I need to so he desnt rush off etc, which I know is totally wrong! Have also been told that the more jumping I do, the better we will both get and he will eventually realise that there is no need to jump so high!

I am currently usuing a wintec jumping saddle, nice wee thing for the moment, as I really cant afford anything else to be honest! maybe if I win the lottery???

Has anybody got any good jumping exercises? It isn't so much the smaller jumps I get nervous at, but the larger ones, oxers etc...

Any help greatly appreciated!!

Thanks again,

C
 
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