How did you learn..

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aimeejay

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..to jump?
Ino this sounds weird but did you gradually build up slowly, or move on to quite a big jump quickly realise you could do it so carried on bigger?
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Back in the 70's when I was a child I learned to ride at a local riding school (In those days they werent' quite so strict on safety etc) So they used to take us hacking in the woods and if we wanted we could jump over small logs. I fell off a few times, but eventually could jump them without coming off. A year or so later I got my first pony and just started jumping on him. Amazing the confidence youth brings you
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My first jump was on a pony that carted off with me when i just got in the school and flew over a jump. I cant remember it but i stayed on and my instructor was impressed after recovering from the minor heart attack of seeing a 6 year pelting accross the school.
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I learnt to jump very young and cant remember how i started, however i hated it (i was always the one that got picked out to demonstrate postion etc
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When i charged riding schools and got my own horse which needed to learn how to jump, i learnt to love it again. Started of small and worked up, the right horse and instructor made all the difference in liking it or not. When i realised that i really enjoyed it, the jumps got bigger and more complicated.
 
slowly and over grids strangely enough. as soon as i was interested in jumping started jumping lessons at my riding school and we did loads and loads of grids. Taught me to sit up between jumps and keep my balance. its interesting now that grids don't scare me but spreads and just general courses do!!

I would say start small and stay small as you can learn all the technique, approach, striding and get your balance in all situations and on all types of horses. only then should you start to build on the height.
 
I'm still learning really but I can recomend the following

- fav horse being PTS, too sad to go back to yard so going to a relatively strange place the day after a violent break up with then bf (i.e. care very little if live/die and have no idea if people/horses trustworthy) and letting 'boss mare' of herd take care of you

- sneaky RI taking you hacking somewhere new you didn't know had x-c jumps and following his horse on one you can't/are too embarrassed to stop

-side-saddle lesson for birthday (present from a nicer OH!)

Since then I've had share horsey who loves jumping. With him I started little (trotting over x-poles abt 6ins high) and when I got to a stage where I thought it was silly I hadn't a clue abt positions/light seats etc, etc had a proper lesson.

Please try only the very last of these at home!
 
Neighbours pony aimed at jump and kicked on....kids are brave and stupid especially when unsupervised.
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Only had two heights
bucket(if you were a wuss) or barrel if you were brave...
pony also used to put in dirty stops(shockingly enough,poor Balor im sorry boy r.i.p) but we usually stayed on ive no idea how...
same pony also put up with this bareback on occasion..cos that's how indian's ride and we wanted to be prepared for runnng away to the wild west
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Later went back and was given tips's on position etc plus practice on friends schoolmister showjumper.. who's a star.. but i havent jumped barrel hight as an adult as i dont trust my positioning and strides enough yet to move up to that level...Hope to get some good practice in this summer once i have a settled routine again..I love to jump it give me such a trill...
 
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