_MizElz_
Well-Known Member
Ellie and I had our first show jumping session tonight; we've been doing a bit of XC (as most people know, as I do keep going on about it! 
) but have not SJed for aaaaages! We just went out to the show field (our yard has a lovely set of Jump for Joys with scary fillers!) with mum, and had a quiet pop round. I'm really pleased with how it went; we were 'clear' at everything we jumped, although not very tidy! We popped all the scary fillers, a stile, planks and a couple of wide oxers, all with no problem. And everything was either at the height or a bit bigger (75cm - 90cm) than we will be jumping on Sunday.
However, I am aware that I am very rusty; for some reason, I no longer seem to go with her as well as I used to over fences. In all our old SJ pics I am generally quite good in terms of position, but at the moment I am sitting up too much in mid air - although thankfully I never catch her in the mouth as I have lovely slippable reins! It doesnt hinder Ellie in any way, but I just know it doesnt look pretty and is not 'ideal'. She is also very, very excitable going into her fences, with the result that seeing a stride - again, something I used to be good at - has become quite tricky, as she tends to bounce going into them....! She is better getting deep than taking a long one, but again, it isnt ideal when it happens at the majority of fences.
Driving home, Mum asked me whether I think I should start having lessons again. Lessons have always been a bit of a hang up for me. I'm fine with flatwork lessons - I dont get nervous at all and really enjoy them - but the thought of one-to-one jumping lessons has always freaked me out a bit.
When we were SJing regularly, I had lessons with a very good friend of ours, who has been very successful and who has jumped on the international circuit. He found Ellie for us in the first place, and is the best instructor I have ever known - he really inspires you and gives you confidence. But even with him, I used to get very het up about our jumping lessons - although I always came away with a smile, I think the 'one to one' nature stopped me enjoying them as much as I should.
At Pony Club, I was a bit better largely due to the group situation - we had PC rallies with my instructor and I enjoyed them far more than one-to-ones.
My initial reaction was 'no, I only want to do little, local stuff, I don't want lessons.' There is truth here; I will never jump above 2'6 now as both Ellie and I are happy and confident at that height (although Ellie is better over bigger fences - it's more me who is being fainthearted now!). I have no aspirations to go affiliated - our BSJA days are over as she is out of BN and Discovery anyway, so we wouldnt be able to do the little classes any more. But at the same time, I am quite competitive and I would be wrong to say that I dont have any desire to improve. At the moment, anything we do is purely for fun and to 'get round', but I would like to think we may be able to actually compete for places eventually. I'm still only talking local comps!
Am I being unfair to Ellie by refusing to have lessons? I guess there are several options; there are several people at my yard who would probably be up for some SJ tuition, so I could always try to organise a group session with my old instructor. I could join a riding club, and attend rallies - although obviously there is less personalisation there (for instance, I will never, ever do gridwork again so would have to stand down if ever this were taking place). But is having one-to-one lessons the only real way to improve properly?
Does anyone else have the same kind of hang ups as me? How do/did you overcome them?
) but have not SJed for aaaaages! We just went out to the show field (our yard has a lovely set of Jump for Joys with scary fillers!) with mum, and had a quiet pop round. I'm really pleased with how it went; we were 'clear' at everything we jumped, although not very tidy! We popped all the scary fillers, a stile, planks and a couple of wide oxers, all with no problem. And everything was either at the height or a bit bigger (75cm - 90cm) than we will be jumping on Sunday.However, I am aware that I am very rusty; for some reason, I no longer seem to go with her as well as I used to over fences. In all our old SJ pics I am generally quite good in terms of position, but at the moment I am sitting up too much in mid air - although thankfully I never catch her in the mouth as I have lovely slippable reins! It doesnt hinder Ellie in any way, but I just know it doesnt look pretty and is not 'ideal'. She is also very, very excitable going into her fences, with the result that seeing a stride - again, something I used to be good at - has become quite tricky, as she tends to bounce going into them....! She is better getting deep than taking a long one, but again, it isnt ideal when it happens at the majority of fences.
Driving home, Mum asked me whether I think I should start having lessons again. Lessons have always been a bit of a hang up for me. I'm fine with flatwork lessons - I dont get nervous at all and really enjoy them - but the thought of one-to-one jumping lessons has always freaked me out a bit.
When we were SJing regularly, I had lessons with a very good friend of ours, who has been very successful and who has jumped on the international circuit. He found Ellie for us in the first place, and is the best instructor I have ever known - he really inspires you and gives you confidence. But even with him, I used to get very het up about our jumping lessons - although I always came away with a smile, I think the 'one to one' nature stopped me enjoying them as much as I should.
At Pony Club, I was a bit better largely due to the group situation - we had PC rallies with my instructor and I enjoyed them far more than one-to-ones.
My initial reaction was 'no, I only want to do little, local stuff, I don't want lessons.' There is truth here; I will never jump above 2'6 now as both Ellie and I are happy and confident at that height (although Ellie is better over bigger fences - it's more me who is being fainthearted now!). I have no aspirations to go affiliated - our BSJA days are over as she is out of BN and Discovery anyway, so we wouldnt be able to do the little classes any more. But at the same time, I am quite competitive and I would be wrong to say that I dont have any desire to improve. At the moment, anything we do is purely for fun and to 'get round', but I would like to think we may be able to actually compete for places eventually. I'm still only talking local comps!
Am I being unfair to Ellie by refusing to have lessons? I guess there are several options; there are several people at my yard who would probably be up for some SJ tuition, so I could always try to organise a group session with my old instructor. I could join a riding club, and attend rallies - although obviously there is less personalisation there (for instance, I will never, ever do gridwork again so would have to stand down if ever this were taking place). But is having one-to-one lessons the only real way to improve properly?
Does anyone else have the same kind of hang ups as me? How do/did you overcome them?
