Is this the place to admit being a jumping wally?

[9tails]

I am trying to learn how to jump. My horse doesn't skim anything, she leaps into orbit with gay abandon. This in turn either leaves me behind or propels me up her neck! Because of her exuberance, my nerves are in tatters. I'm talking 18" jumps max here. If we go over the same jump more than once, she goes even higher.

I feel a fool, I can ride other horses that don't overjump clearing them well and balanced. But I'm obviously doing it all wrong with her, because if this is what it should feel like NOBODY in their right mind would enjoy jumping!

She also jumps trotting poles, all 3 as a spread if necessary. Or bounce jumps each one if more than 3.

Any suggestions to help me go with her?

 

[ABE]

It might be worth doing poles/small x poles in hand or on the lunge until she finds them less scary/exciting and finds it boring and then you could try it ridden again. how does she react to bigger fences?

 

[ecrozier]

Ohh I can feel your pain! I've been there with my young horse, finally getting to grips with him now but has taken a while!
Best tips I got - neckstrap! Hold on to that. I also changed my saddle to a jump saddle which helped a lot, and also working on our canter has helped but that's ongoing!
I found I was either getting left behind on take off or was in front on take off but then 'pinged' out of saddle on the way down.
O must admit putting the fences up a bit helped, not massive, just maybe 2'6 rather than 1'6, also working down grids staying in 2 point position all the way through, and if necessary resting a hand on his neck to prevent myself being thrown forwards!

 

[9tails]

I've tried in hand, she does the same going higher and higher and leaping about beforehand with excitement. I get too puffed out to continue until she's bored, it could take days. I've not tried lunging and jumping as she actually doesn't lunge terribly well, prefering to hoon around squealing and broncing.

Bigger? You're kidding right? I am terrified of the falling off process.

 

[ecrozier]

Falling off hurts the same over 1'6 and 2'6 I reckon! But is best avoided....just to share, this is my boy earlier this year:

And more recently - still not perfect but vastly improved I think and continuing to improve at a rate of knots I think...still need to sit up a bit more but at least remain somewhere near the saddle now!

I have started having regular fortnigtly lessons with a top trainer and he has REALLY helped too - last night's lesson he gave me a couple of pointers on how to not over fold, and it made an instant difference.... the kesson the top SJ pic was taken in, I'm sure I was doing the same thing but no guidance at all was given on how NOT to do it, so I think finding the right instructor would help too!

Also it may not be as bad as you think - got any pics or vids?


How big is your horse? I also found as I am used to jumping a smaller (14.2hh) more economical jumper it took me a while to get used to the more extravagent jump!

 

[9tails]

I will try a neckstrap but I'm not sure what a grid is? The only way I am staying on is to tie my stirrups to the girth but of course that isn't helping me to gain an independent seat. My hand always seems to end up tangled in her mane too in order to anchor me on.

 

[posie_honey]

i had this with my mare when i first got her - my handy hint - get youself a good secure jumping saddle and strengthen your legs with exersises so they can absorb the 'ping' better

 

[ecrozier]

Hmm Ok, suggest some lessons might be a very good first step, not sure how wise tying stirrups to girth is?
Is she young? How much jumping have you done previously?
Sounds like it migt be a good plan to do lots of work on the flat first too perhaps with jumps in the arena so she gets more used to being around jumps and less excited at the sight of them?

 

[9tails]

Imagine similar to your first pic, ecrozier, but about a foot out of the saddle! No pics as I'm doing this in secret away from prying eyes and cackling fellow liveries, but I have arranged for a lesson next week. I need to crack it before I ruin my poor horse and will be dosing up on rescue remedy.

She's a 16.2 Gelderlander. Huge trot, massive canter and ginormous leap.

The straps are velcro, especially made for the purpose. She is 11, been hunting and apparently leapt hedges with feet to spare. Not with me I hasten to add. I have jumped less exuberant horses before and was fine. We have flat lessons and she is great, but not tried with jumps in the arena. I will try this next time.

Saddle-wise, the one I have definitely isn't helping as it's a VSD but I am waiting for an event saddle to be delivered.

 

[ecrozier]

Ahh ok. I wouldn't worry you are going to ruin her in the short term, sounds like she has plenty of experience and mileage under her belt! Different if she was young, I had to fix my jumping in a hurry as that horse in pic has never jumped with anyone else on board and still isn't quite 5....so i was definately going to have an effect on him if I didn't crack it!
Def lessons lessons and more lessons!! Good luck!

 

[ecrozier]

Ps definately change the saddle, I don't think I'd try jumping mine in a vsd!!

 

[9tails]

I see threads saying people have jumped up to 3'3 in a dressage saddle and think I should be able to do it in my VSD, but obviously not! The saddle is coming, it's in the workshop for a wider tree. I also have a thorowgood griffin with suede kneerolls but the flaps aren't very forward cat so my knees come over the edge a bit. I need the right kit, don't I?

 

[OneInAMillion]

I see threads saying people have jumped up to 3'3 in a dressage saddle and think I should be able to do it in my VSD, but obviously not! The saddle is coming, it's in the workshop for a wider tree. I also have a thorowgood griffin with suede kneerolls but the flaps aren't very forward cat so my knees come over the edge a bit. I need the right kit, don't I?

It does depend all on the horses style of jumping and how the saddle fits you. If you are smaller in your saddle then you would be able to shorten the stirrups up more than if you are much taller in it (i'm not sure that makes sense!)

Anyway. I know how you feel. I rode my friends mare for a while and she would go into orbit and leave me hopelessly flailing about to try and hold on! I did quite a lot of jumping with her and because she was big and I was small on her I never *touches lots of wood* have come off her as she catches me on the way down!!!

I also rode my friends gelding for her. She stopped jumping him because she didn't like the way he jumped so big. Basically with him the more he jumped the less big his jumps got. He found it so exciting which was the cause of his enormous jumps! (He pinged me straight off regularly )

Is it worth finding someone else to have a play with her to see if her jumping gets smaller as she does more? Although I know with some horses it makes no difference!

 

[ecrozier]

I evented my smaller horse at equivalent to BE90 in a vsd... Wouldn't contemplate it on big lad! Think it just depends on the horse, and as OIAM says your height relative to the saddle etc, as a smaller person will be able to jack up stirrups more comfortably in a less forward cut saddle!

 

[9tails]

I'm 5'10" so although my saddles are 18" and plenty big enough for my posterior they don't give me the leg space as they're not really built for it.

OIAM, though I'm sure there are plenty of people who would have a go, this is my mission and I want to be able to jump her whether she is orbitting or not. I think it's important that I learn as she's perfectly capable of going higher but I'm holding her back!

 

[Twiggy14]

I rode a horse like this. I just jumped her and jumped her until I got used to her jump and now it feels like she's jumping normally! X

 

[9tails]

I rode a horse like this. I just jumped her and jumped her until I got used to her jump and now it feels like she's jumping normally! X

Thanks, this is what I'm trying to do at the moment. If there's a log, we jump it. I'm not falling off with anywhere near the regularity as last year, but I'm sure it isn't pretty yet!

 

[9tails]

As an update to this post, I have now had 3 jumping lessons! First two were gridwork, 3 trotting poles into a line of small bounces. Started with 3 trotting poles and one little jump and eventually worked up to 3 bounces. My position was worked on and I'm pleased to report that the stratosphere jumping has calmed down on her side. After a few goes she was been trotting the trotting poles rather than leaping them all at once. I haven't been left behind or jumped off! The second week was the same but the jumps got bigger and there were more bounces; have to say that my mare finds jumping effortless and seems to really enjoy it. I had 3 canter poles in a line as homework, though these were also jumped as bounces on her sayso.

This week we worked on coming into single poles at canter. In an effort for me to see a stride. Well, it's quite obvious that this horse knows exactly what she's doing as she carted me exuberantly into the poles and then small jumps and put herself right every time. If she was a bit far away (only once because I tried to control the speed) she just took off on a long one and cleared it magnificently, she doesn't seem to chip one in and certainly doesn't feel like she going to throw in a dirty stop. She currently has no interest in my input and I can't blame her as I'm definitely the learner here!

Best of all, I'm enjoying it! We had an audience last night, there were audible oohs and ahhs as she strutted her funky stuff.

This is from week 1, working on getting her to NOT rush and it worked really well. Still not pretty but I'm sure that will come.

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu262/9tails_2009/?action=view&current=IMG_3206.mp4

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I just read yours is a Gelderlander. YAY!!! They are the bestest (I have one)

Your horse has a natural ability to jump! My boy (same size and breed as yours) isn't particularly great at small fences (ie under 2ft3") but once we get to 2ft 9", he jumps properly, and is much smoother and much easier to ride.

Sounds like the lessons and the gridwork is working! Good luck.

I'm going to pm you some pics of my boy, he is the spitting image of your girl

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

Have to say after watching your vid- what a STUNNING horse love the 4 white legs and white face
Don't really have any advice as i am very unconfident jumping at all atm but things i know help me is concentrating on the approach and the feel of the strides and not the fence its self make sure your looking well ahead with your shoulders back helps me stay with the horse if that makes any sense. I know what you mean with powerful jumpers though feels so different to jumping a 'normal' horse i always found the 'brace for impact' on the way down the most interesting bit Good luck

 

[Farma]

Mine used to do this too! Ended up with me miled behind or pulling the poor bugger in the mouth - all sorted now tho, its only inexperience!

[/IMG]

 

[9tails]

Misinterpreted - I agree, they are pretty special! Love your boy, we should put them into harness together.

Cloball - thank you! My lesson on Wednesday was concentrating on the strides but even the instructor got it wrong, I must get that video she took where the instructor counted us in and she took off on 2 rather than 3! In fact, I knew she would be going on 2 so I think the feel is coming. It all happens in a bit of a blur because she's so bloomin' fast!

Farma - I remember that feeling!

 

[9tails]

Here's the evidence:

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu262/9tails_2009/?action=view&current=IMG_3370.mp4

A couple more:

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu262/9tails_2009/?action=view&current=IMG_3375.mp4
http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu262/9tails_2009/?action=view&current=IMG_3372.mp4

Oops:

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu262/9tails_2009/?action=view&current=IMG_3373.mp4

 

[xspiralx]

Bless her, she does rather tell you to shut up and let her take care of it doesn't she! She clearly knows her job and loves it though - she's stunning!

I feel your pain because I ride one like this too - he's not as confident as her and his philosophy is "if in doubt, jump bigger!" (pics below for your amusement )

 

[9tails]

Crikey, that first photo is rather hair raising!

Yes, we know who is in charge where jumping is concerned. She's proven that she knows her onions and that I should stick to being a passenger. The fun will start when we need to steer after the jump...