jump position round a course question

marley and danni

marley and danni

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hi my new instructor likes the way i ride a course i ride straight leged out the saddle shoukders centre when fold for jump. i find this easier with my horse as hes difficult and only settles with hands on withersshe says this is perfect jump position to do a course in and more people should ride that instead of sitting.

sometimes i feel the need to sit a few strides into the femce somtimes because hes not forward enough so needs the extra drive but i dont like it.

but another person on my lesson finds it difficult to be stood in stirrups for a whole course

so i was wonderinf what do u all do and what do you think you should do. tha ks x
 
I always sit for the approach, because my horse had a bloody nasty stop that he could pull out at any stage over any fence (haven't seen it for a while now but don't trust that he won't throw one in!).

Used to standing in between to let him canter on a bit
 
yes same horse i have been working on it for two weeks and had my lesson today and with the help from he he was fab.

im just curious to know what everyone else does. mine can run out but there quite smooth and u can feel on the approach hes tempted to do it so you can coreccted it somtimes u cant but im always ready havent fel off him doing that. however the two times hes dirty stoped i have come over his head.

i feel more in control if i stand up round the course even to most fences except if i feel he needs more drive.
 
It has been my understanding sit for SJ, two point for XC.

In fact when I have done two point when in SJ lesson, got an almighty telling off from the instructor...
 
wench said:
WH is basically SJ but with rustic poles...
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I 100% agree with that...

I'm a little confused about the concept of being straight legged to be honest- this suggests tension to me, and I don't see how its feasible!

Horses for courses though in some respects- mine prefers me to be light and a little out the saddle, and gets offended if you sit and drive with your seat, and yet others need that physical push. If what you do works and your instructor is satisfied, I wouldn't get to worried about what othes do, though of course if the horse has been napping and not jumping, it might suggest it isnt/hasn't been working.
 
thanks for all the responses :)

i think theres a big difference in SJ and WH yes there rustic pole but the way you approach the fence must be that of hunting style and pace, and not that of a showjumping canter.

hes been nappy and not working because of the surfaces at home are not the best and cant get deep as he doesnt school the best in them either so untill ground hardens i only have a small horrible sand school so i have to take lesson else where on good indoor schools where he works fantasticly.

also he has an odd personalitly and if he doesnt lke doing somthing or he thinks he cant do it he needs me to tell him he can or tell him to get on with it but im not always the best at this because hes a bucker when he gets fustraited so i dont always commit which is what i found out in my latest lesson.

although lesson yesterday was best hes ever went i found out i let him go on long ones and my instructor told me not to interfer and let him get the right stride or go deep rather than long as its safer and he will get out of trouble easier so i did that and worked a treat.

she also said my position has come on well since she saw me 2 weeks ago so thats good too!

i mean by straightleg as in there not super straigh as theres a slight bend at my knee but heel to bottom is a straight line and my shoulder are straight (she said i reminded her of a eventer cant rember his name)

i dont have any tension in my lower leg i have a strong lower leg as i do all my canter work on hacks out the saddle i only sit a canter when im schooling or showing.

if i sit all the way to a jump he doesnt like it as i interfer to much then were as when i am out of the saddle i let him keep the rytham hes at and only tell him when to take off and which jump is next. he doesnt like to be interfered with. i learnt alot more about him yesterday on my lesson.
 
Yes whilst there is a difference in the pace that you should be going at in a SJ course and WH; on the assumption that you will not be doing county level workers, there will not be a lot of difference at local level stuff.

It's been a while since I have done any WH, but do you get marked for your riding style? If you are in "XC" position, I would have thought you would get marked down to be honest.

Also as an after-thought, have you had this horse checked out by a vet for any potential problems. I had a very cantankerous TB, whom I thought was just being naughty at the time I was working him, and now in hindsight, he probably had some medical issues that should have been dealt with...
 
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thanks for reply wench.

i have done workers for 2 seasons at 2 diferent local riding clubs and i have won at both and both judges agreed i had a much better working canter and a much better position and riding style. as it was workerd with the horse.

i have all the regular check done on him especially on season changes. he got a new saddle in november vet was out to him in october nd physio was september teeth were done end of december also.

hes due for physio on wednesday as the season begin to change he gets tense muscles i am fully aware of this so have him checked out all time and i also have a massager and i have muscle relaxnt gel recommended by my physio i also dont push him if he cant do somthing if he says i cant do any more we stop.

also the bucking is just his personalitly, the bucks are getting less frequant as the past two weeks in each session i have either no bucks or 1 or 2 because hes not fully warmed up, or he just doesnt want to do what i ask him to do. because one mini he will walk to canter canter to walk both reins after half hour warming up and go round perfectly then the next time i ask he will buck then canter or wil just stop and not move or canter and then buck, theres no pattern and its not on any particular rein or in ant sort of cercumstance of times. i have owned him for two years and all instructors i have had after then have gotton to know him realise that this is just his attitude hes a grumpy so and so.

he loves his jumping but if you jump samr things over and over he will start to refuse and kick out at the jump when u ride past it (this happend few days ago) made us all laugh as he kicked the whole thing down, he can get very stroppy.

same as if hes been worked in mornign on lunge and i want to hack few hours later but he thinks hes done his work already he will go to the end of the drive way and then put brakes on (i nearly fall off there that sharp) and doesnt move for life nor money!!

the only way i get him to move is when i get pony recused by my friend and still then hes a little relucant, but loves it once hes out!

its just his way or the high way!
 
FYI i ride a hunter course like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQwqV6mlYEg

and not always the last time she came out found nothing. when she came at begining of summer she found tension behind the saddle (this was my old saddle)

i am using a different physio this time round as my current one isnt avaliable till march and i like to get him checked out (hes booked in for weds alread)

i think this physio will find slight tension along his back this time as i felt slight tension there last week which indicated me to call a physio earlier than i normaly would. he suggested to carry on doing what i a doing and he will see him weds and its proberly due to season change and possibly all my hacking in the terrible ground ( i know i shouldnt but i took all precautions and always looked after him aftwerwads)

but hes not owrried its anything serious and neither is my vet and i trust them.
 
actually come to think of it as he is tense along his back both sides i am going to assume hes tense against the saddle as its a completly different shape and hes building up new muscle there. i will suggest this on wednesday although they always check my saddles.

also the saddle was fitted by a reputable saddler and came recomended and he fitted the saddle to my horse so i know it fits.
 
My physio came and checked my horse out... said there was nothing wrong with it... she was then diagnosed a couple of months later with severe kissing spine...
 
thats fair enough, and such a shame for your horse.

if it ever did trun out to be that then fair enough i wouldnt hold it against my physio for not spotting it nor my vet as its a hard one to spot. if my vet or physio ever suggested getting him xrayed for it them i would with out a doubt but at the moment neither are worried.

i will see what this physio says but he is checked all the time and i am fully aware and i costantly do my own checkes before and after each ride and once a day if not riding and he gets massaged before every ride and after every ride and if we have been jumping i put the Gel on to relax his muscle and cool them down.

out hacking he never ever bucks or puts a foot wrong even when we school on the grass feilds he never bucks or does anything silly. and at a show he never bucks and in my lessons we have 1 buck and thats it sometimes not bucks at all.

i honestly think its just him but i DO still check him every day without fail incase anything was wrong. and my vet is pretty much on speed dial along with my farrier and physio's
 
I mostly stay out of the saddle and sit in the run up to the fence. (occasionally do rising canter)

Go onto you tube and watch videos of the top riders and how they ride round. Most stay out of the saddle. Ben Maher is lovely to watch.
 
thanks for reply arctic fox. i posted a video from youtube of a similar way to i ride and she wont the champs in 2011 so i must be ok. i was just curious really.

my instructor is happy with everyhting so i suppose thats all that matters.

also my instructor always comment on his snarlyness and bucks (when he does them) and she doesnt thing its pain related either.
 
OP are you in the USA? Because that vid you linked isn't working hunter, it's American hunter-jumpers, which is a very different thing!
 
i didnt post for where it was im in uk haha didnt realise was us but thats how i ride and me and my horde find it easy and flowing. iv seen some more on youtube and alot of people do what i do and alot of people sit and both can win so i dnt think it matters. thanks x
 
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