Castlecourtdaisy
Well-Known Member
Ok, I've had my mare, Daisy for about a year and a half, pretty much since she was broken (someone broke her in before I bought her, but she'd probably been ridden about...ten times at the most before me), so I know her pretty well.
Anyway, I used to have a horse that would stop at jumps regularly, and rather than get slower and slower, she'd get faster, then in the last few strides skid along the ground to a halt, sometimes crashing through the jump in her efforts. So you'd think after a year or so of that, with my new horse I'd be sitting up more and even get left behind at jumps than lean forward and get ahead of the movement. But no. It seems I've now got this irrational fear and unconscious belief that my horse is not going to get over a jump, so I seem to be trying to compensate for that by launching myself forward early rather than letting the jump come to me and going with the movement.
So as a result, my horse and I are totally out of sync over jumps: I go forward, then she jumps, and I end up landing before her - ie sitting up too early and wrenching her mouth as she lands. Which is pretty obviously not good, especially seeing as I'm responsible for not screwing up an impressionable youngster. She's still a bold jumper, does not run out/stop regularly (she's only stopped about 4 times in her jumping life, with good reason, and she used to run out when she started out but it rarely happens now), but I'm concerned that her increasing speed and strength when approaching fences relates to my blocking her when she jumps.
Interestingly, this also applies when asking for canter. I seem to be leaning forward as if I believe she won't do it unless I get off her back. I didn't even realise this until I acted as a guinea pig for a BHS training day when I had about 60 instructors taking apart my riding on the flat (which needless to say was useful!).
I do seem to have a general fear of jumping - I want to do it but when it gets higher than 2'6 I just don't believe it's possible to get over it. And I used to jump 3'9 happily on my 14.2hh pony about 6 years ago. But I tense up when it's more than 2'6 on a 16hh horse?
So recently I've been sticking to lower jumps while I'm practising my position, so I have less chance of putting her off if I catch her in the mouth (obviously the bigger it gets, the more I tend to "jump" the jump myself...), but does anyone have any ideas for exercises that I can try to help with this? That includes psychological exercises! I know I'm aware of what's happening, but when it comes to changing it, it's easier said than done...
I do have a group lesson once a week, and the odd individual, but the instructor is fairly old fashioned and actually encourages me to lean forward, so I avoid jumping lessons with him now. I had a few lessons with Donald Kear (my instructor - also my yard owner - arranges gridwork clinics with Kear once a month or so at our yard) which helped out a little, but I don't have regular access to such instructors, as at the moment I have no means of transport (will do in July though).
Anyway, I used to have a horse that would stop at jumps regularly, and rather than get slower and slower, she'd get faster, then in the last few strides skid along the ground to a halt, sometimes crashing through the jump in her efforts. So you'd think after a year or so of that, with my new horse I'd be sitting up more and even get left behind at jumps than lean forward and get ahead of the movement. But no. It seems I've now got this irrational fear and unconscious belief that my horse is not going to get over a jump, so I seem to be trying to compensate for that by launching myself forward early rather than letting the jump come to me and going with the movement.
So as a result, my horse and I are totally out of sync over jumps: I go forward, then she jumps, and I end up landing before her - ie sitting up too early and wrenching her mouth as she lands. Which is pretty obviously not good, especially seeing as I'm responsible for not screwing up an impressionable youngster. She's still a bold jumper, does not run out/stop regularly (she's only stopped about 4 times in her jumping life, with good reason, and she used to run out when she started out but it rarely happens now), but I'm concerned that her increasing speed and strength when approaching fences relates to my blocking her when she jumps.
Interestingly, this also applies when asking for canter. I seem to be leaning forward as if I believe she won't do it unless I get off her back. I didn't even realise this until I acted as a guinea pig for a BHS training day when I had about 60 instructors taking apart my riding on the flat (which needless to say was useful!).
I do seem to have a general fear of jumping - I want to do it but when it gets higher than 2'6 I just don't believe it's possible to get over it. And I used to jump 3'9 happily on my 14.2hh pony about 6 years ago. But I tense up when it's more than 2'6 on a 16hh horse?
So recently I've been sticking to lower jumps while I'm practising my position, so I have less chance of putting her off if I catch her in the mouth (obviously the bigger it gets, the more I tend to "jump" the jump myself...), but does anyone have any ideas for exercises that I can try to help with this? That includes psychological exercises! I know I'm aware of what's happening, but when it comes to changing it, it's easier said than done...
I do have a group lesson once a week, and the odd individual, but the instructor is fairly old fashioned and actually encourages me to lean forward, so I avoid jumping lessons with him now. I had a few lessons with Donald Kear (my instructor - also my yard owner - arranges gridwork clinics with Kear once a month or so at our yard) which helped out a little, but I don't have regular access to such instructors, as at the moment I have no means of transport (will do in July though).