Jumping after a break of 2 months? help please?

[Pidge]

Ok so haven't jumped Pidge since the 7th October, saddle problems

still not fixed

, and have decided to enter the Xmas SJ Show next Wednesday. 2'3" - 2'6" class and the 2'6" class using a friends jump saddle.
Any tips on how to stop him getting very excited much appreciated? Is it worth lunging him over some jumps before Wednesday? Open to suggestions please?

 

[dwi]

When D used to get excied I tried an exercise that I read about in a Horse and Rider where I built the jump up from a trotting pole between wings into a decent size, always stopping five or six strides after the jump. Some folk might not agree with this but it worked for me, made her think about things individually and come back to me rather than hoolying round.

My other suggestion would be to ask how he is at jumping out of trot? D is much calmer when doing a round out of trot and at that height you wouldn't need to be cantering

 

[Pidge]

trouble is I'm not sure if I can borrow saddle again before Wednesday and I really don't fancy jumping him in my dressage saddle!
Jumping out of a trot is kind of impossible with Pidge

tried it a while back and only managed 1/2 a stride of trot

 

[dwi]

I used to have a saddle with changeable knee rolls and hadn't really concentrated on the ones that I had put on. I discovered after 14 months of use that I had been jumping with the dressage ones on. I hadn't really noticed a problem with them, RI was most impressed and said I must have a stable position, I wouldn't rule out practising at home in your dressage saddle if that's the only option, better than not at all.

Why not just keep it really small so that is barely more than a raised trotting pole and do a whole grid to keep him slow and concentrating? That way you'd be schooling without needing the extra support of the jumping saddle

 

[Pidge]

sounds like an idea to have a play with

I know he's missing the jumping as much as I am as he carted me over a trotting pole at the beginning of the week

we were a good 5m away from it and he did a very nice leg yield at trot of his own accord to go over it!