Jumping again after a very long break

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sky1234

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After about a 14 year break from Jumping, (my horses i hunted and competed with as a child and teenager became too old and retired from jumping, and then I had a horse with a tendon injury meaning I only did flat work & dressage)
Anyway, I've just realised I have not jumped for 14 years, and I've finally got gorgeous new young horse (had him for 6 months now) and am thinking I must start jumping, but to be frank this thought scares the pants of me, and all i can think about are the times i fell off and broke arms and collar bones (although that happened nearly 20 years ago). I'm a very capable rider, although my only weakness is my dodgy back, and I have to be careful with that.
Am I being completely irrational and pathetic, or do other people have this fear after a long time off? I'm thinking I might ask my instructor if she can start jumping him, so he'll be nicely schooled before i get on board?
 

If I were you I would go and get a couple of jumping specific lessons at a riding school or on a schoolmaster. Then you can find your balance and tidy up your seat before you jump your youngster.

I also think it is a good idea to have your instructor jump your new horse a couple of times if you are nervous. That way she will give him confidence & you can check out his style at the same time.

Good luck - very exciting!
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I think the above idea is a good one. I had 18 months of not jumping (or riding really!) when I went abroad, and took me a while to get back into it - was a passenger the first few times!

Good luck! You'll be back doing it in no time, and wondering how you ever didn't do it
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I agree with MayFlower. Similar to you, I jumped confidently as a teenager on my own horses up to 3'6" or so. Last year (having not jumped for 10 years!) I booked onto a lesson at my usual riding school. I was absolutely terrified especially as I was on a gypsy cob that didn't look like it would get off the ground! Anyway, by the end of the lesson we were doing a 2'6" course and it was the perfect confidence restorer.

So no, you're not irrational or pathetic, you just need a bit of a gentle easing back in
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I've been where you are! I had horses since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and then when I went to college I stopped riding for 4 years. After 1 full year of jumping again I am now up to courses of 1 mtr, having started back at crosspoles. But it is a continuing and long winded process. My nerves are always in the background, which is frustrating since nerves didn't exist when I was a kid!
I found that my jumping 'comeback' accelerated when I got private jumping lessons. Start off small and be patient with yourself.It will take time to get comfortable and confident again. Have fun!
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OMG I've just done the same thing after 15years! I didn't have any nasty falls, just didn't jump for years and years and became scared to death of it. Then I got a 2yo, now 5 and took him to a friend who is a pro eventer so she could show him the ropes and hes turned out to be the most amazing jumper we've ever seen - and he's and Anglo Arab
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Well how could I not have a go
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So Sunday was the day, 1st time in a jump saddle too! Did some poles then a grid with the tiniest of cross poles - he was amazing. We ended up on 3ft grids. I was beaming
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Who'd have thought the baby would sort the nerves out. Long way to go, showjumping may come back into my life afterall - unless the eventer nicks him first!
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Wow, that's impressive, you must be so pleased with your baby horse!

And nothing wrong with Anglo-Arabs, we had an advanced eventer at a yard I worked at who was Anglo-Arab, very lazy though and didn't enjoy getting his feet wet! Still got double-clears round 3*s. And isn't WFP's Tamarillo an Anglo-Arab, or did I make that up?
 
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I also think it is a good idea to have your instructor jump your new horse a couple of times if you are nervous. That way she will give him confidence & you can check out his style at the same time.

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I'm doing this with my 4 year old I shake from head to foot when a jump is put in front of me!!
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I am in this exact position also, after 6 years off when I used to jump very confidently as a teenager. Now getting back into my riding and was a little unsure...until I went to look at a horse to buy and the seller asked if I wanted to try a jump. I think it took me being put on the spot like this without thinking about it too much and I just did it and it felt wonderful! I was surprised with how much came back to me, but I agree that starting slowly with an instructor to build up your confidence is the way forward. Good luck
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Justaj1ffy - I gest of course - I love my Arabs and believe they can do anything - they just have their own way of doing it
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We haven't attemped water yet - he'll be a git, but he'll go through - i'll push him in!
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he jumps water trays, plastic ducks, anything we chuck at him really...he will be a good eventer - but I will def not be sitting on him then!!!
 
smiffyimp - wow that's great, sounds just like you've had the same thoughts that I'm having now with nerves. Your Arab sounds amazing, I'm so pleased for you.
Thank you for your replies everyone!
 
I can understand where you are coming from but why not try doing polework for a bit so you are both happy and then start making it bigger so make them into raised trotting poles and then Xpoles and then just build it really slowly so you almost get so you are doing Xpoles and thinking this is too easy!! and just build it up comfortably!! x
 
Well I can recommend Mayflowers suggestion of getting on a safe schoolmaster at a RS (for those that don't know I just got back on after 25 years of not riding, and even back then then I had only ever jumped about 5 jumps on purpose and one accidentally because I didn't like it!)
I'd gone for a hack (just my 3rd outing, so still quite wobbly about it all) and as we came back to the yard the RI said 'Lets just pop into the jumping field as the jumps are low (under a foot), follow me!' So I did! And it was fine.
 
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