Jumping and my anxiaty :(

TheEquineOak

TheEquineOak

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Hi guys

I haven't jumped for about 10 years...and the last thing I jumped was a 13.2hh pony :)

I own an ex eventer. He is only 7yo but, because of an injury, he has had to give up full time eventing/endurance and was sold to me as a hunter/RC.

He is so genuine, very obediant and well behaved but, when I viewed him, his owner jumped him. There was a 3ft bar set up and he cleared it... and then some, in fact, a lot of some.

I would love to start jumping again but I'm bloody scared! I've seen how scopey he is and I know what he has been used to. I 'hopped' over a 2ft jump today and he was as safe as houses...

how do you overcome this fear of jumping?!

I know I sound like a wimp....in all honesty I probably am :D
 
Its just getting used to doing it again. You sound as though you have a really good chap to learn again on - and you felt safe jumpin him today.

Get some lessons and get used to him before the summer perhaps. Give yourself a small challenge - local show/rc clinic or camp/farm ride...
 
just start small, and build up. i was like this for a while with my horse but once you have overcome the nerves then you will find jumping great, if your horse is capable of jumping then trust him!:)
 
Echo above. Lots of repitition of a small series of jums that are well within your comfort zone...then build from there.

I find setting up a small course makes me better with nerves than a single jump, it gives me more to think about so there is less time to get stressed over the actual jumps.
 
Tr0uble said:
Echo above. Lots of repitition of a small series of jums that are well within your comfort zone...then build from there.

I find setting up a small course makes me better with nerves than a single jump, it gives me more to think about so there is less time to get stressed over the actual jumps.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh never thought of setting up a couple of jumps :)

I do trust him and he is a very straightforward jumper... but I think it is this that scares me. You can point him at anything and he will clear it.

He sort of bunny hopped over the 2ft jump. I have seen him clear 5ft with his old owner... and that was over the 3ft jump.

My only worry is that I start jumping him and he clears it much higher than what I can manage. My horse is 17.3hh and I am 5ft so I'm not too keen to fall off :D

I have fortnightly lessons with my instructor and she hasn't mentioned jumping yet. We have been more focused on getting him to work in an outline etc... it is the groom that thinks I should give it a go.
 
Build it up slowly, and try jumping diffrent shapes and styles of jumps at the height your comfy with, like spreads, little fillers, planks, logs, whatever just get inventive, and most of all you have to enjoy it :)
 
I find that using a related distance gris heps me to grow a pair and start upping the height.

I set up a 2 stride double and have the first as a small cross pole, and the second goes up and up. you can concentrate on the size of the first, you only have 2 strides afterwards so no time to bottle out, and it helps with rythm so makes it easier on you and the horse.

Particularly if you then have a 3rd, unrelated jump to get to because you can actually do the whole lot without ever having to think of the 'big' jump that is at a height that would be scary on its own.

Learned that trick when I was having lessons from Carol Mailer, so can't take the credit!

Another thing I find helps is having a neck strap and just tucking a couple of fingers of one hand in it...physically I'm pretty sure it does nothing to make me safer, but psychologically it gives me something to hold on to and I do feel more secure. This also makes it harder to jab the horse in the teeth if you do get left behind...this helps me if I think the horse might take a flyer at a small jump and take me by surprise!
 
I agree with everyone saying start in your comfort zone and build up from there. Set yourself some goals and meet them at your own pace.

Also putting up a course rather than a single fence actually works!

I get very nervous when jumping....a single fence about 2ft can scare the cr*p out of me, yet I can jump a 2ft6/2ft9 course fine! It takes my mind off the actual fence and makes me think that the fence is just an obstacle to get over to reach your goal (usually in competition).

My instructor has on occasion sat in the school just after the jump...and I have to turn soon after the jump to avoid running her over. It actually works for me as it gives me something else to worry about other than the actual jump! As I am not then nervous about the single jump itself, my position is much improved too.

Having someone one the ground barking orders at you can help too :)
 
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Tr0uble said:
Echo above. Lots of repitition of a small series of jums that are well within your comfort zone...then build from there.

I find setting up a small course makes me better with nerves than a single jump, it gives me more to think about so there is less time to get stressed over the actual jumps.
Click to expand...

second this :)
 
It took my 18 months to pluck up courage to jump my horse, even though I knew he was a great jumper. This was because I had tried a few times and he had bucked me off. My instructor at the time got me to trot over little fences. This didn;t really help, because I felt like a baby!!!
I got a new instructor who basically MADE me do it, no messing about, no discussion of the 'what ifs', she just made me get on with it, and reminded me at the right time to sit up so I didn't fall off! It probably also helped that it was through Riding Club so there were people watching! ANyway after a few lessons with her, I began to get the enjoyment feeling back. I was then ready to have a go at jumping at home and at competitions, I got my 'mojo' back!
I prefer to jump a course rather than individual fences and one trick I use if I am worried about height is not to look at the poles - a quick glance to sort out my approach then looking up at the wall/trees/sky ahead of me!!!
 
Take it really slowly, I had a couple of jumping accidents before I got George (broken bones and ouch!) and thought I may not want to jump again, but something in me felt sad about not jumping. It has probably taken me 3 years to get some level of confidence and not to cry every time I see a jump!

I have a great instructor who gives me loads of confidence and that really helped, we started off with poles and then raised poles, I was so bad I nearly cried once when I had to canter over a pole on the ground :eek:

I put up a little cross pole in the arena when I was schooling and every now and then just popped over it, that really helped and taught me it wasn't a big deal.

I have now done a couple of 2ft 6 comps, 2ft 3 HT and have jumped a single fence at 3ft! I still get nervous, and sometimes I wimp out, but I would miss it if I couldn't jump now and again.

Good luck!
 
I school with a couple of bigger jumps up. When I put them down to jump they look really small compared to what I am used to schooling round!! It works
 
I am totally with you on the fear! I have a horse who is capable of jumping over a metre and last weekend (at the age of 46!) I entered my first ever competiton - over 60cm (2ft) fences and I was terrified :o I am of the hang on and shut your eyes school of jumping :D Over here, at this level, it is always against the clock too - you get one round (no jump offs) so balance and line are not an option - hell for leather and cutting corners wherever you can is the order of the day.

My YO has been sneaking fences up on me for the last month...and another thing she pointed out to me is that her fences are very narrow, which makes the jump look higher, so maybe make the fence as wide as you can? As others have said, a little course is easier than single jumps as you have more to think about and someone shouting at you works wonders! My YO actually screamed, 'FASTER, J!!!!!!' at me as I was doing my round last week - my goodness the adrenalin kicked in then!

I really DO sympathize, but when the bug bites you again you will be away :D

On 20th March I am entered in 2ft and 2ft 9in.... :eek:

As for your point about them over jumping fences....I think my lad was deeply insulted by the height I was asking him to jump as he cleared most of them by a good foot looking at the photos!
 
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I found that getting some lessons really helped, as my position was a bit rusty after having time off from jumping, and it did my confidence soo much good to have someone who knows what they are talking about stood on the ground. Someone who is also willing to push you but not push too much!!
 
I take my horse to clear rounds to practice jumping courses as I get very nervous at shows - they usually start at x-poles and go up to 1.10 as the night goes on.

I'm fine jumping a 1.20 single but put up a course and I'm reduced to a quivering wreck :p
I found that I needed to trust my horse and just go for it - jumped 1.30 easily :)
 
Hello everyone!

My laptop got a very bad virus but we're finally back on track!

Thank you for all your helpful replies. I'll speak to my instructor and get her opinion. I do like schooling but, Arnie is getting bored and so am I :D
 
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