Jumping for a numpty

Magicmillbrook

Magicmillbrook

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10 October 2006
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Has anyone forgotten how to jump? I havent had a jumping lesson for years. I ocasionaly pop a small cross pole but thats it. I decided this year, after becoming brave enought to do prelim dressage at my RC that I would try to jump again with the ultimate goal of doing a clear round at a RC show!.

When I used to have regular lessons in the 1990's bmm (before mammoth mortgage) I could do grids, jump with no stirrups and even do a course (only 2'6 - 2'9) albeit with a few nerves. So why cant I do it know?

I have been practising a smallish x pole (3ft at sides and about 2ft in the middle) for two weeks. Yesterday I though ok I will put a grid of three bounces up. OMG, three time in a row I ended up at the end of the grid on Flicks neck, hands full of moulting white hair, even a few in my mouth at one point - brings a whole new meaning to hanging on with your teeth!. Its just as well Flicks understands that human on neck and aggghhh are the aids for stop.

I eventualy got off and moved the fences to give a canter pole, non jumping stride, x pole, non jumping stride then a small upright. Just about managed it. I just don't understand why its so difficult - any hints on improving my confidence or tips on how to introduce more than one jump at a time would be greatfully received. My daughter, who shares Flicks with me just laughed - how very helpfull
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Sounds like you are anticipating the jumps and leaning forward too much/too early. With teeny little jumps in a grid like that, the best way to practice would be to keep a light seat and try to ignore the jumps themselves, simply concentrate on riding down the line in a rythym in a straight line.

I know it's way easier said than done though! Could you get your daughter to stand at the far end of the grid and hold up fingers for you? You then need to concentrate on shouting out how many fingers she's holding up and not the jumps! May not work if you have less than great eyesight though! Maybe she'd need something bigger to hold up at random!
 
A grid of 3 bounces might be asking for trouble if you haven't jumped for ages! Its so easy to get in front of the movement at the first and have no time to recover. Why not keep things simple and just do 2 or 3 separate small jumps, concentrate on keeping in a canter rhythm and making easy turns, coming into the jumps straight and looking for the next fence. Thats all you need for clear round!!
 
Yes - perhaps I am trying to do too much too soon, will try a 2 or three jumps, perhaps with a double. One of my friends reminded me of the duck bum game we used to do at riding school. Basicaly it was done in walk trot and canter, the instructor would shout out, sit, rise (if we were in trot) stand or duck bum - sounds silly but good fun. BTW duck bum was jumping position, but it used to make the kids giggle. She would make us go for ages in duck bum trot or canter.
 
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