jumping/polework help

[diggerbez]

...for when you are on your own

i ride a lot on my own, and as a result, don't jump very often- i tend to only jump when i have lesson. but am thinking that V could do with leaving the floor more often/ seeing poles more regularly- even if its not very much jumping, just maybe for 10 minutes at the end of schooling (the more he sees fences and poles the braver he seems to be

)
So what i need are some exercises that i can do that will be worthwhile but involve minimal effort- i would have to get wings/poles out every session and also want to avoid getting on and off 100 million times.....

 

[applestroodle]

I’m interested in the reply’s you get for this, I am the same, on my own most of the time to! My horse is the same as you, young and needs experience. I tend to do a lot of pole work on the lunge and then it is a lot easier if they knock out of place to move them back when your on the ground. During the xmas period I have only really been able to lunge him so I have been playing abt with some jumps on the lunge and putting feed bags, tyres, filers etc underneath and he seems to have really come on leaps and bounds. I can change as often as I want and doesn’t batter an eye lid. Cant wait to get back on now and actually ride him.

 

[IncaCola]

It is always difficult when you are on you own. One excercise I do is place poles around arena. Perhaps one on diagonal, 2 on the long side on 4 or 5 strides and then another on the short side and the incorporate them into the schooling session first trotting and then cantering over them. Once in canter you can vary the number of strides you get in between each pole and practise changing legs over the one on the diagonal.

Another useful excercise is just jumping fillers (ie 3 feet wide) on their own without wings which helps make them aware of there legs and works on straightness. Start from doing it at a slow trot and if needed you can use guiding poles to keep them straight. The idea is not to ride to the fence but just keep them straight and let them do the jumping. Also gives you a chance to really think about your position and make sure you don't 'jump before the horse'.

You can also make spread and doubles out of them as well as curving lines when they are confident. Can also do from a slow canter, but I think it is much more beneficial from trot.

 

[alwaysbroke]

Make a + out of poles in cantre of arena, in a slow trot ride each pole practicing turns, putting in circles to ride to the next pole, has helped me alot with balance,straight lines, looking up and rhythm, and also makes you think alot about your position.

 

[millitiger]

can you use square poles or planks instead so they don't roll?

this is what i do as i am always riding alone and don't want to have to keep getting off!

 

[JoBo]

When I’m on my own I just stick up two X- poles, say at B and E, and practice different angles to them, landing on different leads, turning tight to them (as in practicing JO turns), just playing really. I know is difficult if you knock them down but I just don’t put them very big, so hopefully you don’t knock them down. Just an idea.

 

[AutumnRose]

SOmething i do when i'm by myself sometimes is set up 4 fences all the one end at X and the other end pointing to each corner of the school sort of like this....

\ /
/ \

but at more of an angle that than. The i make 1 a x pole, 1 small upright, 1 bigger upright and 1 an oxer and i make sure i can jump them all from both directions. That way i can school round them and play about as and when. You can jump them off circles, vary the angle, jump courses etc etc and i usually just get off once to put them up (assuming i dont knock any down). Gives you lots to play with and plenty of room to school round them etc etc. I've found it really useful.

 

[diggerbez]

oooh some super ideas people! thank you

got a few things to work with over the next few weeks now

Milltiger- i only hve 1 plank and its easy to knock down, but might look into getting some square poles...

 

[Grey_Showjumper]

I put up a grid of say 4 fences with varying strides from bounce, 1 and 2 strides.
I make them X poles to start with and then i jump them on angles, rather than going straight through the grid- makes the horse straight and listen to you as there are lots of fences and so they need to listen to you so they know which one they are jumping...
you can jump on lots of angles, serpentines etc. and then you can also jump through the grid aswell.

 

[rlhnlk]

putting poles like this <l> can be good for accuracy and making them think where their feet are going. Its set at about 6-8 strides from point to point, so bounce strides form pole to pole and ridden from point to point. the middle pole can be made into a small upright aswell.

 

[Kelpie]

I often jump on my own to and hate forever getting off to change jumps, etc.

I therefore have a more or less permanent set of fences in the middle of my school - so I can still ride around the edge of the arena + do circule work, etc, etc - but then do some jumping too. I have 3 jumps in the middle at kind of a Y shape except slightly more equally spread so that you can jump each jump separately/ put them at separate heights and if you're feeling particularly athletic, jump them as doubles.

.... also helps to have an OH that can have his arm twisted to put jumps up