Jumping

Tempi

Tempi

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 November 2005
Messages
18,869
Location
Parisienne Dressage
Visit site
Well finally my jumping saddle arrived last night for Archie *YAY*
grin.gif


So i thought id better try it out on the monster, and he LOVED his first proper jumping experience, and i had a great time too - hes got a fantastic jump.

Anyways, onto my question - when you are first jumping a young horse do you just let it sort itself out into the fence? I find it really hard to sit still and not do anything coming into a jump. He was happily cantering over a 2'6 upright last night at the end - however i found myself trying to sort him out coming into the fence as i find seeing strides really easy (i guess not a good thing with a youngster
crazy.gif
) Luckily for me he behaved like a pro and when i put my leg on he just responded, lengthened and jumped
grin.gif


I am going to have SJ lessons with him once a month once he gets going a bit more. But just wondered what other people do - does it depend on your horse? Archie didnt seem at all bothered that i pushed him on, or when i sat him back to wait for the fence.......

Also im aiming on jumping him once a week - is this ok? I want to get him used to jumping, then once he knows what hes up to il probably reduce it to just 2-3 times a month.

Im no showjumper, but ive had SJ lessons with top trainers in the past so im not totally retarded when it comes to it either!!
 
It is very important to let young horses figure it out for theselves.

You are in control of speed and direction they have to be in control of picking their legs up and getting over the fence
grin.gif
Otherwise they will learn that you will help them out too much

ooo how exciting jumping Archie! Did you get any pics?
smile.gif
 
Sort out the canter, and keep him straight, that is it! most important thing is rhythm, you shouldnt need to be adjusting the length of the stride at small fences, they should just keep the rhythm into and away from the fence.
smile.gif
Exciting!!
 
I've always been taught and believe that young horses have to learn to think for themselves, so sit still and let the fence come to you. Can't wait to see some piccies!
smile.gif
 
What super news.
He really sounds to be enjoying himself, remember not long ago he was a spooky little bugger.

Personally I would want him figuring it out for himself. Your job is to get him there in a good canter, straight and good rhythm - sitting still is the hardest thing to do.

I too see a stride quite easily, but i have an awful habit of pushing for that stride. Hence why i now have a horse who fires at fences
frown.gif


Back to the drawing board for us atm, so dont let it go that way.

Arch will find it relatively easier now because youve worked hard on his flat work and of course he has those super sjing bloodlines
cool.gif


Ooo squeals, very exciting
smile.gif
 
Hmmmm i see what you mean, i just worry he'l crash through it and hurt himself
crazy.gif
But i suppose he has to learn!

No piccies, i never take a camera to the yard.
 
yup agree with that! Thats what was always shouted at me with my SJ lessons on Bloss - to keep the rhythm........

That will be my mission for next weeks session then
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I too see a stride quite easily, but i have an awful habit of pushing for that stride. Hence why i now have a horse who fires at fences
frown.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

We sound quite similar, as thats what im really worried about doing with Archie (he was getting quite excited as it was and even did a little buck and a squeel at one point
grin.gif
). I find it so hard to sit still and not do anything
crazy.gif
 
Like said in a previous post if you keep a good rythym up to a fence and dont fiddle you will only ever be 1/2 a stride out which is fine.

Fiddle and it could go wrong!

And im sure he wont fall over it! If he is anything like the chesnut I have at the mo who is also 17.3hh and very lanky like Archie they can just step over them!!!
smile.gif
 
It is hard I always see the stride and chase for it - which is why 9 times out of 10 it would go wrong!

Now I try and see it and wait for it to come to me!! ................With the odd chasing at wider spreads!
grin.gif
 
Sitting still is the hardest thing in the world, completely agree! Even when I *think* I am not doing anything I still am!!
 
Just be careful that you don't always lengthen into a fence when you see a stride, you need for him to be able to shorten as well
 
Oh – how exciting!!!!

Well I interestingly have my jumping lessons from a dressage trainer (!) and love them. Basically it means that I learn to keep the horse in a rhythym and until we have a nice rhythm we don’t go near the fence (in the beginning that was).. Also, I’m a firm believer that horses need to learn things for themselves, which for me is important with the XC phase too…

The sj trainer I sometimes go to, says that you need to have yourself and the horse sorted well before the fence and not really to interfere either, so I’m sure you’ll learn to sit still!!

If I try and ‘chat’ to Bonnie coming into the fence she can stop – if I leave her, and she’s not on a ‘perfect’ stride, she’ll jump it as I’ve left her alone!

Good luck and how vvv exciting!
 
Oh what fun! Can't wait to see some piccies.

I am a wimp and always teach my horses to jump on the lunge and/or free schooling first so they learn how to sort themselves out without me unbalancing them even further!

I prefer to use a placing pole about 3 strides out when I first ride them over jumps, so they are set up for a good stride already, then when they are comfortable with that, I take it away and let them sort it out for themselves.

I find a pole on the ground any closer than this can confuse them at this early stage - but is useful when they have got the hang of it.

I also prefer to teach them in trot first - I find this helps them make a better shape over the fences and to actually think about what their legs are doing.

I would always prefer to teach a horse to figure it out for himself at the start, and just concentrate on the rythm - then if you get yourself into any tricky situations later on, you are more likely to be able to rely on them to take control and help you out. Invaluable if you are eventing!
 
rudly interupted by fire alarm at work - but hay ..... firemen
laugh.gif
laugh.gif


Now back to archie
grin.gif


Sounds ace, what i've done is lots of polework and then gird work, but i try very hard just to sit there and not infer and think rhythm rhythm
As you have great flatwork, your one step head of game cos you can lengthen or shorten the pace and keep smooth rhythm

DO we have an eventer on the way??
 
hes not insured to event - would cost me a fortune, its expensive enough insuring him for SJ and dressage alone!! Also i dont want his legs getting b*ggered up im afraid.
 
tongue.gif
tongue.gif
tongue.gif
- i know a jockey who would treat him really sweetly and just wouldn't be a hoolagan(sp) AT all
grin.gif


AND THEN KICK-ON woke up from her dream!!
 
I do grid work about once a week, working up from trotting poles; sometimes doing poles and a cross on a circle. I make sure I do as little as possible in the approach - just keep him straight and let him figure it out. I rarely jump a single fence until they are very happy popping through grids of various sorts. It is worth making sure the striding is absolutely correct in every way so that if the horse gets the first fence right they (and you) don't have to worry about the rest, they can just quietly pop through.

x
 
Well, I reckon if you do see a stride then ride him in a way that he listens and goes for that stride BUT make him feel as it was his idea (i.e. by keeping the earlier mentioned rhythm and bouncyness of the canter).
I have always been taught (by an Olympic SJ so hope it was right) that you should ideally never have to push to the jump (to meet the stride). The canter needs to be so compact and bouncy that the horse draws you to the fence and the only thing you may have to do is sit still and hold for a stride rather than push.
I would disagree with letting it to the horse completely. I would say only make it feel as if you don't ask too much but guide in a way that you will arrive at the best spot possible. If you don't see the stride/see wrong one then indeed it's better to just leave it to the horse. If you have a good canter (the one that you can lenghten and shorten without the horse loosing his balance) then it should all seem easy for him.
All the best jumping
smile.gif
 
but at this stage in his life he dosent need a short and compact canter when hes approaching a fence, does he? Surely as he is young (first time he jumped with anyone on him was last night) then i should just keep a rhythmical canter and not worry about collecting him at this stage.

he can collect and extend in the blink of an eye, so its not a problem - but i just feel that he should be in a more forwards thinking canter at this stage rather than a collected one.
 
Yes he should definitely be forwards thinking and just in a nice forward canter in a nice rythym into a fence.

no need to ask for lengthening or shortening at this stage that will come later!
smile.gif
 
I wasn't disagreeing with the need of rhythmical canter
confused.gif
I neither said he needs to be collected at this stage
confused.gif


To be honest there are probably various schools you can follow, I like to start jumping when the canter is ready (i.e. when you can shorten and lenghten and the horse is happy with it) but have seen people jumping for the first time and letting horses go long and they were fine.
I am not saying everything should look picture perfect and he needs 'collected' canter when starting to jump. I definitely agree the canter should be forward thinking, that's exactly what a good canter is and that's why I said that it should feel like he's drawing you towards the fence.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top