Just when you think you're making progress...mini comp report and a moan

[Jingleballs]

I finally feel as though I'm making some progress in my jumping - I still have a long way to go but I finally understand what I need to do to improve - now I just need to practice doing it.

With that in mind we did some SJ and dressage on Sunday - dressage was ok, prelim was rubbish but Novice was good and we came 3rd.

SJ felt ok - pony was getting tired so was prefering the demolish rather than jump technique so we had 8 faults in the 65 cm and 4 in the 75cm but things are slowly improving- I have however noticed that in most of the jumping photo's his ears are back which is unlike him so I'll be keeping an eye on things to make sure he's ok (physio was out a week or so ago and said he's 100% fine)

Last night I had a SJ lesson at mine - we don't have many jumps so probably not he best idea but it's easier for me than trying to get to trainers after work during the week.

Well it was awful - pony was spooky, not off the leg unless he was shooting off from something. We only jumped some tiny jumps - mainly focusing on a one stride double (our bogey fence) and then a very acute angled jump.

I just could not get it right - and only managed after about 10 attempts. By this point I was loudly declaring that I was useless and should just give up and stop jumping.

RI was praising us for getting there in the end and saying that it's good to have nights like this where you are pushed out of your comfort zone but to me, a 65cm straight to a skinny of barrels all of a 55cm high should not be pushing me out of my comfort zone - not at this point anyway.

So I'm feeling sorry for myself today - it will pass - it always does but it's just frustrating.

Anyway, here are a few pics from SJ at the weekend. Yes I'm still horrendous but for once I am always looking up, my legs aren't swinging back much (I used to almost kick my self in the bum with my heel I was so bad) and my hands are reasonably soft!


CC is welcome - but just be mindful of my rather fragile state of mind just now lol!

 

[be positive]

Hi dont be too down it cant always go well
If he felt tired on Sunday he was probably still a bit tired the next day,i would try and give yourselves a day off after a competition, if he is not at his best it can be too much effort for him.
He looks as if he is really trying over the jumps and that could be why his ears are back.

Two points of cc,first your saddle looks as if it is not helping you with your position,in some of the photos your leg is almost over the front of it.

Secondly he does not seem to push off evenly from both hind legs,you had a post about jump exercises to do I would do lots of work over raised poles to really get him using himself in trot and also do canter poles into a small X pole to encourage him to be straight and level in his stride.

To work on a double start with a line of 3 poles to a fence when he is cantering well over them make the second pole into a fence,you will then have a pole to a fence/pole/fence it is sometimes easier for them than adding the second fence at the back.I hope that makes sense and is of some help.

 

[mle22]

Stick with it - bad lessons happen and generally lead to improvement! Love the black and white photo

 

[9tails]

One small observation, have you checked his saddle? It seems low in front and lifting at the back.

 

[Jingleballs]

That's true - if it always went well life would be boring - I'm just looking for some consistency I think!

He does try so hard over jumps but he's usually got his ears forward all the time - regardless of how badly I'm riding him.

Yes the saddle does not help - I've taken away the knee rolls and have thigh blocks at the back to stop my leg swinging back - I found when I had that knee rolls it encouraged me to grip with the knee and I felt my lower leg was better once these were removed. It's a gp saddle so not ideal but pony is very funny about saddle fit and having tried a load of jumping saddles - all of which he hated, I've accepted that it will always be an issue for him and I'm willing to work round that as long as he is comfortable.

And yes he doesn't push off evenly and doesn't always bascule(sp?) over the jump - I like the idea of grid work so going to do some exercises with him next week.

I don't think we'll ever be jumping superstars but I just want to make sure that I make it as easy for him as possible and don't hinder him in anyway!

 

[asyouwish]

Everyone has bad days dont worry so much about it. He seems like an honest little pony and tries very hard for you. Having read your reports, I would love a coloured cobby for my own , I have noticed that your reports have been a bit hit and miss for him and you with jumping. Have you thought about giving him a little break from it? Having a go at something else then going back to it?

Not meant as a crit at all as I like him, hes just my type and I think his makeover has made him even more handsome but just a suggestion to let the pressure off yourselves and have some fun without the drive, might give you a refresh. That last picture is stunning.

 

[Jingleballs]

One small observation, have you checked his saddle? It seems low in front and lifting at the back.

I was having a think about his saddle the other day and wondered if it had started looking a bit low but when I put my pad underneath it it seemed to sit too high and he was actually finding it tight around his shoulder - I can see it clearly in one photo but wonder if that's being caused more by my tipping forward and pushing my weight forward.

I've got plenty of pads etc to adjust it and it's fully adjustable - something I have to do a couple of times a year as he changes shape a lot.

 

[Jingleballs]

Everyone has bad days dont worry so much about it. He seems like an honest little pony and tries very hard for you. Having read your reports, I would love a coloured cobby for my own , I have noticed that your reports have been a bit hit and miss for him and you with jumping. Have you thought about giving him a little break from it? Having a go at something else then going back to it?

Not meant as a crit at all as I like him, hes just my type and I think his makeover has made him even more handsome but just a suggestion to let the pressure off yourselves and have some fun without the drive, might give you a refresh. That last picture is stunning.

Thank you - we will be winding down the jumping coming into the winter. He actually doesn't jump that much as I don't jump him at home very often at all - only at competitions and lessons - I think he's jumped about 5 times in the last 6 weeks.

My RI knows us well and I am in agreement with her that practice and experience will help us and that we can only improve with practice hence why we've been doing a fair bit of jump lessons this year.

He does generally seem to really, really enjoy his jumping though - I think it might be me that needs the break from it more than him!

 

[paddi22]

Another one here questioning the saddle shape, it looks like your leg is going over the front, so that can't be helping!

On another note, you mentioned his ears were back. is there any chance you could be catching him with the spurs going over the fence? Especially if you have a habit of sliding your legs back? He might be anticipating pain and it's putting him off. Probably not the case, but just noticed it in one of the pics.

 

[Jingleballs]

Another one here questioning the saddle shape, it looks like your leg is going over the front, so that can't be helping!

On another note, you mentioned his ears were back. is there any chance you could be catching him with the spurs going over the fence? Especially if you have a habit of sliding your legs back? He might be anticipating pain and it's putting him off. Probably not the case, but just noticed it in one of the pics.

It's strange because I don't feel as though my leg does go over the front of the saddle at all - maybe it just looks that way?? I doesn't help that I have long legs and therefore at jumping length have a fair bit of bend in my knee but I don't notice an issues.

Re the spurs - I have hundreds of other pictures of my legs in worse positions and pony is perfectly happy.

I wear roller ball spurs because I need the extra aid to keep him forward (although I continue to practice at home without them in the hope that I can get him quicker of a leg aid alone). I do twist my spurs so that they are away from him and almost at the outside of my foot to avoid actually catching him and I couldn't feel the spurs really make contact unless I specifically tried to apply .

The spurs are only visible in one of the photo's and looking closely it doesn't really appear to be making much contact with him so I don't know if that could be the reason or not.

 

[Jingleballs]

I have noticed that your reports have been a bit hit and miss for him and you with jumping. Have you thought about giving him a little break from it? Having a go at something else then going back to it?

I have been pondering this comment over night and wondering what I'm doing/saying that gives the impression that our jumping isn't going very well - not a dig at the poster but just wondering perhaps if I'm focusing too much on what goes wrong (which I tend to do) and not really shouting about all the positives?

For example, looking at my diary, I have jumped my pony 3 times in the last 5 weeks - once at Drumclog for the training day when he was absolutely fantastic, once at the weekend for the SJ comp where he felt a bit tired but that could be down to dressage but still only had one down in the 75cm, and once at my lesson on Monday which didn't go brilliantly.

In the previous month he jumped a bit more - 8 times within the month but again 3 of those were lessons - 2 of which he was fab at, the other was ok, and some SJ comp which I felt he was good at and then his first ODE's - one was a disaster but he was fantastic on the second one.

Having though about it, I really don't think a break from jumping is needed - all I've been doing is trying to make the most of the summer while the weather is reasonable because I know that in a month or so's time we'll be limited to what we can do.