Munstead photos - evidence that my new instructor is 100% correct!

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ecrozier

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Munstead Horse Trials, Day 1, BE90, sec E, number 217. Mister J

Been having lessons with a new instructor for last month or so and in first lesson she said 'I can fix your 4 fault-itis, you look down'! Never been told this before bizarrely enough so don't know if it is a new thing, but apparently I look up all the way until the last 2 strides then look down and he hits the fence
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And in the SJ photos from Munstead if anyone can be bothered to look, the ones where I look up he clears easily, the ones I look down he skims poles or knocks them. Totally my fault
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But at least I know how to go clear now! Just got to implement it! I also need to shorten my stirrups a bit more XC (just changed saddles from a very straight cut GP to a saddle with a decent knee roll) so still working my way up) and have started running 3 times a week as my bum looks huge and my face is a picture - think more fitness required!
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i do this and it makes my horse stop, when i look up clear round...
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but my head is really heavy so it always looks down :S lol nice piccies
 
I ALWAYS look down when jumping generally as I am going over the jump (generally to see if we have knocked it!) HEY maybe thats why we knock them?! ahhh enlightenment!

A teacher I had once said, look for a hottie in the croud when going over the jump to ensure I look up! (problem is I then get distracted..... hehe especialyl if I find one!)

Hoping next post will be a "YEY I CLEAR ROUNDED!"

Looked at the pictures, and how weird is it that (without meanign to sound rude) its REALLY obvious. When you are, even out of the corner of your eye, looking down his legs are really close, when you look up he soars! crazy!

Good luck next time! and there are some lovely pictures on there!
 
Some lovely pics on there
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I can see what you mean about looking down but at least you are now aware of it - I often find that is half the battle lol x
 
Lucy_Nottingham, I KNOW!! Scary huh? I have had 4/8 fault-itis for ages and this new instructor is first person who seems to have figured out why! He is only a little horse (barely 15hh) and I had been thinking the 3ft ish was going to be his limit as we were struggling over anything bigger, but looking at him over the blue spread on first photo, I think perhaps its me that needs to sort myself out, as he is clearing that one by miles.
I never seem to look down XC and he clears them easily, its just SJ.
SJ again on sunday and will get the video camera out I think, and maybe a big sign on the back of his ears saying LOOK UP!
 
Some of those pics are lovely!
How amazing that it's so clear cut, I can easily see what you mean. It's a very definite thing, and so you can tackle it directly. How nice, in a way, to have such a clear cut problem!
Looking forward to the next report which will say 'I looked up and we went clear!!'
 
Thanks Jul, he is rather photogenic - shame about me!
Just got to remember to do it now - not a problem in lessons but all goes out of the window when we compete it seems!
 
You could try going out SJ but doing a height a bit lower than your normal, ie do a 75 or an 80. Then you will be so unconcerned about the jumps themselves that you can focus more on what you're actually doing. Establish it at that height so it becomes automatic/natural for you then when you go back to bigger jumps it will happen anyway - voila! (Sounds so easy doesn't it, we all know it doesn't work quite like that).
 
Yeah, did that a bit over the winter, he tends to go DC over anything up to 80, and then 85 isn't much different from 90 I guess! We are doing a 3' local open this weekend which will probably be a bit smaller than an intro, or spreads will be narrower anyway, so hopefully will be able to focus on it - might even see if instructor will come and watch, that sorted out our dressage when my flatwork instructor started reading out tests! Not sure if it was me or J that were scared into behaving by having her there but def worked!!
 
try the tactic you get taught when you are really young, that the poles, and the ground, a evil monsters and if you look at them they will eat you!!! (or maybe my teacher was just mean...) either way it helps you not look at the floor
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That's really good that you've found out what you're doing wrong - now you are aware of it you'll make a conscious effort to look up and before you know it, it will be habit and you won't have to think about it.

Well done, and crack on
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I think the looking up will fix your problem but looking at the pics I don't think it's the looking down (itself) that is the issue - but when you are looking down you are collapsing your upper body forward onto the horses shoulders (which should improve with shorter stirrups - but you are already aware of that!) therefore making it more difficult for the horse to be athletic.

Not intending to be critical but I hope that helps!!
 
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