nervous jumping update!

gemmahodgkinson

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After posting yesterday I was really nervous about my 2ft 3 clear round last night, I fell off doing it and am feeling worse than ever with a very stiff shoulder! we just got to a double and elly was very very excited and took off about 3 strides early and jumped twice the height of the fence sending me flying. got a jumping lesson tomorrow night and feel sick about it already now
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. will it ever get any better because i feel totally hopeless! x
 
I haven't jumped for years due to my back problem so I can't offer any practical advice but I am sending you a big, confidence giving hug!
 
I came back to jumping after a long break and was really enjoying it till the horse I was on did a dirty stop and I shot over his neck. I think the best thing is get straight back on and carry on.Consider how many times you have successfully jumped a fence and how many times you fell off at a fence, the percentage will be tiny, you are not going to fall off everytime you jump. Its great you are having a lesson tonight, drop back to trotting poles if you have to but make it fun. Good luck.
 
Am wondering if you're too nervous about it and this is making you tense up? Everyone falls off though. Mine once jumped me off at the last double in a competition, god know what he did but I ended up the other side of the fence, on my feet and sort of met him as he landed. He looked pretty shocked as if to say "how did you get there?!" I had no clue either!

Don't know how your horse jumps whether she rushes or something but have you maybe tried a lesson on a horse that can just take you over so you can get more of a feel for the rhythm and learn how to balance yourself?

If not, my advicce would be just sit up, keep hold and let her come to the fence but concentrate on just keeping yourself sat up and holding until you get there. You will automatically fold anyway, although if only small probably won't need to. get your horse into a nice established, balanced canter, maybe circle before coming to the fence if this helps.
 
thanks very much for the hugs and luck! i did get on an pop a few more but I had a dead arm and the breaks were not good anyway so i thought it was safer to call it a day. why is it always the bad bits that stick in your mind rather than the good bits! will definitely go back to trotting poles i think and work up because at the moment even a cross pole makes me feel sick because she does not jump them at cross pole height! x
 
Just keep going, you will get there. I had a fall out hunting 3 years ago and when I got back I couldn't bring myself to jump a cross pole, even though my horse at the time was brilliant. I got it back by just keeping going, building up jumps to the height I needed them, and I still do that now. I always start with a tiny cross pole and build up, even when Im doing a 3foot class at a show! Ive also had hypnotherapy for competition nerves as Ive never been particularly confident, and ti has really really helped. Good luck,
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