Reply to Snowponia re SJ styles

[PaddyMonty]

As you didn't get much in the way of a constructive answer to your post I will attempt to answer your observations in this thread as original will most likely disappear as soon as admin gets in.

Show jumping is a very simplistic sport in that the aim is very clear cut, leave the jumps up and get round faster than any other competitor.

No other discipline is like this. Dressage has a huge set of requirements as to how the horse moves and how the rider interacts. As a result in dressage you tend to get most of the riders working in the same way to achieve these goals.
Similar situation in eventing but again, once the DR phase is out of the way the styles start to diverge.

With SJ its all about the horse and rider finding a way that suits both on them. There is no rule book on how this is achieved. Just watching the huge differences in style should show that.
Some worked in an outline, some didn't. Some riders released contact one stride before fence, others held the contact to take-off point. Some gave complete freedom over the fences, others maintained a light contact throughout the jumping phase.
Some riders sat up until takeoff, some lent forward one stride before takeoff.
But what they all did was leave most of the fences up

Each rider tends to develop a style that works for them and the will tend to go for horses that suit their style.

I find it quite disturbing that so much emphasis is placed on correct style when people are being taught to jump when at the end of the day there isn't a correct style other than the one that leaves the fences up.

Far too much emphasis is placed on lower leg over the fence, correct jumping position etc often to the detriement of the partnership forcing both horse and rider to work in a way that, rather than enhance their ability actually limits them.

Far better for an instructor to look at the partnership infront of them and find a common ground that works for both rather than try to enforce a mythical text book.

JMHO

 

[milliepops]

This is the best response to that thread IMO!

It's one of the things I find fascinating about showjumping - the huge variety of horses, their styles and the riding required to get the best from them. Some of them look like your fantasy dream horse, others look like donkeys - until they start to jump

, and then the style is irrelevant.

There is as much art to riding SJ at that level as there is to top level dressage IMO (and fwiw, SJ is my least favourite thing to do on my own horse)

 

[Munchkin]

[ QUOTE ]
As you didn't get much in the way of a constructive answer to your post I will attempt to answer your observations in this thread as original will most likely disappear as soon as admin gets in.

Show jumping is a very simplistic sport in that the aim is very clear cut, leave the jumps up and get round faster than any other competitor.

No other discipline is like this. Dressage has a huge set of requirements as to how the horse moves and how the rider interacts. As a result in dressage you tend to get most of the riders working in the same way to achieve these goals.
Similar situation in eventing but again, once the DR phase is out of the way the styles start to diverge.

With SJ its all about the horse and rider finding a way that suits both on them. There is no rule book on how this is achieved. Just watching the huge differences in style should show that.
Some worked in an outline, some didn't. Some riders released contact one stride before fence, others held the contact to take-off point. Some gave complete freedom over the fences, others maintained a light contact throughout the jumping phase.
Some riders sat up until takeoff, some lent forward one stride before takeoff.
But what they all did was leave most of the fences up

Each rider tends to develop a style that works for them and the will tend to go for horses that suit their style.

I find it quite disturbing that so much emphasis is placed on correct style when people are being taught to jump when at the end of the day there isn't a correct style other than the one that leaves the fences up.

Far too much emphasis is placed on lower leg over the fence, correct jumping position etc often to the detriement of the partnership forcing both horse and rider to work in a way that, rather than enhance their ability actually limits them.

Far better for an instructor to look at the partnership infront of them and find a common ground that works for both rather than try to enforce a mythical text book.

JMHO

[/ QUOTE ]

I do agree with this, however while the top riders each do adopt a style that suits them and their horses to give them "the edge", I think it is equally important for riders that are starting out to learn the correct basics and not try to mimic these people, as they will not fully understand the reasons behind their individual styles.

You are right though in that there is far too much emphasis on "jumping position" (particularly when asked to judge from a photo) when the real skill in showjumping is to get your horse to the optimum take off point in the a rhythmical, balanced, straight and controlled fashion. Once you've left the ground, the rest is really up to the horse, with as little rider intervention as possible.

Great post

 

[f_s_]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As you didn't get much in the way of a constructive answer to your post I will attempt to answer your observations in this thread as original will most likely disappear as soon as admin gets in.

Show jumping is a very simplistic sport in that the aim is very clear cut, leave the jumps up and get round faster than any other competitor.

No other discipline is like this. Dressage has a huge set of requirements as to how the horse moves and how the rider interacts. As a result in dressage you tend to get most of the riders working in the same way to achieve these goals.
Similar situation in eventing but again, once the DR phase is out of the way the styles start to diverge.

With SJ its all about the horse and rider finding a way that suits both on them. There is no rule book on how this is achieved. Just watching the huge differences in style should show that.
Some worked in an outline, some didn't. Some riders released contact one stride before fence, others held the contact to take-off point. Some gave complete freedom over the fences, others maintained a light contact throughout the jumping phase.
Some riders sat up until takeoff, some lent forward one stride before takeoff.
But what they all did was leave most of the fences up

Each rider tends to develop a style that works for them and the will tend to go for horses that suit their style.

I find it quite disturbing that so much emphasis is placed on correct style when people are being taught to jump when at the end of the day there isn't a correct style other than the one that leaves the fences up.

Far too much emphasis is placed on lower leg over the fence, correct jumping position etc often to the detriement of the partnership forcing both horse and rider to work in a way that, rather than enhance their ability actually limits them.

Far better for an instructor to look at the partnership infront of them and find a common ground that works for both rather than try to enforce a mythical text book.

JMHO

[/ QUOTE ]

I do agree with this, however while the top riders each do adopt a style that suits them and their horses to give them "the edge", I think it is equally important for riders that are starting out to learn the correct basics and not try to mimic these people, as they will not fully understand the reasons behind their individual styles.

You are right though in that there is far too much emphasis on "jumping position" (particularly when asked to judge from a photo) when the real skill in showjumping is to get your horse to the optimum take off point in the a rhythmical, balanced, straight and controlled fashion. Once you've left the ground, the rest is really up to the horse, with as little rider intervention as possible.

Great post

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree, very good post. I was always taught that show jumping is about getting over the fences clear, in the fastest time, how you did it, providing you did not part company with your horse, was up to you and your horse!!

The rest of the round and all the bits in between were flat work!!

 

[humblepie]

Very good reply from original poster. Not quite Olympia level but I had a little mare years ago who jumped successfully Foxhunter/Grade C/Small open level etc but who was very unusual in her style. It suited her, it suited me, it possibly didn't look pretty but she loved jumping and I am not sure physically she could have changed and gone more correctly. Her success used to drive a friend of mine up the wall, her horse worked correctly at home, would go to a show and stop. Looking pretty or correct is not always the answer.

 

[d_s]

after watching the world cup, and reading this i feel so much better about my own jumping

i try too hard to make it look perfect
maybe ill stop thinking about it, i know my ponys way of jumping, she likes her head in the air and will often go on the wrong bend round the corners, but this way i can gain some control.... if i sit deep and let her do it, its normally fine.
she bounces sideways into fences, lands and will buck occasionally

thank you for this, its made me feel alot better about my style.

xx