Sitting up straight, shoulders back excercises?

[Grey_Eventer]

Anyone have any tips on how to keep my shoulders back going into a fence?
I think part of the problem with my horse stopping and me falling off is that i lean forward too early, and because he is going so quickly, i just keep going.
So any techniques/ides/excercises to keep me sitting up straight, shoulders back. Its literally only the last stride when i lean forward but it really does affect us, as horse does have a stop in him, although very genuine, if we have got it slightly wrong he just stops...
so any help

thank you
ps. i dont do it normally, like i sit up straight for flat work and XC its just showjumping as i tend to look into the bottom of the fence, but dont know how to stop.. well obviously lift my head up but its really hard

 

[Kentisheventer]

my way, albeit unpleasant, is to have mum or trainer on the ground shouting when i start to lean!

 

[Grey_Eventer]

LOL... my dad isnt very good at that sort of thing and when im in a lesson i dont do it

it is just at competitions

I will just try and remeber to do it... look up at a tree... feeling stupid, and hopefully get over the fence... im too horse like, i like to see the fence before i jump it and then i like to see what is in the bottom of it

 

[cokelly]

Yep look up at a tree or cloud!

Look OVER fence and beyond

I think I watched the vid you posted a day or so ago

Go back to small jumps again perhaps and work on folding as your horse begins to jump

Friend of mine used to launch himself forward as the horse jumped---really don't need to and it put him in a REALLY bad position for when his pony refused or ran out (not sure if you're similar...?)

Just think about it constantly and eventually you'll be doing it without thinking

 

[Mike007]

Hi,
you sound a bit more chearful than the other day.Remember this is going to take some time.Grid work can be very useful.
If I dont put my sholders back and look up,the instructor turns one fence into a tight bounce,with the comment "do that again and youll be on the ground"Incentive is a wonderful thing.

 

[rlhnlk]

Well firstly you could borrow my welsh cob who absolutely WILL ditch you if you tip forwards even slightly before she is totally off the gorund ( I have known her start to take off then come back down lol).
Secondly and more usefully to you hopefully, you could try jumping small jumps and concentrate on looking up 2 strides out- you need to be confident in yourself that you have seen the stride.
You may find it helps to shorten your stirrups- I don't know how short you ride already, kind of get your knees up in front of you.
As a more drastic measure start actually trying to lean back slightly while keeping your legs on until he is coming up in the air.

Something I found helped me with my mare when she went through almost exactly what your's seems to be doing is to almost wind her up a bit and get her really up into my hand- absolutely no where near a round outline and keep driving her up to this. This helps confirm to them that you mean go, it sits you back as you raise your hands slightly so you become more secure and you build a bit more momentum so its harder for them to stop. Its not the prettiest but it can help them build some confidence as they know you are there and in charge- one of my mares problems was that if I wasn't on a good stride I would push the rein at her and she felt I was just dropping her and that I wasn't committed if that makes any sense at all?

Good luck though, you sound like you are working hard to sort this so I'm sure you will crack it

 

[MysteryGirl]

I've had lunge lessons in the past over a small fence with no reins, that is guaranteed to teach you to go when and only when the horse goes!

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

Unless you are absolutely desperate this is a fairly useless suggestion=)- , (It is very late here...)
but there is a muscle that runs between your shoulder blades (at about the height a bra stap sits) that if you pull it/ strain it anything other than a very correct, straight, shoulders back posture is very very painful!! It corrected my position over fences spectacularly for a few weeks, though corners become tricky =)
I do now find it easier to remember keep my shoulders back...

How to pull said muscle: keep your feet facing forwrds, half twist torso to the left and one handedly try and stop a falling bale of hay, fail. The other hand is holding a scoop of grain (which gets spilt). Caution damage may occur to non-targeted muscles.

Good luck! I hope some of the more rational decisions posted earlier help.