SJ Scooling Vid - Getting there?

[PaddyMonty]

For those that remember the vids of SJ at addington I posted, here is a vid from last night schooling. Consensus from the original vids was that I needed the rythm and control from the first vid but combined with the power in the second vid.
Well since my lesson with Steven Smith we have been working hard on getting just that. Ie keeping the power that Geoff Luckett wanted but gaining the control that steven wanted. What has dramatically change is my ability to see the sweetspot and wait for the stride.
First section of vid is warming up over 1.05 upright and 1mtr oxer. Second part the upright goes up to 1.18 and the oxer to 1.13. Final upright is 1.25

He's a bit argumentative initially but does settle once the fences go up.
So two questions....
1) Are we getting there?
2) Do you think a 1.15 / 1.20 class is a reasonable short term aim?
PS please excuse the sniffing on the vid, daughter was not very well last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ejRxVVPY8s

 

[BBs]

He looks far more together than the Addington Vids - forsure its all improving and he makes nothing of the height.

You keep it nice all on the approach but just on take off you do something with your body which seems to make Eddie rush through the air and land on a bit of a flatty.

I would say, you are DEF getting there tho, and that 1.15m is a reasonable aim now.

 

[Rambo]

Wow ! You've changed from SJ'ing like an eventer, to SJ'ing like SJ'er

Seriously, the difference is amazing ! Ed is about a foot shorter, and he's going up instead of forwards

Clearly the heights won't be an issue for him so in that respect your aim of 1.15m / 1.20m is very achievable. The only comment i would make is that you seem to still be landing in a bit of a heap sometimes, especially over the bigger fences. I don't mean that to be derogatory and i hope you don't take it as such, but what i mean is, Ed is landing and running for a few strides before you gather him up into his 'rubber ball' canter. Now, in a large outdoor arena that will be less of a problem, but in a tight indoor it will make the fences come up very quickly indeed...especially as the fences go up.

I don't know if you've jumped any 1.05m and 1.10m's with him yet, but i think i'd probably concentrate on getting my technique spot on at those heights for a few weeks first, and then tackle a few 1.10m and 1.15m's in an outdoor arena when the DC's are flowing at 1.05m and 1.10m

When you are jumping DC's at 1.10m you are already jumping 1.15m to 1.20m in the JO's anyway, so you shouldn't notice the fences going up really

Well done though....a tremendouns difference since those first vids of you indoors at Addington

 

[PaddyMonty]

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Wow ! You've changed from SJ'ing like an eventer, to SJ'ing like SJ'er

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Blimey, it must be getting better.

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The only comment i would make is that you seem to still be landing in a bit of a heap sometimes, especially over the bigger fences. I don't mean that to be derogatory and i hope you don't take it as such, but what i mean is, Ed is landing and running for a few strides before you gather him up into his 'rubber ball' canter.

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Agree completely.
We still have some way to go in this area but he is much better than he was. Part of the problem is I've (Geoff and Steve) have changed just about everything to do with jumping him. Getting the balance between power and control, freedom over the fence vs collection on landing and re-establishing my balance now that I'm riding 3 holes shorter than I used to is going to require a lot more work.
At least I now believe we WILL get there.

 

[PaddyMonty]

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You keep it nice all on the approach but just on take off you do something with your body which seems to make Eddie rush through the air and land on a bit of a flatty.


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Particularly over the oxer?
Due to past issues with Ed (if he stopped it would always be an oxer) I tend to over ride him the last couple of strides. Now this wasn't a problem when he was a bit dead to my leg but certainly is now causing him to rush and flatten. I need to start trusting him to do his job more over oxers and just sit quietly, pretty much like I do jumping uprights

 

[BuckingHorse]

You're both looking really good.

If I was being picky I would say to have a bit more canter going into the corner and then sit quietly on the approach, esp into the oxer!
Keep practicing gradually building up the height until you're really confident and can jump the 1.10 oxer like you would a 1m upright - he has SOOO much scope you don't need to over ride!

 

[casey2312]

What a difference David. You have obviously worked really hard. Ed looks super.

I agree with Rambo in the sense of geting DC in 1.05/1.10. Dont know if you've been doing that or not though.

 

[carthorse]

Well done David, Penfold is working well as well.
Just one point ,his bend to the right is still not there and I notice when jumping on the right rein he always lands on the wrong lead and changes a couple of strides on ,which means he doesn't want to put hisnear fore down first on landing . This can be a balance problem or a physical problem ,my old horse had a tendon strain and when he eventually returned to work he would never land on it, so keep an eye on it.Most of the video was on the left rein ,do you find that way easier?

 

[Weezy]

Gosh, what a difference. That is exactly how I want P going - FORWARDS! Seriously though I cannot add to anything but just wanted to say I think your aims are way within the capabilities

 

[PaddyMonty]

Thanks for the comments....
Buckinghorse - Plan is to do exactely as you say regarding oxers. My over-riding stems to some degree from previously always riding horses with less than scopey jumps.
I still forget I finally have a horse that CAN jump.

Casey - I think it is probably fair to say i am putting in more effort in to Ed than any other horse I have owned. I have a dream and probably only one shot at it.

Carthorse - Its a balance problem (mainly mine). Tend to lean slightly left over a fence hence I'm asking for left canter lead (stupid boy). Right bend is getting there slowly but I need to spend a lot more time on the falt work than I currently am. So many issues and so little time.

Weezy - You wouldn't have thought Ed was forward going if you'd seen him prior to me going to Geoff Luckett. Radical action was required and taken. He still occasionally dies on me on approach and then gets a very positive reminder about how he needs to respond. Thankfully these occasions are becomming quite rare now.

And just so you can see what I started with, here's a pic of Ed when I first got him. Not nice!

 

[BuckingHorse]

OMG, what a difference!
I'm exactly the same with oxers - have had so many horses that didn't really want to jump that it takes a bit of getting used to when you finally have one that does want to do it

 

[jmesjhnsn]

it really looks like that you have improved, but perhaps you need to be carfeul not to over jump your horse you sessions - just an observation, u seemed to be jumping the same two fences over and over agen, when you nor the horse where appearing to be doing much rong? !

 

[PaddyMonty]

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when you nor the horse where appearing to be doing much rong? !

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Thankyou.

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but perhaps you need to be carfeul not to over jump your horse you sessions - just an observation, u seemed to be jumping the same two fences over and over agen!

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I understand your concern but this is one of the reasons for the improvement. I was advised by Steven Smith to do what we are doing 3-4 times a week until we can see the stride and hit the sweet spot EVERY time. Jumping this way allows me to work on approach, jump, landing and ride away constantly. Pretty much like riding a course.
We just need to sort out the landing / ride away (this week) then I can drop the sessions down to 2 a week.

Really this is just a stage we have to go through to get our act together and not something I would normally do.