Tips/exercises for looking up!

[J_sarahd]

Does anybody have any tips or exercises for looking up, especially whilst jumping? I have a tendency to look down at my poby’s shoulder when jumping, which basically gives him that extra inch he needs to just tank into a jump (I need to basically hold him the enter way round!). It’s a habit I need to consciously break!

 

[be positive]

Do some gridwork and find something to focus on as you approach, my fields have trees around them the tops are a good target for riders to concentrate on while jumping in the school, it is a bad habit that can easily be broken because once you keep your head up everything becomes so much easier, when jumping fences individually or in a course start to look for the next fence as soon as you take off over one, that should also help keep the head up.

 

[Bernster]

As BP says, for me it's a case of remembering to pick an object and look at that on the approach. Helps to develop feel, not relying on your eye, and in my case stops me from interfering just before the fence. I have to focus on something right out of the fence line or else I get tempted to sneak a peak - in lessons it's watching my ins, otherwise it's tree tops, the tops of the lights and anything else I can use to distract myself! Grids would work too I think, aiming at the end of the school beyond the grid.

 

[JustMe22]

Do your hat chinstrap up really tight

No, in all seriousness - look at the fence once as you turn into your approach, then choose a point to look at. One girl at my yard gets someone to hold up their fingers and keep changing them on the approach as she shouts out how many fingers are being held up.