Too old to jump?

pogface

pogface

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Me. Am I too old to learn to jump properly?

I have been riding for over 20 years BUT most of those 20 years have been spent hacking. I did not learn to jump properly as a child. Occassional pop over a pole on the ground maybe, but never did anything bigger.

I share a fab mare that is more than capable. She can certainly do it, but I am beginning to doubt myself.
My confidence is fairly low, before sharing my current horse I was having lessons at a riding school, as I had nothing else to ride and I just kept falling off, body slamming indoor school wall at my worst.

I now have a brilliant instructor, who is excellent with me and the horse. But I just wonder if I have left it too late. I fall off every single time... The same reason, i'm too far forward, Liv (horse) takes off too early or pops in an extra stride, I'm not ready, she lands, I fall on her neck, then normally roll out the side door. Thankfully I do tend to land on my feet though, but thats not the point. I keep doing it!

Do I just give up and thank my lucky stars I've not really hurt myself before now? Or keep going...dreading every time someone hauls the poles out from the side of the school...Knowing I'll probably fall off... Everyone probably thinking 'for goodness sake Woman, give it up already - stick to what you know!'

Honesty please team... Tell it how it is - not that this is an issue on this forum ;)

Tea and cake for all :)
 
Pop a stride pole before and after the jump, and pop on a neck strap :) Come to it in trot, and just let the poles sort the striding out for you. Should sort it out for you till you get your feel again!

Go for it :)
 
I think you could still do it! just stick to it. Do you think you could have a lesson on a different horse once in a while? Just because maybe your anticipating your going to fall off and just kind of throw yourself off as you think 'its going to happen anyway'. The reason i say this is when i was younger at a riding school i was put on this big black lovely cob, but she had a habit of dropping her shoulder and diving sideways into canter to get you off, we called it her dolphin act :rolleyes: . She did this to me one day and i fell off, then every time i cantered her i kept falling off, even if she didnt do it, i just anticipated it and threw myself off her without realising. My confidence took a big knock then and the confident teen i used to be changed and i was scared to canter. They finally changed me onto a crazy whizzy pony, and once i was on him i was absolutley fine! a few lessons on him got my confidence back, and went back on the cob and was fine, turned out it was just me making myself fall. Babbled on there- not saying your the same at all but it could be something to consider :)
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
Pop a stride pole before and after the jump, and pop on a neck strap :) Come to it in trot, and just let the poles sort the striding out for you. Should sort it out for you till you get your feel again!

Go for it :)
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Your instructor should be doing this ^^^ plus plenty of pole work in canter, getting your lower leg secure before trying jumping out of canter, confidence will come once you are more stable then you will be ready to do more, if you keep falling off look at finding an instructor that has more experience teaching jumping and knows how to help you.
 
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