What things do you think about when jumping?

''DON'T FIDDLE'' - that's what I think, constantly, over and over, screaming it in my head :D :p

but yea, in all seriousness, as others have said, make sure I have a good canter and keep him between hand and leg, keeping the rhythm and keeping straight.
In the wise words of Tim Stockdale: ''canter, rhythm, line, gets it right every time.''
 
I can remember once thinking, two strides out from the first fence “I really don't like this song”!!
So yeah, really concentrating, obviously!
 
My instructor now has me talking out load when I'm jumping at yard. So I'm saying what I need to do, eg sit up, leg on , tap with stick etc. It's really helping me focus
 
MandyMoo said:
''DON'T FIDDLE'' - that's what I think, constantly, over and over, screaming it in my head :D :p

but yea, in all seriousness, as others have said, make sure I have a good canter and keep him between hand and leg, keeping the rhythm and keeping straight.
In the wise words of Tim Stockdale: ''canter, rhythm, line, gets it right every time.''
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See, if what we are taught at various coaching thingies is right, the last thing you should be saying to yourself is "Don't fiddle" as your clever brain will somehow filter out the "Don't" and will concentrate on the "fiddle" part :D Like if someone says to you "Whatever you do, don't look down" you immediately have an overwhelming urge to look down :rolleyes: So you are supposed to find some other way of saying the same thing positively, like "Hands still" or "Hands forward" or whatever works best... Hope you don't mind me saying, it's just that I find this sort of thing fascinating :)

Regarding what I say to myself, I'm another one who focuses on the quality of the canter when I am away from the fences ie on turns etc - is it powerful enough, is he balanced over all four legs, is he in front of my leg - then I think rhythm and I'm another one who has to concentrate on softness through my arms on the approach. Other things like riding decent lines and position/giving in the air seem to sort themselves out.

OP fwiw I think it is counter-productive to try to think about too many things as you simply can't focus on them all. So you have to prioritise and choose two, or maximum three, to think about. Once you have ridden a number of rounds with these at the front of your mind, you may well find they start to be more automatic, so you can change your focus to something else. I know when I'm teaching, especially if someone new comes to me, I have to consciously decide what two or three things to try to put right first because if I try and tackle everything at once, 1) I will blow their brains and 2) They will feel like they are crap if they have so many faults :o Once we have made some progress with these initial things, we move on to the next set of issues etc etc.
 
TableDancer said:
See, if what we are taught at various coaching thingies is right, the last thing you should be saying to yourself is "Don't fiddle" as your clever brain will somehow filter out the "Don't" and will concentrate on the "fiddle" part :D Like if someone says to you "Whatever you do, don't look down" you immediately have an overwhelming urge to look down :rolleyes: So you are supposed to find some other way of saying the same thing positively, like "Hands still" or "Hands forward" or whatever works best... Hope you don't mind me saying, it's just that I find this sort of thing fascinating :)
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no worries TD, I don't mind at all! - but good point...maybe that's what I'm doing wrong ;) hahaha
 
When show jumping:
The quality of the canter, not searching for a stride, not collapsing just before the jump, and using my leg and sitting up and driving into things Doyle thinks are scary.

That is what I would like to think goes through my head, what actually goes through my head is probably more like:

****, where is the stride, ****, ******** I'm sorry horse.

I went to a clinic the other day and got told I can't go do the whole round verbally apologising to my horse.. :o ;)
 
Normally, oh *****, hold on, kick on. Oh thank god I am over it.

Not a fan of jumping, as for showjumping, I even break out into a cold sweat looking at the cavaletti in the arena!!!!
 
**** where's the next fence gone!!!

(I have no internal satnav whatsoever and the memory of a half awake goldfish at best)
 
With my trainer : bouncy canter; forward; that's where I want to take off; aim for centre of jump; hands; lower leg; fold; look for next jump; land; sit up; keep straight and in same rhythm

On my own and competing: ****;****;********;********;****;*******;****;*******;****;**** :o
 
Firewell said:
I just think...bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy, look at the jump, bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy, straight, bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy bou-ncy, jump. :p
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This what I need to think, but it's actually " don't screw this up, where's the stride, oh **** I screwed it up again :o:

I need to think of a good mantra to chant so my brain does do that ^^^^
 
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