would you mind sharing pictures of your jumping position with me?

[little_critter]

I was told something along the lines of;
Rather than fold forward, think pull arse backwards.

Great - I do everything arse backwards!

 

[Bernster]

I love that you shared the blooper pics JFTD - but we all know you have some great pics too!

Re contact - I have a horrid habit of leaning back and chucking the rein at F and just expecting him to get on with it. And he did, for a long while, then like even the most genuine horse, he got fed up and stopped on me a few times. I stressed massively that I'd ruined him (I still do) but he's pretty forgiving and actually most of the time he will have a go. We keep it small enough that I can limit my ridiculous riding which is caused by nerves. I do try really hard though to stay with him.

Not sure how helpful it is to see other people's photos as I wouldn't be able to replicate a better position through a photo. This is the only one I have, and it isn't a good example. As it was a sponsored ride, my strirrups aren't jumping length here. Lessons with someone who works on my balance and position is what is working for me.

Interesting about YCBM's 8 holes higher - wow! But those are some cracking photos.

 

[Bernster]

A bit better, in the sense of not completely incompetent...

 

[greenbean10]

Well I think my eq beats everyone on here hands down...

(In my defense, I've never seen anyone jump this pony and not look incompetent at times, and two of them are very old photos and one there are mitigating factors - but yea. Skills. I got 'em...)

This is my favourite comment on this forum of all time 😂😂😂

 

[greenbean10]

@littlefluffball one of my favourite things to look at is George Morris' Jumping Position Critiques on Practical Horseman. There are SO many - of all different standards and heights of jumps.
https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/training/jumping-clinic-george-morris-august-2017-rider3
I could spend hours reading these! He critiques a rider's position down to the very fine details and I find it really interesting to see what he says about them. What I also did was scroll through until I found a rider who had a position very similar to mine (there are so many so you should definitely be able to find one!) and then read what he said about that

 

[Tiddlypom]

I think that my position is quite respectable in this pic at a RC training day, bearing in mind that I am a jumping wimp. Maybe I could have folded forward a little more?



Emboldened by this, we then went on to tackle the bigger rails immediately alongside this jump. I rode up, thought ‘Eek these look big’, the horse picked up on my hesitation agreed with me and jammed on the brakes, hurling me into the fixed rails. Ow.

 

[ycbm]

Wilmslow before the second runway, TP?

 

[littlefluffball]

@littlefluffball one of my favourite things to look at is George Morris' Jumping Position Critiques on Practical Horseman. There are SO many - of all different standards and heights of jumps.
https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/training/jumping-clinic-george-morris-august-2017-rider3
I could spend hours reading these! He critiques a rider's position down to the very fine details and I find it really interesting to see what he says about them. What I also did was scroll through until I found a rider who had a position very similar to mine (there are so many so you should definitely be able to find one!) and then read what he said about that

Oh thank you, I will have a look tonight when I get in.

 

[littlefluffball]

Sorry I haven't actually shared any picture of my own position but I don't have my own horse so all my pictures are on horses belonging to others so I thought it would be inappropriate without getting permission from everyone (and that would involve multiple people)

 

[BBP]

I’m not the best rider and certainly not the best over fences as the pony and I lack brave pants, but I try to work on the theory of ‘what would happen if the pony disappeared from under me right now?’ Ideally in my head I want to land on my feet and balanced. If i’m too far ahead of or behind the movement I’ll go splat, same if I’m relying on the reins to balance. So I try to bear that in mind when looking at my photos. There are plenty where I would go splat!


Testing my theory with a bit of a long shot over a tiny fence (due to my wussiness) without a saddle or bridle.

 

[PaddyMonty]

 

[Barton Bounty]

I dont jump anymore, those days are long gone but we pop a pole now and again.

 

[Red-1]

I have put this one on here before, I think it is an ace picture, not least as my face is all sucked in! I have added it as I think keeping your leg far enough forwards is very important! Most of my photos show me jumping with leg forward, it was very much taught a few years ago, seems to be less so now.



Same horse, not a perfect position, but you can see how it is very much leg forward and bum back.



The leg forward means that landing is safe.

I think I jump with what is a safety seat as opposed to being classical.

 

[be positive]

I think people are taught a form of jumping position now that is more aimed at standing in the stirrups which are often far too long for them to balance and they end up pivoting on the knee, with their weight over the horses shoulders if the horse were not there, as mentioned by BBP earlier, they would fall flat on their face, when I take on a new client I demonstrate this by putting them into jumping position on the ground or balancing on a pole.

I had 2 children start lessons with me 18 months ago that had been having lessons from a highly qualified instructor at their private schools riding centre who taught them to canter standing in a very odd form of jump position, that is what she called it, they felt unsafe, they were balancing on top with no security at all, a lot of parents have taken their children away and it has been the lack of stability in canter/ jumping that parents with no knowledge have picked up but she is still insisting that is how they are taught.
I am old school and like to see a safe secure seat which looks fine and gives both horse and rider confidence.

 

[little_critter]

I don’t have any photos but I have a horrid habit of rowing with my hands over the jump, like I’m trying to lift the horse over the jump (we are only jumping dinky stuff at the moment).
I catch myself doing it and I’m trying to think of pushing my hands forward instead but at the moment I can’t get the timing right and end up dropping the horse on the last stride (or if I don’t concentrate on my hands I end up rowing again)

 

[TheHairyOne]

I don’t have any photos but I have a horrid habit of rowing with my hands over the jump, like I’m trying to lift the horse over the jump (we are only jumping dinky stuff at the moment).
I catch myself doing it and I’m trying to think of pushing my hands forward instead but at the moment I can’t get the timing right and end up dropping the horse on the last stride (or if I don’t concentrate on my hands I end up rowing again)

I do this if I am not sure of what I am jumping...too high, too wide, going off a long one etc! It is getting a lot better with the help of a good instuctor amd a lightbulb moment in how I got to the fence made a huge difference and to just let the fence come.

So the pics...example one is where you pick your horse up, go 1st and he is kond enough to come with you from nothing!

The others are in various states of learning and all are a mile from prefect! My elbows are almost always too tight and I end up hunchbacked!!

 

[be positive]

I don’t have any photos but I have a horrid habit of rowing with my hands over the jump, like I’m trying to lift the horse over the jump (we are only jumping dinky stuff at the moment).
I catch myself doing it and I’m trying to think of pushing my hands forward instead but at the moment I can’t get the timing right and end up dropping the horse on the last stride (or if I don’t concentrate on my hands I end up rowing again)

Neckstrap, one hand, ideally inside, on it as soon as you are straight on the approach, you can use both but just having one anchored down should help, the other one can keep the contact, control and unless your reins are very short if the jumps are small the horse should have enough freedom to stretch without the distraction of you lifting him. I like to see people with a neckstrap even if they dont really use it the option is there.

 

[hobo]

JFTD your pictures are awesome. I think I had your first picture position the other day over a pole on the ground as mare stopped suddenly some how I stayed on but than had to gain her confidence again as I scared her being such a muppet.

 

[monkeymad]

It is so much easier with a horse who you know is going to jump! I was so lucky that my horse would jump anything - she was too enthusiastic and would take a stride out if she could - all I had to do was slip my reins and aim to stay in balance and allow her to get on and do her job! If you feel safe and you dont upset the horse, job done.

 

[Lintel]

Well I think my eq beats everyone on here hands down...

(In my defense, I've never seen anyone jump this pony and not look incompetent at times, and two of them are very old photos and one there are mitigating factors - but yea. Skills. I got 'em...)

Must be a Highland thing 🤣

 

[GTRJazz]

A bit upright

 

[Bexx]

Mine totally depends on the horse I'm riding and the fence I'm jumping. I find as long as I'm not in front of/ behind the movement and I'm not restricting the horse over the fence or before and after I just go wherever the horse and fence put me. I do find that on a bigger horse my lower leg slips back though

 

[blitznbobs]

Must be a Highland thing 🤣

View attachment 35454

Highland fling?

 

[Lintel]

Highland fling?

Haha beautifully put!

 

[windand rain]

Flying Highlands are awesome

 

[milliepops]

I have added it as I think keeping your leg far enough forwards is very important! Most of my photos show me jumping with leg forward, it was very much taught a few years ago, seems to be less so now.

FWIW I think this can be difficult to learn if you are hampered by your kit.
I had endless lessons, practiced in 2 point, did all the stuff I was told to, to improve my stability and stop the swinging leg thing.
I never could until I changed my saddle, I already had a (popular model of) jumping saddle but it still pushed me out of balance.

When I found a saddle that didn't put me off balance it was an instant fix and I found that leg forward ideal balance overnight. I really wish someone had told me that during all the years I was getting frustrated with it.


ETA. The jump clinic pages leave a bit of a sick taste these days. But I see they've got Beezie Madden doing it now, and some include a video which is arguably more useful because they show more of what's happening & why than just a still over a fence.

https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/training/jumping-clinic-beezie-madden

 

[vam]

The biggest improvement in my jump position came when I had my horse truly in front of my leg, that and thinking toe up rather than heel down. My position is far more secure through my leg and I don't swing my leg about or flop up her neck. I've got plenty of blooper pics but none on fb or this pc, I think I got it right 95% of the time but it took a lot of brain power!

Even jumping small, its good to have a secure lower leg on landing

 

[wren123]

@be positive and @Red-1 totally agree with both of you. I was taught the importance of a firm lower leg too, plus I also totally think people aren't taught to fold as in bum back and hands forward, I wasn't a naturally good jumper and was taught to fold like an ironing board.

 

[JFTDWS]

View attachment 35447

Ah, the Annette Lewis school of equitation...

 

[Bernster]

Ahh *that* video - gets some stick but it was effective (and successful)!