Jumping Ahead!

Hi guys!

Like many others, I have the wonderful habit of jumping ahead of my horse. Joy.

Because of this, my leg slips back, and I am waaay in front of the saddle. On the bright side, I have a big release since I'm on his neck

But not only does my position look horrifying when I do this, but I'm inhibiting my horse from jumping to the best of his ability. I have a pic of where we took a long spot and I look AMAZING! I'm centered in the saddle, my leg is near perfect along with my heels. The only bad thing is my release in that one...guess my problems switched Now if only I could look like that with a good distance. It almost looks like I toss myself forward when we leave the ground, but I don't feel like I am.

Anyway, any tips as to how I can fix my jumping ahead problem?

Thanks!!

You need to wait for the fence to come to your horse. Do you get left behind if you don't jump ahead? Do you get a lot of long spots or chip ins? You could be anticipating a long spot(or trying for the long spot because you know you have a good position then) but your horse is waiting for the better spot. What kind of release are you doing? Crest, natural...etc.

Pictures would help....?

Practice 2-point while holding your hands just above the horse's neck - don't lean on it.

Jumping ahead does not cause your lower leg to fling back, nor does jumping ahead cause you to be on your horses neck - that happens because you have no solidification in your lower leg, and heels, which is what is creating the ripple effect.

Your lower leg flings back, because you are pinching with your knee's because you are not secure in your tack, which blocks the natural weight flow that occurs from your shoulders to your heels. When you block that flow aka knee gripping, blocks that flow and that's why your lower leg flings back.

As already mentioned - to fix this issue, you need to do alot of 2 point work and stirrupless work. 2 point, 2 point, 2 point and then do more 2 point and when you are doing doing 2 point work, do more.

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To stop the jumping ahead thing - is to stop riding the fence, and start riding your horse.

Work on learning to feel your horses rhythm, obtaining rhythm, and keeping that steady fluid pace. Feel it, trust it, establish it.

Also, learn to trust your horse - you cannot jump that fence for him/her, that's impossible. You're the passenger at that point, it isn't your job, it is your horses job. Your job is to get your horse to the base of the fence in a controlled, safe, strait, balanced, steady rhythm and to stay out of his way. His job, is to get the both of you over that fence.

You have no reason to look at it. You know it is there, your horse knew it was there before you were even 5 strides away, so why are you staring at it? Ride your horse, not the fence.

Have someone put you on the lunge line. With no reins. Start by going over trot poles - establish a functional 2 point position, where you are balanced over your legs, heels deep absorbing your bodies weight, legs stuck at the girth, tail bone tucked under you, core activated, open chest lifting your heart, head up and looking forward and just stay there - riding your horses rhythm.

Now, work on allowing your horse to move you. Your horse is to move you out of your tack, not you. Your horse is to close the angle, not you. You just stay out of his way, by remaining solid and functional.

Then, when you get how that is supposed to feel, start going over cavaletti's. Same idea. Ride your horses rhythm, and trust your horse to do his job.

Continue to do this until you are ready to graduate over xrails and fences.

Learn to ride what is under you, not what is infront of you. Trust your horse, establish rhythm and work on allowing your horse to do his job.

I don't get left behind, and I usually do a crest release at the moment...or actually whatever feels right at the jump.

MIE - Fabulous post as always, thank you so much! Unfortuneately, I don't have anyone that can lunge me, but everything else is very much possible. I brought it up to my trainer last lesson and she said exactly what you said : I was pinching with my knee. We're really focusing on rhythm right now. Even though we do jumpers, GP riders pick a good pace and usually stick with it the whole course. Like my trainer was saying, good jumpers don't run at their fences, they just ask for a bigger step. So tomorrow I'll definitely work on rhythm, two point, and no stirrup work. My overall jumping position in general is pretty sucky to be honest with you, but I was wondering if pushing my butt back in the saddle would help some. Hard to explain, but I mean as I start to move with my horse (once I accomplish that of course ) and release, should I kind of push my bottom back over the center of the saddle?

Thanks again!

Absolutely.

As explained to me by some very high level eventers that I've been priveldged enough to ride under *1 Olympic and the other 3 star* that you have to close your knee's and push back your seat.

Imagine your knee's and your hip angle like the folds in an Acordian. When you squeeze the Acordian shut, the folds close and the angles move into one another.

That is just the same as when you are going over a fence. Your knee's close, not open like you see so many do when jumping. You sink down and back like you see those folds do when you are closing the acordian. Your hip angle, your seat and your knee's act like those folds and your horse is the acordian closing you. I know it sounds corny, but it works for me.

I hope that anagly can help you get that picture in your head to help you out.

Sink down, and back.

Actually when you jump ahead it directly causes your leg to slip back....

Its simple physics - for every pound you move forward you have to move one back. So if your upper body goes forward you leg is forced back in order for you to stay balanced.
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Sorry to thread-jack but I am not a jumper and a ton of this stuff actually confuses me. It all sound so interesting and intricate. Does anyone have a picture of 'perfect' jumping position? Just the way it is supposed to be?

I am terrified of jumping. Always have been. I am the type of person that can really get better once I know the exact mechanics of things. Maybe a play-by-play of the perfect jump seat.

Ok thanks MIE, great analagy (sp?)! I'll think of that next time I lesson Corinowalk - no worries, you're not high-jacking my thread MIE has a great thread out there about the proper and most functional jumping position, but I can't remember the name. It also has pics on it...I believe it's called Form Over Fences. So yeah, try and look that one up and I promise you you'll find the "perfect" jumping position on there