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Beginner alert! Please critique

2K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  anrz 
#1 ·
So I've been a dressage girl my whole life and I've never had a single jumping lesson. :shock:
I've jumped over little stuff in the arena and popped over logs on the trail but I've never really learned the stuff I should. So I decided it was way past time and I've started taking lessons at a hunter/jumper barn. I plan to teach my horse to jump once she's broke so I figured I had better have a head start. lol
Here's pics form my first lesson:
I need some serious help on my release; I try to give him his head but I feel like everytime I do he runs off with me after the jump. I also am a chicken appearantly (the arms)







 
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#4 ·
lol, alot of people need to relax when riding, I even have to remind
myself sometimes! :lol:

When I said "your posture," I seen in the first pic when riding
around the ring you seem to be leaning forward a bit, I would
straighten up a bit (unless you were about to jump, I don't know).
I think in english riding posture is a BIG DEAL, but like I said
I ride western, but I was giving my honest opinion and help. :P

Do you own that beautiful horse you are riding? :D
 
#5 ·
No I wish, his name is Sebastian, he's a lesson horse and an absolute sweetheart. I think he's a thoroughbred; it's quite a change to go from him to my tiny 14.2 Arab. :)

I don't know why I'm leaning forward lol. I'll have to work on that. I kind of had this image in my mind that that's what hunter/jumper riders do.... I always sit up straight in my dressage saddle though.

Thank you!
 
#9 ·
hmm
well from what i see in the pics
instead of giving him tons of rein
keep contact with his month, and rest your hands on his crest.
this can help with your balance too if you need something to hold on to
when he takes a big leap :)
and i'm sure if you look up show jumping on google images you'll see riders doing it
if i didn't explain it well enough
 
#12 ·
Wow, you look great for your first jumping lesson! I think the angle of your upper body position looks great. Hunter riders do close their hip angle more and at the trot you should be about 15 degrees in front of the vertical. In your third picture though you've rolled your shoulders forward and you do want to be careful of that! But with where your hands were, it kind of looks like you were maybe trying to do something there? Either way, shoulders back! :)
I love the fact that you aren't jumping ahead (your seat stays over the middle of the saddle) as that is a very popular bad habit. The biggest thing is that in the first couple of jumping shots your heel has come up. Not dangerously, but it shows that you're bracing your ankle and tipping forward onto your toes instead of keeping your weight into your heels. Your heel gets better as the pictures progress though! Yes, you need need to learn to give a bigger release but that will come over time. Like I said, you look fantastic!
 
#15 ·
All that you have to remember when you're jumping is that it's just dressage with some speed bumps. Don't change your riding just because your stirrups are a few holes shorter.
Some useful things to focus on are:
Keep your legs/thighs back and under you. This allows you to put more useful weight in your stirrups/heels and keeps you more balanced because your seat stays over your heels.
Angle the stirrup so it is on the ball of your foot by your big toe, and by your pinky toe on the outside. This really helps with keeping your heels down.
Sit with your seat the same as you would in a dressage saddle. Keep your seat neutral and following in the saddle, don't brace out of it. If you change how your seat feels on the horse too much, that is when they are going to feel less secure and "take off" after fences, or be less balanced.
Shorten your reins up and ride from back to front, the same way you would in a dressage saddle.
When you are riding to a jump, think about keeping your elbows soft, your heels down and look beyond the jump. Then count down 3-2-1 to your takeoff spot and keep relaxed.
When you land, put your legs on and get him back to you by riding from back to front.

You look really good though! I love cross training myself and my dressage horse, it really helps your dressage and keeps both your minds fresh.
 
#17 ·
congrats on your 1st jumping lesson . . . . just remember to sit up . . . the 1st pic is the only one where you realy didnt follow that rule but it helps to know that you can work on somthing . . . .and instead of letting your elbow point out to the sides of your horse try to keep them pointing behind you . . . other than that dresage has put a nice foundation on you and you ride well
 
#18 ·
If you follow the "american system of forward riding" like I do, you want to lean forward in teh saddle, but not too much. Almost in 2-point but not quite.
On your release, definitely tighten up your reins about 1-2 strides BEFORE the fence. Did you start off by cantering or trotting to the xrail? I always find it easier when I am giving lessons to have the kids trot it first to get their position.
I use a little trick with my students when they start getting the "chicken arms". Stick a crop behind your back and like through your arms. It make you have a straight back and your arms stay still. BUT only do this once you are comfortable over fences. Also, your lower leg is kind of all over the place.
Another trick, take a piece of bailing twine, and tie it to your stirrup to your girth. I have my kids ride like this for the first 1/2 hour of every lesson, no matter how experienced they are. It's a great tool to tell them where their leg exactly needs to be.
Any other questions, I'd be glad to answer! I love jumping and have been a trainer for about 4 years now :)
Good luck! You really do look great for your first time!
 
#20 ·
You are amazing for your first jumping lesson! You do seem a bit stiff, now that I have read the other comments. You have pretty good posture, though, and your leg is in the right position. You need to give Sebastian his head a bit more (release him by pressing your hand on the crest of his neck about two or three inches in front of where the martingale would rest.). You look really good though!
 
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