Johnny and I are having loads of fun jumping, i haven't had any lessons in jumping but have taken a couple horses over some fallen tree's and what not in trails. Johnny is a show jumper and has shown up to 4 feet. I am going to be taking lessons at my barn starting next week, but i am interested in some critique on my eq!
My soon to be instructor has watched Johnny and I jump up to 3' and he often over jumps, she says we can easily move up to 4', what do you guys think?
make sure to push those heels down and maybe a bit more release its hard to tell whether you were catching him the mouth or not but a little more release might be helpfull. Thats all from me you and your horse make a lovely pair. Good luck in the future.
^^^ agreed the only thing I can really tell from the pic is your heels are a bit high, try pushing them down more but otehrwise nothing jumps out at me either. Maybe try getting more picutres if you can ge them not blurry. Let us know how your lessons go!
what a great way to loose your iron /\
you could probably bring your hands further up his neck, could you maybe get a picture of you guys going over a jump?
thanks a lot everyone
my stirrups were actually a bit long at the time, but we punched a new hole in them today and my heels were down more, i will put a new picture up right away, and as for releasing i also worked on that today!
You seem to be leaning too close to your horse's neck. Just push your hands a little higher up his neck and think of pushing your belly button towards your spine and your back will lift up to the right place. This is so if your horse overjumps or jumps awkwardly, you could get whacked in the face with his neck, or at the very least, get a mouthful of mane!
I would spend a little more time working on solidifying your foundation before you move up to 4'. Some little adjustments will really help you - and it's always best to be PERFECT doing 'smaller' stuff than missing distances/hitting your horse's mouth etc just to be jumping 4'. That's how confidence is lost, both for horse and rider!
So, here are the things I noticed:
-You're pivoting off of your toe, which is noticeably affecting your balance, even over this cavaletti. I would recommend doing lots of gridwork, both with and without stirrups, in lessons, because then your leg will be forced to be where it's supposed to! Repeating this will set it in your 'muscle memory' and then you won't have to focus on it as much. Even no stirrups work over a line of cross-rails will really help. With your stirrups, spend your warm-up time in two-point, really sinking your weight into your heels.
-Your upper body has curled up almost into 'fetal position,' which says to may that maybe you're a little apprehensive? You may not be, but that's a pretty common position for someone who's not totally confident yet. Your back is roached, which is a defensive flaw (I do the same thing when I get nervous), and you aren't releasing at all. A proper release is a learned art - you have to be willing to essentially give your 'lifeline' away. Going back to gridwork, trot into a line with your hands already halfway up the neck in a long-release, and let the line ride itself, so your subconscious can see that not having your hands under you is just as safe.
Your focus is really good, and I think if you're willing to really put a few weeks into solidifying yourself, you'll be a much more effective rider, and well capable of tackling a multitude of heights.
Remember, when in doubt, ask yourself - WWGMD? Good luck! If you need any grid ideas, just ask...I'm the gridwork queen
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