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Tell me what you think!

2K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  Hali 
#1 ·


Alright, I'm training for Hunters. This is our first (3rd attempt) at jumping barrels in the saddle. Be harsh, we haven't jumped like this since summer.
 
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#2 ·
Shorten your stirrups at least one hole. Sit back and wait for your horse. He will jump the fence, not you. :) You are practically laying on his neck. Sit up a touch. I can't tell what your heels are doing put they seem okay. Good job on looking up!

I have to say your horse has some great jumping style! You got him to the fence correctly and he has pushed off fairly evenly with both hind legs. He is jumping crisply and keeping it all together. He could definitely be a hunter!
 
#7 ·
Thanks guys! I feel like my leg is slid back? I figured I was over jumping. Getting used to his gait, his canter into any jump feels extremely fast. In reality it's normal.
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I can't tell from this angle if your leg has slid back or not. It possibly could have especially if you felt it but it looks okay to me.
 
#6 ·
Ya, shorten your stirrups a bit, looks like your doing too much work. Let him guide you, don't over ride rim. His form looks pretty good :) Shorten your stirrups, watch your hands and keep in mind your form. You guys will be tip top in no time. He can do it obviously, just work on your form a bit:)
 
#11 · (Edited)
Yes, your saddle has slid way to far back. Either your girth was too loose or you need a breastplate to keep it in place. I would worry that this may show that your saddle does not fit your horse.

Now, to you....

You crest release is in need of work. You are pressing your hands onto the top of the horses neck and using it to prop up your upper body. That allows what is, essentially, the laying down on the horse's neck.

As a result of leaning on your horse's neck, you do not need to have your leg in the proper position to act as a counterbalance for the weight of your upper body. You are gripping with your knee which takes the lower leg off of the horse's sides. Since you are so low on the neck, your leg isn't stretching enough forward due to the leg muscles being too tight. As a result, your lower leg has slipped way back. This makes you even MORE unstable in you upper body.

What/ how to fix?

You need to practice keeping your lower leg forward. As you go forward into your jumping position, you MUST keep your lower leg at the girth with your heels down. This forward lower leg and heel down position will help counterbalance your upper body. The further your upper body goes forward, the more crucial this is.

Try riding in your jumping position with your hands off the neck, out like an airplane. Bring your lower leg forward until you can maintain this position without touching the neck. You will feel the back of your legs burn with the stretch, until you improve your flexibility. Again remember that the heels down are crucial to your balance. Try the position, then put your heels up and feel the difference!!

When you try this while walking/trotting/cantering, whenever you do a crest release, keep your hands on the side of the neck, not the top. This will give you some support, but not enough to totally lean on. It will also help you maintain a better contact with your horse's mouth without risking a jab.

Let us know how this works for you.

For safety sake....address the saddle slipping issue NOW.
 
#17 ·
Your saddle is too far back! :-p

As others have said, sit back off his neck, if he knocked it you'd be off the front, and this position will unbalance him when you land! Your hands should be either side of his neck rather than on his withers, and you don't need to lean forwards so much, until you start jumping about 4'!

Very nice jump he has though, and you look balanced enough :)
 
#18 ·
Thank you, I decided to do groundwork today... He goes into the jump extremely slow (from what I saw on the ground) and stalls the jump in a away? I have a video where this stillshot was taken. Maybe you guys can see what I mean?
In the video for when I post - I know my elbows are tight & I look tense.. It's a bad habit.
 
#19 ·
^^ The most important thing is to keep riding consistently to the fence. Don't just stop riding a few strides from the fence, which can be a bad habit (I'm guilty of this). Relax, breathe, count your strides and keep your legs on his side - he needs you every step of the way to support him and help him find his distances.
 
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