It's alot harder then it looks

Well the best thing to think about when jumping is don't do anything. The horse should be doing all the work. It doesn't mean it isn't hard, but you want to think about being quiet and effective and staying out of your horse's way. Keep a steady and consistant rhythm and maintain your balance along with your horse's balance. When your horse jumps you want to think about keeping your heel down (no knee pinching!) and keeping it really tight and still. Fold at the hip and think about pushing your hips back and out of the way (staying centered and clsoe to the seat) and absorbing the horse's energy. As you bend at the hip let your hand follow the horse's mouth and gently rest it on the crest. On landing make sure to keep your seat out of the tack and your hand forward and don't sit up too early. It takes a ton of practice and muscle development to be able to do it and the only way you can develop the muscle is by just practicing.

yea the other week I kept encouraging the horse I was riding, so I had pushed the canter foward, so he would take off to early.

Its not exactly simple is it..

I also hate when non riders say to you "How hard is it to sit on a horse and go round and round in circle" of course talking about Dressage... they dnt relise going around in a circle their is SO much you have to do, not just sit their and steer... grrr makes me angry!

Blossom, it's ok to have a light grip in your lower leg ... you have to grip some to keep your position when jumping. You should have an even grip through your thigh, knee, and calf.

If you're working too hard to avoid gripping with your calf, then you're probably gripping really hard with your knee, which is causing your heels to come up. If you aren't already, turn your toes out away from your horse's side (no more than 45 degrees). This will get the proper contact with your calf and anchor your leg and heel better.

You still have a little grip with the lower part of your inside thigh. Your seat should only be a few inches out of the saddle, so you should still have most of your leg on your horse.

With the stirrups, make sure that the outside bar is against your pinky toe and the stirrup angles across the ball of your foot. This position helps push the weight to the inside of your foot and is better for heels down.

I didn't know that. Thanks for that tip!

Haha all I do is like squeze with my legs (and knees) give the horse the rain and hold on it normaly works for me at the most I got about 3 feet I suck now because my grades got low and my horse teacher moved to florida -crys- lol but again that's how I do it?

Its a GREAT thing though to make it Look so easy!!! That's when you know you're REALLY good! Hehee

This is going to sound really simplictic but... I can ride flat and look pretty all day long, but jumping, I always try to "jump for the horse" which is what it sounds like you are doing, it sounds like you are going when YOU think the hroses should jump, that would be ok IF you knew how to pick your spots, which I am terrible at.

My suggestion, laugh at me now! IS... look at something in the distance, the fenceline, a tree, something ahead of you. Don't look at the jump, look past it, like it's not even an obstical. If you are still getting left behind then, just before the jump, when the horse is pointed at it (assuming he doesnt run out of the jumps)... close your eyes. For real, close your eyes and let him take you over the jump. Once you get the FEEL for the jump you'll kind of start seeing the light. Does that makes sence?

Jumping is not easy at all and it takes a certain bond with your horse to even do it. A level of trust that is 2nd to none. :)

I agree, that jumping is difficult. Like someone said, unless you have a "perfect horse" it's hard. I hate it too when people say you just "sit there" when you ride. They're so ignorant! But anyway, do you do any cavaletti? Set up some ground poles before an x-rail and ride them at a trot, in 2-point position. Keep a steady pace and don't let your horse slow down before the jump. A vertical is pretty much the same thing as an x-rail, its just a bit bigger. With an x-rail its also easier to find the middle.

My advice would be don't take on more than you can do at a time. Set up one jump (a small vertical). In most shows you approach jumps at a canter, but don't think that you have to. With small verticals you can approach them at a trot. So get a well-paced posting trot going, at about a medium speed. Pick a point on the wall behind the jump so that you can find the middle. As you approach it, if your horse is dying out, push him forward, because a lazy trot won't take you over. You can always make a circle to correct your pace or position before the jump, but don't do it at the last minute. Give yourself space.

Rise into 2-point as your horse goes over the jump, pushing your hands up his neck as your body comes up out of the saddle. Let your body sink back down and take back your position as the horse hits the ground and canters off. After a jump, don't just stop your horse. Finish off, even though its one jump. Let him canter along the rail and then finish off with a nice circle at the end. Bring him back to trot and walk and give him a pat. When jumping, I would also suggest having someone there, preferably a trainer. It is helpful to have someone coaching you on, and also prevents you from injuring your horse.