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Jumped out of tack... All the darn time

14K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Bagheera 
#1 ·
Every time I either jump a scopey horse or over a larger jump I get popped out of the tack.. It's soooo frustrating for me :cry: I want to be an awesome rider but I feel like I will never be a good enough rider to soar over those amazing big jumps.. I have been riding for years..

Now my pony Levi I can jump 3 1/2 feet on, and because he jumps like a deer I stick like glue. But my new boy Cowboy is learning jumps can sometimes LAUNCH is like its 5 feet high and i look like a motorcycle stunt person hanging on to the handlebars with my legs in the air behind me. lol ok maybe not that bad but it feels that way. I LOVE how he is trying and not refusing and giving me 100% but I want to be good enough to handle his big tries. PLEASE PLEASE any advice or tips...

I've tried sticking my feet down and forward like landing gears and really putting my but back, but then the saddle pops my rear end and down my head goes.. along with all my balance!!!

OK I'm gonna throw a few videos out here so maybe you can get some dynamic lol..

Here is my Levi that I stick to nice..


Then this is me falling off a larger horse over a PUNY jump!!!


Getting popped out of the tack at the end here...(quick vid)



And this is recently with my cowboy.


what am i doing wrong??
 
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#2 ·
First, the horses have two different jumping styles..Levi is much flatter in the bascule which makes it easier to keep position. Tiny rounds more and gives a better bascule which, until you learn to ride it, is going to bounce you.

In the vid where you came off, you dropped the horse, put your hands on his neck, before he actually jumped..I am guessing this is a defensive position due to you getting bounced. You need to approach the jump in less of a modified two point; you are leaning TOO far forward in prep for the jump. When Tiny jumps, he is rounding more causing you to fall even further forward. You need to approach the jump with your shoulders a little more vertical.

In the second vid with Tiny, on the grid, you did fine over the smaller verticals..it wasn't until; you got to the larger oxer that you got bounced. Again, you were too far forward off the second small vertical and I think you got left behind a little..you also folded a lot more over that small oxer and it looks like you made a much bigger effort than was needed.

The last vid had an error of some sort and wouldn't run.

Correcting..harder to say as you have the basic jump position down. Heels, leg and head look good as does your level of release. Again, try approaching a jump sitting up more rather than getting into early two-point, or, if you need to get into early two-point, do not fold quite as much in the approach. You want to make a small move over the jump and not thrust yourself over it as though you are "helping" the horse to jump..let the horse come to you. An instructor of mine gave me a good visual..push yourself away from the horse with your hands. This gets your seat back in the proper position.
 
#3 ·
Thank you so much for the help! I'll try that. The other video was my cowboy, i think it might not have been loaded all the way yet I just put it on.. This was me getting popped off my horse cowboy too... boy I'm in need of work!

 
#4 ·
Have you tried grids with bounces and 1 strides so you can focus just on your own position? Jumping single fences can actually be more difficult than grids when you're trying to get used to a different style of horse. I can't tell for sure, but you look like you are not holding your 2point long enough and snapping back before the horse is done jumping. If you come down on his back before his hind feet land, you will be popped out of the tack.

Try breaking it down into steps of basic jumping mechanics. When you approach a fence, tell yourself, sit tall, shoulders open. At the fence, 2 point/release/grab mane. Upon landing, tell yourself and/sit. The "and" gives you the extra beat to let the horse's hind legs land before you sit back down. I don't know if that way of learning works for you or not, but telling myself all that stuff out loud over each fence helped me improve my form quite a bit.
 
#6 ·
OK...after seeing the vid of Cowboy :)...it was easier to see one issue with you coming nearly directly at the camera. When you jump you are grip[ping the horse with the back of your calf..your toes are turned way out. You need to concentrate more on dropping your weight into your heels and gripping with the inside of your calf..more work in two point over ground poles, or cavaletti as Greentree indicated, will help that lower leg.

I had an instructor in Louisiana who had us doing nothing BUT two point at the trot for the first 15 mins of each and every lesson. Trust me, we had the strong legs :)..nearly crippled you the first 6 lessons or so but the final result was worth it.
 
#7 ·
What I'm seeing is not necessarily getting jumped out of the tack as it is getting left behind in the air and then losing your balance on the backside. I thought the round on the pony was ok, but there were a few moments where you did pop up early. A horse's jump starts with the front legs off the ground, all legs in the air, front legs land, then back legs land. Lots of people want to pop up when the front legs hit the ground but as the jumps get higher you'll hit your horse in the back and cause them to knock rails with their hind legs, and/or get left behind. Gymnastics/bounces are super for working on position. But I'd also work on singles and exagerate. Think land, stay off their back one stride, then sit up. Stiffness in your body is also a big cause of getting left behind. Let your hips and knees fold and absorb the jump, and then follow your horse down to the ground. The one with tiny, you just jumped ahead and jumped up his neck, and lost your leg. Lots at a two point, lots of exercises to strengthen your legs. Work on being patient to the fence and letting it come to you. I think you're doing a great job. You have a nice decent position. Just a few things to work on as do we all.
 
#9 ·
I'm going to throw this idea in - you look great on your pony you have so much confidence in him that he WILL jump whatever you point him at that you're relaxed and going over with him
I don't think you believe in your new horse like that - you think he's likely to put in a stop so you're hanging back 'just in case' feeling very tense and stiffening up in your whole body. The moment you feel he's actually going to jump you over compensate to catch up and throw yourself too far forward and get ahead of his action as he has a much slower style than your 'punchy pony' does - and that's a lot down to him being new to it and not really using himself
Go right back to the trotting poles and then grids - really low stuff - until you feel more trust in him. It will also help him gain confidence in himself and develop better muscle for the job
 
#10 ·
I agree with what others have stated with sitting back too early...I used to do that ALL.THE.TIME and same thing would happen to me, I would feel like I was getting popped up out of the tack, when in reality I was sitting up too soon and my butt was hitting the saddle because of it...messing with my mare's position/balance and my ability to stay in the tack. (I was also pinching with my knees and didn't realize it, something I STILL battle with a year later now)

What worked for me was what upnover stated above...imagining that you want to stay in your jumping position for 1 stride away from the fence BEFORE sitting up again. It will take awhile to break the habit, but if you focus just on that, you'll soon find your new jumping style will replace the old muscle memory :) Have confidence, you look like a very capable rider who can improve and get even better from here!
 
#11 ·
It's not jumping styles, it is fear of the jump. IMO your pony needs time lunging over poles and small cross rails and/or cavaletti. I do not own any scopey horses right now, but I am training my trail horses to go over obstacles on the ground. THIS is bc when they encounter a log or obstacle on the ground I want them to react like my lesson horses did after ad nauseum being asked to jump small jumps. They would step over them like, "do I HAVE to go over this...AGAIN" (...big horse yawn.)
This is the reason that seasoned jumps don't over jump, and I'm not talking about talented International Jumpers who are careful and clear their jumps with something extra. It's the been there/done that that will help your pony. =D
 
#12 ·
Here's video of one of my jumping rounds back when I would sit down early...


Compared to now (although I of course STILL have things to improve on right now - releasing more, not pinching so much with my knees, not rounding my shoulders, etc) so this is by no means perfect, but I at least stopped it with the sitting up too early...now on to the next thing I can focus and improve on! ;) Aren't we ALWAYS learning?! :lol:
 
#15 ·
I do not see a reason for your horse to lunged over jumps or poles. This is something to two of you need to work out together. You have a nice leg position, but you lose it in the air when you need it most. Try keeping the stirrup more on the ball of your foot so you can push your heels down over a jump.
 
#16 ·
As many others have said, you are "jumping ahead" of the horse. You need to sit back, and wait for the horse to start to lift off the ground before you go into your two point. Jumping ahead can result in getting popped out of the saddle since you are throwing your weight at the horse prematurely. The horse is not at the highest point of the jump, yet you are at the lowest point of your two point. Therefore, the horse's upward motion is throwing you up and back, especially as it reaches the top of the jump. Because you are thrown back at the highest point of the jump, you continue to fall backwards as the horse descends, making you fall even further behind. You appeared to be looking down at the jumps in several of the videos. Looking down only encourages you to jump ahead. I would pick a point just above eye level as you approach a jump. Do not take your eyes off of the point until you have landed. This will help you sit up more during the approach, take off, and landing. Also, grab the horse's mane on your take off until you begin to get a feel for when to time your two point. Hope that helps! :)
 
#17 ·
Sorry about the second post. You are also very rounded through your shoulders. Pull them back and try not to collapse at your core. That will also help with jumping ahead and leaning up the horses neck.
 
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