My Horse Pops Fences

I agree with Puck. More impulsion. I rode a lesson horse that required a crop. Ahh, crops can be your friend! Give her a squeeze or kick (depending on how responsive she is) approaching the jump. It's okay if the trot feels a little fast, it'll just help her actually GET OVER the jump.

I think all of the members are telling you to learn to canter because they care about your safety. I trust that since your trainer is a professional eventer she knows what she is doing. But if you start jumping 2' or more without knowing how to canter, I would definitely consider a new trainer, just for safetys sake. Good luck!

Oh, I don't jump two feet! I'm doing teeny,tiny cross-rails.(It might sound like I'm complaining, but I'm really not. I'm glad.) And thank you for the good advice.

Don't worry about the size. If you establish the ground rules that your horse must march up to the teeny tiny crossrail, it will carry over once you're jumping bigger stuff. If anything, you're in a perfect position to get this all done from scratch. Basics are everything.

Definitely agree with Puck, my TB is a pretty lazy man and if I go into a jump with his hum drum trot he will do exactly what you're describing. A nice forward moving trot will help you get a smoother ride over your fences.

Since she was a jumper she is probably looking to you to tell her how fast to go and to keep her going. Hunters generally take their pace from you in the beginning circle and are supposed to keep that pace throughout kind of like auto pilot. Jumpers are a bit different. And finally- really solidify your leg position with lots and lots of trotting on the flat in 2 point. If you're just popping over baby fences at the trot, you should barely be out of your saddle and even if she jumped from a dead stop you shouldn't lose balance if your position is solid. My trainer loves to torture me, but after a few months of me complaining constantly about all the 2 point and no stirrups work, I am seeing some big results, it is totally worth it!