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Need to vent

3K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  juju 
#1 ·
I am getting so frustrated with myself! I just can't see the right distance :-( I keep getting splat jumps over and over again. My trainer tells me I'm pulling the reins at the last second, causing my horse to stuff in an extra stride, but I don't even feel myself doing it! I KNOW he can leave really long and clear, but I just second guess myself and it turns out horrible. He has a HUGE stride and I still manage to get a extra stride in most of my lines! Worst of all, I know I'm messing up my really nice, honest horse and setting him up to stop at a jump.

I just hate that I can't fix this stupid problem. I try so hard and still blow it a LOT. My last show was horrible. The lines were so easy, my horse is 16.3, the jumps were small, and I STILL messed it up! Finally the last course I was determined to get the right strides. I think it might have been my worse course ever ( including knocking over an entire jump, standards and all) but, I got the right strides:lol: And, wow, he really can clear from any distance:shock: I told him to leave from ridiculous distances, and he did!

Now if I could just gain the confidence to tell him to leave the ground, rather then being a stupid, idiotic, wussy, horrible rider, everything would be just fine. I can't even work on my form over jumps because they are so splatty.

Sigh, thanks for letting me vent. I hate me. Cookies to whoever got through this. Warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream and chocolate sauce....
 
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#3 ·
Definitely warm gooey chocolate chip cookies. After that, stop overthinking. Have your trainer set up some gymnastic grids, tie your reins in a knot, put your hands out to the sides like you're a little kid airplane and just get used to the jumping motion again. Close your eyes, let him do all the spacing work and just go along for the ride. You need to start enjoying it again and remember that you're VERY lucky to have a horse...and cookies, warm gooey cookies.
 
#4 ·
Let me share my experience, with hopes that it'll help you out.

I was schooling on the CC course last summer, a few days before our HT. I was schooling over the dreaded Trak fence - I hate those fences and I don't know why. Anyways, for some reason whenever I approaching a Trak, I stare at the stupid gap between the fence and the ditch and that flubs up everything.

So we trotted over the fence a few times and it went well, but for some reason as we approached the fence at the canter, my stupid eyes went right back to the gap and I blankly stared at it. So instead of us jumping over the center of the fence, I dropped my shoulders and then he proceeded to take off a stride to early, and jumped at this odd angle.

strait and to the right. So, if the red flag was up on the fence, we would of taken it out. It was so awkward, I was lobbed out of the tack in an odd way, leaving me to land on my right foot with my left still in the iron, and stuck - which resulted in me being dragged slightly.

Soooo yeah. Anyways, during this episode, a friend saw it all and decided to step in to help. He is an old Fox Hunter, been in the saddle all his life and can sure ride. He asked me "Do you trust Nelson?" I said "of course I do" and he responded "If you did then you wouldn't be interfearing with his job by looking at the fence."

I stopped and thought about it for a minute and he went on to say "If you don't trust your horse, how is your horse supposed to trust you? The moment you look at that fence and interfear with your horse, you are telling them *I don't trust you to do your job, I don't trust you to find the distance* so redo that fence, don't look down and proove to Nelson that you trust him to get you over that fence safely"

So - apply that to you. Every single time you interfear with your horses job, you are telling him "I don't trust you to find the distance" "I don't trust you to do your job"

So - I'll tell you what my friend told me, which got me over that fence without looking at it:

"If you trust your horse, the results will be positive. Now get your *** over that fence and proove to Nelson that you trust him"
 
#12 ·
i loved your post for a variety of reasons, many not even pertaining to the original rant, though I sympathise and understand, but because the greatest break through does come from learning to trust the horse. I remeber being a small child, like five or six, and having had an equestrian mother, had ,many expereinces with horses, including lessons, but I was scarred to death of the trail. I kept thinking my horse was going to walk off the edge. Finally one day my mother realized my hesitation and explained to me that the horse was very aware of the grand canyon size ravine next to him (at least in my five year old opinion) and had no more intention than I did of falling in it, and from that day forward I trusted the horse. It clicked! My next revelation was at 19 battling with my first three year old horse I broke, and almost fed up with frustration! I was mid spring (the vernal equinox actually, coincidence? depends who you ask) and I just decided to get on her in the turnout with nothing on. This wasn't a small turnout and this horse had scarred me more than once with her antics! Guess what she did? Nothing! From that point we started to trust each other. I don't know how my situations actually pertain to the OP, but I wanted to stress the importance of MI's post, in learning to really trust your horse.
 
#6 ·
When Zeus first came home before we started the dressage lessons I felt the exact same way. There are still moments where I feel like Zeus knows so much that I don't know. But he has been a great horse for me. Perfect in fact. He's taught me so much already, and I've only had him for about three months. MIE's advice was good, sometimes you just have to let go. Not literally! Ha ha, but mentally. Just take a big deep breath and let him find that distance. I'm sure once I start seriously jumping with Zeus i'll run into similar problems. I've only ever jumped on lesson horses when I was much younger (not including the occasional small fence here and there since), and I practically never had to find my own distances. When I did, I always saw the long distance. ALWAYS. Ha ha.

Good luck!
:]
 
#7 ·
Hey! Okay im going to tell you things I have learned over the years riding hundreds of different horses. I always say...you need to just go with your horse and follow him, try not to get in their way, bc chances are it wont help them..just relax and follow your horse. They know how to get the job done. Now dont get me wrong, you dont want your pace to be to slow or to fast, but you should also do what is comfrotable for your horse. I dont get caught up with what the lines are suppose to run, my point of view is that I will get there when I get there (again..keeping in mind you dont want to be slow and you def dont want to rush it) but if you keep a good pace just count your canter strides... 1...2...3...oh jump...1...2...3. Until you really need to and get to the levels that you need to get the strides that is recommended (even then I still just ride the course how its right with my horse, and we still are in the ribbons weither we added a stride or left out a stride).

If you practice jumping outside your lessons, try just getting in your two-point and putting your hands half way up your horses neck when you are going to the fence, try not to get in his way when he is jumping and just get the feel of what he likes and how he is jumping... (my horse likes to put in those long take off's where i could have easily gotten another stride or two, but i stay with him and we make it pretty, bc i dont get in his way, he know's what he is doing).

Also just Relax...I bet you get nervous when you are on-course because ur thinking about how this fence in front of you isnt coming up right...just jump it when it gets there..but the main this is to trust your horse and to just follow him...if you feel like he is getting to fast in front of the jump...go with him and then nicely halt afterwards and ask him to back up, or set up a bounce, it will teach him he needs to not rush it.

I hope this helps out some
(I am better showing tips then actually trying to explain them, sorry if its alittle all over the place)
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the support and advice guys!

My trainer tells me to make the turn, then stick my hands half way up his neck, grab mane and get in my half seat. I try, butI enmd up sitting back/pulling anway.

The weird thing is, I'm never nervous. Annoyed yes, frustrated yes, nervous no.

I think I'm having a jumping lesson tomorrow, so I'm really going to work on just letting him jump
 
#10 ·
there's a difference between being nervous, and being tense, but both have the same effect on your horse. If you're coming up to a jump thinking "Nope, nope, I've stuffed this up," then your position automatically becomes defensive, even if you don't realise it. Remember, the reins are like a telephone wire between you and your horse, so he's going to be thinking exactly the same thing. Try and loosen up, not worry so much about getting perfect striding, and look away from the jump so you can't anticipate.
 
#13 ·
My best teaching tool was arms out to the side and eyes closed. It really tests your trust with your horse. I only ever jumped 2-2.5 ft at the most, but when learning to jump my trainer had us all (group lessons) go over everything from trotting poles to small 1/2-1ft jumps, with our reins on the neck and our hands out to our sides and sitting 2point.

Also I was taught to ignore the jump. Set your line and then look past the jump, once your inline for it let the horse take the lead and just feel him go for it.

I loved to jump, but it's been years for me. We used to also jump on our trail rides when I was taking lessons, over down trees and such. And like others have said you just have to trust your horse.. let him take you over, you just look past the jump. I remember being in my group class and us all on our horses watching each other jump over this huge tree that had fallen down in the normal path. I couldn't even tell you how high it was, all I know is we were all afraid of it, so it was bigger than our normal jumping height. And we just kept taking the jump, even with a few spills. Our trainer was definantly one for getting right back on and doing it again if you fell off.

I would get so frustrated with my self because I had a horse flat out refuse a jump due to my lack of trust and right over his head I went in to the jump, I was confusing him and he let me know! lol

It took alot for me to look past the jump, and that may be what will help you to get past your issues.

Can't wait to hear the post about how happy you are with your jumping, in the future. Good Luck!!
 
#14 ·
Well the lesson today went pretty well. He was energized (he gets a few days off after shows) so it was easy to get the big uphill canter he does best in.

Unfortunately I was wearing spurs (hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE spurs) so I was more focused on not jabbing him then anything else, but it still worked out okay. several looong spots, but that's better then splatting
 
#16 ·
I think that we all have problems with this at sometime or another. Before i went away on vacation this summer, i felt like i was in the same rut. When i came back i was nervous to jump - fearing that the same problem would start again. I honestly never get nervous and if you had asked me before i went away if i was nervous i would say no. I think that i was nervous about disappointing myself and having the same sinking feeling in my stomach from frustration and disappointment. Thankfully the last few lessons i have had since i came back have been really good. My eye has been on and im feeling more confident.

Sooo...what can you take from everyones post? I think that it all boils down to just cantering with rhythm. Canter to the jump and ignore it, focusing on a positive canter. When your horse jumps, you jump. Ignore the distances for a little while. Instead, focus on your position and rhythm. Can you stay with your horse from the long distance? Can you stay with him from the short distance? Eventually it will work out. I know its hard but try to IGNORE the distance. Just jump.

When you are on the ground, watch other people jump. Think in your head and try to decide what you would do if you were the rider. Would you find the same distance as they would?

I hope i help a little, but i definitely know what you are feeling!
 
#18 ·
yeah your trying way 2 hard! how high do u jump? anyways my horse is only 15.1 and dont get me wrong we dont jump really high just 1ft 1/2 and 2ft.... you have 2 let your horse do the work on the striding i had the exact same problem i always felt he was going 2 fast under me but the truth is he needs the power 2 get over the jump easily..... so dont pull back go forward and i know you will clear those jumps easily your horse is HUGE compared 2 mine but again let him work on striding and you need 2 work on form and what not!!!!! =)
 
#19 ·
I have the same problem. When the distance is long then i am fine and stay with the horse. If the distance is short i lean up the necjk, heal goes back and is UGLY! Just practicing feeling the motion helps. It also helps if i just think HEELS! When i focus on them the jump comes and my position feels better over the jump. Might help you out...
 
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