Re: Can You Help Me With My Riding?

 I'd say work withought stirrups to deepen your seat and relax into the movement - I'm not the best at trotting as my horse has a bouncy choppy messy trot but i find sitting better than rising with him because it leaves my legs free to push him on.  Get comfortable and competent at it before you try jumping because if you aren't balance and secure going into the jump you will end up falling off or being left behind.  Good luck practice practice practice 

Re: Can You Help Me With My Riding?

Thanks to both of you! :)

My instructor/s seem to think I am capable of jumping, but I do get nervous, and this obviously effects my riding, and the horse. Many people say to tell the instructor that I don't want to jump, and I have asked politely in the past if I can just leave it, but they insist that I go over it.

I think that it is my jumping position that makes me go off balance, I've never really been taught how to go into jumping position and sitting back up whilst popping over the jump! The instructors think I am doing well, and I have trust in them and know that they would only let me do thing they know I can do, but I dont think I know enough about jumping.

I have read a book which goes into great detail about jumping, and this has helped me (mentally), but I won't be on a horse untill next sunday (1st july) so if we are jumping I hope my mind will help me remember how to do it ;)

The instructors think that I am capable of going over a 80cm cross pole (I know, its small :') ) but I dont think I am!

Is this the correct jumping position (for someone new to jumping)

1: Lean foward so that your stomach is hovering over te horses withers, and your butt is hovering slightly out of the saddle

2: Make sure all you weight is in your stirrups and look forward, at something past the jump

3: Take off: Jumping position (above)

4: Moment of suspension: Begin to rise into normal riding position

5: Landing: When horse is landing, you will sit up naturally, make sure you do not force your self upwards, let it come

6: ride off, still looking ahead?

Another thing is that once before when my sister and I where the only two at the yard (xcepting the instructor) we got a private lesson with a new instructor, and he let us jump without body protectors, and I was 100% capable of getting over the jump at trot and canter (even with a fizzy horse) with confidence, and a huge smile on my face, but that was a while ago, and that instructor has left. So my current instructor makes us where our body protectors, and I think this is effecting everything! Without my body protector I can do all of the above problems, without a problem! But I need to use a body protector at all times when riding now. So yes, the body protector is causing problems, and no I cannot ride wihout one, but I do need to know how to adapt to riding with one, cos if I dont I will always be a mess :(

Haha, sorry for the rant :L

Re: Can You Help Me With My Riding?

Everyone is right practice, practice and even more practice, ride without stirrups, try jumping without stirrups and with arms folded, and relax but at the same time concentrate. Also don't use the reins to balance, fit your horse with either a leather strap between the front 2 D rings, a hunting breast plate, or the old trick of a stirrup leather round the horses neck. Also what comes to mind is the old saying don't run before you can walk, you have to be one with your horse which is difficult as you have todothis with every horse you own and its a pain usually with going splat and me being 62 dont bounce anymore, but the type of horse I should really now own is what people call dope on a rope but like many have a horse which is described as "not a novice ride" read nutter.

Re: Can You Help Me With My Riding?

If you are struggling with your bodyprotector then try a different make of bodyprotector. I have just switched over to a race safe one and i can finally move properly with it on, it can make all the difference to how you ride.

Lots of practise will make you improve, also lots of work without stirrups will help you to improve. If you feel like you aren't improving with your currnt instructor then try and find a better one that you will improve with. You need to feel like you are getting somewhere with your lessons or they are a waste of money.

Re: Can You Help Me With My Riding?

Some people just concentrate on how they sit etc and where not improving in the lessons they were having, the instructor told them to go out on one of my hacks with me, it worked as they were having to keep up than worrying how they sat. Don't know if it was anything to do with the instructor had been trained to ride at the same time as myself, but I was told by others who had known me from that early time that I was still nuts or mad and rode the same type of horse otherwise not a novice ride.