sheer willpower...

[fimacg]

I took Brave for a XC lesson today at a new place, with a different instructor. And it was really good.

I explained that Ihad a few confidence issues so we started out by jumping in the field over a few little logs that they have laid out in such a way that you could make a course out of it, then still in the field we jumped over a few working hunter type fences.

It became very clear what my problem is, it isn't that I am not folding I was told I was almost folding too far at times, but I basically stop riding him about 2 strides out from the fence and drop him, so he either ships in a short stride and balloons over the jump, or takes off on a long stride and balloons over the jump. When I rode him all the way over the fence he did it perfectly and we stayed together... I was also told I was riding with my stirrups too long which is the complete opposite of what my normal instructor says, but I did find it so much easier once I had shortened them.

Then we went out onto the course proper did a couple of little pallisades, any we found a bit tricky we jumped 3 or 4 times until out confidence grew, then up and down some steps, then 2 steps together.

The what felt like a HUGE log, was told it was only scary cos it was black, as soon as I wobbled I dropped the contact and Brave stopped. second time he cleared it with several feet to spare from a standstill and I lost a stirrup and was heading for the ground over his shoulder. I thought I will not come off and somehow I managed to sit up, pick my reins back up (dropping my stick in the process) get first one foot and then the other back in the stirrups whilst cantering/galloping around a scottish hillside! Sheer willpower alone kept me in that saddle!

We finished by riding through another water jump and then by jumping up and down a little step in and out of the water.

Had a brilliant time, it was just what I needed and it helped to be able to jump the same fence a number of times until it became easy

[solomon]

Sounds a steep learning curve! Well done for hanging on! Short stirrups are so important for jumping but feel so weird. What is worse is when you try to do dressage length the next day! Doing the same jump til it's easy is a fabulous confidence giver.

[zara]

Well done Fi for keeping going Sometimes our nerves subconsciously take over and we stop riding or aren't positive enough. I do exactly the same with AJ as I'm expecting bad behaviour. Glad you enjoyed your lesson and that you stayed on!x

[fleabitten]

sounds like a great lesson, a fresh pair of eyes sounds like was what was needed good on you for staying on!

[racaille]

Dunno why I missed this! Sounds like a really useful lesson.

I can't help wondering if the British way of teaching jumping is not, in fact, part of the problem. All this emphasis on folding seems to me to be silly. If you follow the movement of the horse and give with your hands when he stretches over the jump, you will quite naturally 'fold' but without thinking about it. Teaching folding on its own encourages the rider to look at the jump, surely, when she should be looking BEYOND the jump to where she wants to go next.

I like the sound of this instructor. It makes sense to me that you were letting Brave drop in front of the jump - I have a tendency to do this too unless I think about it.

Hope you are still fired up by this lesson!

[fleabitten]

Thats true rac but i think just saying 'give with your hands' might lead people to tip forward and lie up the horses neck therefore being unbalanced? i went for a one off lesson at a riding school and she was getting you to practically stand up and put your hands nearly up round the horses ears and it felt really weird lol!

i think teaching somebody to fold is a good idea though because if you bend from the hip you are 'crouching' nearly on their back and staying in balance.

i think its just a natural reaction to look down at the jump when you fold - i think it feels unnatural to tilt your head back and lean forwards at the same time!

fi i also have the same problem in that i stop riding too and get too focused on the fence looking down at it and counting strides and dropping the contact, so i have been consciously trying to look up and saying that to myself out loud! maybe i just need to whack the fences up and be more gung ho lol!

[racaille]

Well that's exactly what I mean Flea. If you look down (as they say here) that's where you'll end up. You should NOT look down. You should be looking where you are going or how else is the horse supposed to know? It needs to land prepared to carry on to to the next jump. If there is a tight turn involved, how can the horse get ready unless your body is already telling it which way to go?

And giving with your hands is less likely to have someone throwing themselves up the neck that someone who has been told to 'fold' because unless you follow the action of the horse it is too easy to 'go before' or 'behind' the jump.

[kitcat]

I think our instructors are more like your french instructors Rac. We are told not to look down but to look where you want to go after the jump. (Agian - if you look down that is where you will end up!) We are taught a light seat but are told not to fold as such but follow the motion of the horse letting him 'take' your hands forward. Difficult to explain as it is so long since I had a jumping lesson.

[kitcat]

I think our instructors are more like your french instructors Rac. We are told not to look down but to look where you want to go after the jump. (Agian - if you look down that is where you will end up!) We are taught a light seat but are told not to fold as such but follow the motion of the horse letting him 'take' your hands forward. Difficult to explain as it is so long since I had a jumping lesson.