Cant jump basically =[

[ptarmigan1]

I dont have a video, will try and get one for you.

When i jump, i get so worked up aboutit , and as she loves jumping waayy to much, i tend to hang onto her mouth, then on last stride, basically throw us both over it, and give her a kick, and its not the littlest kick either! So i'm obviously confusing her by saying No No, then going Get over it!

My instructor told me to ride in parelli head collar, which seemed so much better, and the hanging onto her mouth did not work (and i can not hurt her that way) i used my seat way way more, and left the jump down to her! However, i can not do clear round in a head collar! Is it a case of me just coming over my nerves, or is there something else to it?

Thanks

b x

[maximum]

Sounds like you need to work on jumping out of a rhythm- just spent 2 hours on a cross country course teaching this and it really does work- its easier for the horse and makes for better shape over the jump and a more comfy jump- stops that horrible short stride and cat leap.

start by putting 2 poles on the ground at either end of a 20 meter circle- so in a school at A and X . First of all just trot the circle going over the poles- the ai is to totally ingnore the poles and work on a good rhythmic trot.

Once you have this move up to canter and do the same exercise again until she canters over them calmly without leaping or changing the pace and ryhty of the canter.

Once you can do this ( and it may take 5 minutes or 5 sessions) make the poles into a little cross pole and repeat again until she just pops them as part of the canter.

The next step is a straight bar and ditto above. Then you can move onto putting a jump at A and C and 2 across the diagonal so you can do the exercise in a figure of eight.

Its your job to create the impulsion and energy for the horse to jump and to make sure you come on the correct line- its the horses job to jump the jump! let the jump come to you and try not to set her up- she has to learn herself to move on.

I can highly highly recommend the Tim Stockdale dvds if you can get hold of them or I can lend you mine- the first one in particular is great for ground work stuff.

Dont be too negative - honesty is great and seeing where you are going wrong shows how you are being more mature but too much negativity is counter productive so think ' I am not doing this as well as i could - how can I improve' rather than ' I am rubbish at this'

[ptarmigan1]

Great advice once again! I have shortened this into bullet points and printed it off so i can put it in my pocket when i ride tomrrow, hope thats okay?

thanks alot...bxx

[maximum]

no bother and the offer of the dvds stands- I cant work out how to copy them- doh!

[ceej]

it may help to do some excercises re independant seat and also to practice your x-country seat, so you can go large in a comfy x-country seat that doesnt rely on her mouth for you to stay up (for which you need to be vary balaced and independent) and then start with the trotting poles and small x-pole - you should be able to go over them without your seat changing.

I personanally think its very important to have this seat before trying to jump. (obviously you dont always ride with a x-country seat when jumping and you are in the school over a course, not out on a x-country course) but if you can do it then I think you are ready to ride the jumps better as it means you no longer rely on the reins to be balanced.

Careful with a X-country seat on a horse like Ptarmi though as she is prone to going on the forehand so make sure the seat is balanced on the centre of her, not leaning over her neck and withers as she will struggle to hold you, result, she will go on the forehand and you will hang on!

www.associatedcontent.com/article/203005/strengthening_your_crosscountry_seat.html

[fimacg]

a good way to handle you fear is to school over very little jumps with noe reins, tie them in a knot and leave on her neck that way you cant mess and it will help you with your balance, if you are not confident doing this put a neck strap on and hold that instead.

[ptarmigan1]

Thanks guys..and

maxi- the dvd's would be great...thanks soo much!
ceej-that articale will help me alot thanks! At least then i dont have to worry to much about getting left behind!
Fimacg-Will defo try this! sounds like fun too:P

Okay, i tried today, with poles on a 20 meter circle, two level with G, on at X and another one at C, was going really good, did lots of haults inbetween, which seemed to help, again, tried to use my seat rather then hands, i did not hold, or kic her into them.

However, when we canterd she bombed off:( when i got her collected, with a light hand, i took her back on to the circle, and she could not seem to get her stride right, then she would land on the wrong leg, (after catleaping them) and was to strong to bring back to trot, i tried everything, i'm not sure if it was exciting, or taking advantage with a weaker bit, or both. Here are some stills from the vid i took...
On the second one, it looks like a tried to make her jump, but after the first one, i kept giving her my hands, asking her to sort her striding out herself...but she could not get the hang of it, this really puts me off jumping her from canter!





Howver, it has been the first session, so will try it agian, and all the other tips after a hack tomorrow, and will try and do it for 5 mins everytime i school, alothugh i did it for 45 mins today, as i aimed to get her bored, so she does not think it ssoooooo exciting lol...please help, as i dont know where to go form here, carry it on? or try something different?
I just got rather scared when she eiher took off from miles away, or got right underneath and cam off all 4's! lol:) xxx

[ptarmigan1]

Here is a lil vid...i know it looks like i'm pulling her in the mouth, but i really was expecting another stride lol... and i struggled to keep a colected canter:(
And when i came back into trot, i had to do the whole halting process once agian. should i try this on the 1st ring of the gag...or shall i do it in the snaffle like today...although if i did do it in a gag, i would have to learn in a snaffle sooner or later:(

[maximum]

tarmi - this is why I said it might take 5 minutes or 5 weeks- just keep doing it and eventually she will settle and stop leaping and changing legs- you just have to stay quiet and balanced and ignore any nonsense and not move forward until you have this part cracked.

go back to the trot to start the session and dont stop and halt - the point is to keep her forward and in the rythym- I know its hard but it does not happen overnight for some horses and until she is clam enough to canter over a few poles on the ground she is best not to jump.

[fimacg]

Ptarmi, Brave was like this intially,because he had never jumped before I bought him, he still is in fact when I present him to something new... the canter poles are a great exercise I used the ones on a clock face, ones scattered randomly around the school once and once he figured out how to go over one without too much bother I would ride over two or three randonmly place ones in a row on on a curve so he learnt to figure out how to shorten or lengthen to get over them. I also used 3 in a fan shape in the corner of the school which really helped him find his balance.

I did this for about 2 or 3 weeks before ever presenting him to a jump. he did get the hang of it quite quickly but I always started each pole exercise in walk so he understood what he was being asked to do, then moved up to trot and once he unsterstood that, canter and if it started to go pear shaped it was back to trot until he got the message.