From Poles To Jumps
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I have no problem riding over poles, but jumps intimidate me. When I was young, the highest I'd ever jumped was three feet. After years spent pleasure riding, doing ride 'n' tie, and distance riding, I decided to expand my riding skills and take some jumping lessons. My coach, after making sure I had a secure seat on the flat, deemed me ready to start jumping. With one small adjustment to shorten the length of my stirrups by a notch, I was ready to face a jump.
When you move from riding on the flat and over poles lying upon the ground, the first jump, you'll likely face is a small cross rail. Coaches vary in how they teach students to take this first jump. Some will set the cross rail at the end of a small line of poles, so you'll already be in two-point as your horse trots over the cross rails. Some will set the jump up alone, so that you'll learn to ride into it sitting securely with your bottom in the saddle, and then rise slightly into your two-point position to go over the jump. The two-point position is important to stay in balance with your horse.
I also learned it's very important to look where you are going. After all, you're the only one that knows where you are headed, because your horse should be just taking directions, and not making any decisions on its own. So you need to look beyond your jump, to a spot on the wall or fence you want to go towards, not at the jump itself. Looking downwards actually affects your balance and that of your horse.
Your coach will help you learn where you should cue your horse to take off before the jump. Because you'll be going over a tiny cross rail, the takeoff point will be almost directly in front of it. The take off point for most jumps is roughly the same as the height of the jump. So if your jump is two feet high, the take-off point is roughly two feet in front of the jump. When your horse lifts its forequarters over the cross rail, you will go into two point and release, so your hands go a little way up the horse's neck. This release is important so that you don't interfere with the horse's balance and accidentally confuse him with an unintentional rein aid. Don't let the reins slide through your hands though, because you won't have contact with the bit once you've landed. It's perfectly okay to stabilize yourself by placing your hands against the horse's neck or grabbing a handful of mane. This is certainly better than jabbing on your horse's mouth if you lose your balance and grab at the reins.
When you land, settle gently back into the saddle, and bring your hands back position. Be sure not to fold your legs back or push them forward. Your leg position shouldn't really change from the position they're in on the flat. Once you've mastered a small cross rail, you'll be ready to tackle a small line of jumps and then start raising the height. |
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