2FOOT3 show jumping tips to help me jump clear and do a good jump off . ?

Question

On Sunday i have entered my 13.2 mare who can easily jump 2ft6 courses in her first 2ft.3 class, I reason to believe that it will be a fairly small show but must of the horses in my class will be big horses not ponies. I would love to get placed but my pony is not very fast. Have you got any tips for the jump off to get my pony more speedy ect maybe get placed . all advice greatly appreciated.

thanks

Charlie x

In the uk .

Answer 1

kick your pony every three strides and the last few strides before a jump gently smack your pony on the shoulder and ask for a canter in the air to ensure you pony to keep cantering and keep your leg on

Answer 2

Actually from what i have seen, ponies place very well and often when lower level jumpers. (ive gotten beaten by them plenty of times!)

Ponys have such a short stride that they can make tighter turns with less effort then a full size horse.

So for you to win, just ride normal in you round and in your jump off, take all the tightest turns possible to shed seconds off your time :]

Answer 3

your mare does not have to be fast to win jump offs. My warm bloodlso slow but we win often by using our turns. Do not go far out in your corners, take the inside turns, you might need a little speed in some spots but using your corners will take a ton off your time. Just make sure on your turns you use your legs

Answer 4

Don't worry im sure you'll do great!

Ponies are great for jump offs - you can do much tighter turns than all the big horses, saving precious seconds!

To try and encourage your pony to go faster get into forward seat between jumps - lean forward slightly and lighten your seat - give with your hands abit aswell so your not holding her back.

Also don't forget that horses going fast will sometimes be careless and knock jumps. If you go round slow but clear, you may well beat someone who goes round fast but knocks a couple down

Good luck! :)

Answer 5

The way you shave off time in a jump off is to cut the corners and leave out as many strides as you can. A 13.2 hand horse should actually have an advantage in this because the smaller horses can turn faster. So, when you plan your jump off track, find all the places that you can to shorten the track and you'll post your best time.

Answer 6

You could try feeding him with race horse cubes in his feed. My pony is very lazy and we started feeding him them and he perked up a bit.

You could also use spurs and when going over a jump or leading up to it give him a tap on his butt with a whip.