Jumping help (horses)?

Question

The highest i've jumped on my horse has been 2'3'', and she takes the jumps really big. She's only 14.1, so she has to, but sometimes it flings me out of the tack. That part's getting better, but i get afraid to go over the higher jumps bc i'm worried i'll fall. (I know 2'3'' isn't big at all but it feels huge when ur on a small horse.) Any tips to psyche myself out to wear i'm unafraid?

Answer 1

just think ur on a draft horse thats what i'd do

Answer 2

bfal horseracing or www.horseracinggold.org.uk great info and much more in their forum

Answer 3

Small horses and ponies must use more energy to get themselves over jumps than larger horses that really need only to fold up their legs.  The result can be a huge effort that can be scary.  If you are afraid to jump higher, then don't.  Stay at the level you are or even back down a bit until you are comfortable.  Why are you pushing yourself to take higher fences?  Are you concerned about the jumps being too small, is an outside source pushing you to jump higher?  Beware peer pressure or a bullying instructor, some fear is natural, but the level of fear you speak of is concerning to me, I would not let one of my students progress if they shared this concern with me, and I have heard this concern before.  I grew up riding pony jumpers in a time where there were no pony jumper classes and now I speciallize working with horses 15 hh and under.  You need to speak up, tell your instructor how you feel, sometimes you can build confidence by riding a larger horse over the same fences.  The next problem is that without seeing your pony jump I can't tell exactly what you mean by 'jumping really big'.  Is she simply gathering herself to get over the fence, which on a pony can feel bigger than on a horse or is she overjumping, taking a bigger arc over the fence than necessary because she is afraid to catch a rail.  I think the best advice would be to go back, work with ground poles and gymnastic lines to build rhythm, confidence and momentum over the jumps and speak to your instructor about lowering the height of the fences themselves to a level you are comfortable with.  Then you can slowly begin to build them back up again, an inch a week, this way you jump higher each week without a noticeable difference and you can gain confidence over fences that grow increasingly taller.  Don't let anyone tell you that ponies can't jump, the best jumper I ever owned was only 14.1 hh and he wasn't a genetically engineered 'sport pony' that has become so popular of late but a rather blocky looking grade pony rescued from the slaughter pen of a horse auction.

Answer 4

Learns more to get with her

Like over exercise pole's etc,,

no jump higher at all yet ,, get the small onez down first,,

She must be a nice ponie

for you practice more slowly

Answer 5

First of all, when you say she jumps it big, do you mean she clears it by a lot, or she just uses a lot of momentum to power herself over it? (have someone watch while you jump her, or lunge her over a jump) If she is jumping too high over the fences, then she isn't ready to jump bigger.

Also, if you are getting flung out of the tack at 2'3", -you- are defintely not ready to jump any bigger! Maybe work over 2' for a while to really get your jumping position secure. Jumping isn't a race to see who can jump the highest :-)

Once you are confident and secure over 2'3", and your pony is too, then you can move on to bigger fences without a problem. You should never be afraid that you are going to fall off, as that means that you are doing things that you aren't ready for riding wise. Hope this helps!