“Top ten”–Jumping tips

So I had a great question from Alese about tips for jumping. To kick it off, here’s a quick “top ten” of my jumping advice. You’ll notice quite a few of these are from my “top-ten always said” list–jumping is a lot like dressage, just with bumps!

1. You go where you look. This law is true for good and bad. It means that your horse can tell which way to turn after a jump just because you’re looking at the next jump–or it can mean your horse comes to a skidding halt because you’re looking down at the jump! Picking a tree or building to look at that is directly beyond your jump can help you keep your eyes up and ride a straight line to your jump.

2. No, really, keep your shoulders back. This is true in all riding, and ESPECIALLY true in jumping. When you jump, you ride in a “two-point” position, with your butt completely out of the saddle. Keeping your shoulders back gives you more strength in your upper body and keeps your center of gravity back over the saddle, both very important benefits when your only contact with the saddle is your feet in your stirrups! Also, should your horse brake suddenly, keeping your shoulders back helps your body stay back (and thus on the horse…)
3. Don’t pull on the reins. It’s easy to lose your balance when you start learning to jump. But if you use the reins to catch yourself, you are telling your horse, “Jump–wait, DON’T JUMP!” That’s not a good thing to say, because it’s not what you mean! If you need to grab on, use his mane or the saddle. Make sure you let your hands move forward as your horse jumps so he has lots of room to stretch his neck over the jump.
4. Keep your heels down. Your heels act as shock absorbers–they help soften the bouncing that naturally happens in jumping. If you keep your heels down, your feet stay where they’re supposed to in the stirrups, and can do their job. Keeping your heels down also help you keep your balance.
5. Ride straight. Approaching your jump straight makes your horse’s job easier. He can tell how tall the jump is and where he is supposed to go much better if you are riding straight toward the jump. This means that you have to take your turns to jumps at the right time and place. Turning too early or not enough will make you “undershoot” the jump, while turning too late or too sharply will cause you to overshoot it. Picking a spot on the fence or using another jump as a landmark for when you should turn can help. Picking a tree or building to look at directly behind your jump can also help you stay straight.
6. Speed isn’t necessary–power is. Your horse does not need to be charging full speed at a jump to get over it. What he DOES need to be is listening to you, and moving forward powerfully. He needs to respond if you ask him to lengthen his stride or change gaits upward. I recommend lots of transition work (e.g. walk-to-trot, trot-to-canter, canter-to-walk) and lengthening-shortening exercises (long canter stride to a short canter stride) before you start jumping to make sure you and your horse are on the same page.
7. Wait for it. It doesn’t help your horse jump at all if you get ahead of him. “Getting ahead” just means you’re trying to jump the jump before your horse’s feet have even left the ground! You don’t have to throw yourself forward when you jump. If you fold up and lean forward before your horse takes off, you’ll weigh down his front end and make it harder for him to jump at all. Try to wait and feel when your horse is starting to jump–as your horse starts to take off over the jump, then you can let your body move forward naturally.
8. Dress for success. Having the right equipment is always important, but especially so for jumping. Please don’t try jumping in a dressage saddle–the high cantle (back) of the saddle will bang into you and can really throw you off balance. Of course, always wear a helmet. Many riders also jump in a protective vest. These vests are required for cross country jumping.
9. Practice makes perfect. Practice all the parts of jumping BEFORE you jump your first jump! This means making sure you can do things like stay in two-point at all the gaits (walk, trot, canter) at least twice around the arena, or that you can let your hands move forward independently from your body. Practice “jumping” poles on the ground, and move up to cross rails (jumping poles in a low “x” shape”) only when you feel totally confident in two-point over the pole on the ground.
10. Only do what you want to do. Trying to jump something that you don’t feel ready to do is likely to end badly. Don’t be afraid to say you’re scared or not ready! You’ll get there someday–it doesn’t have to be today. Remember, your horse will know if you’re scared and don’t want to do something, and he won’t want to do it either. Have fun jumping–that’s what it’s all about!