This week I am going to tell you the basics in jumping in a school. Instead of telling you my adventures I am going to tell you how to create a very memorable moment. Here are 16 easy steps to the basics of Horse jumping, at the end of this blog you dictionary will be full of horse jumping techniques.


Steps

1.Make sure its what you really want to do, because it may be expensive and very dangerous. It also takes a lot of determination

 

2.Get lessons from a qualified instructor in all basic horse riding before attempting to jump. Make sure your instructor agrees that you are really ready to jump

 

3.Use all the proper equipment.

 

4.Learn to hold the mane, without dropping your reins, and stay in your 2-point or jumping position at all three gaits so that you don't injure your horse's back or mouth. You will also need to know your leads

 

5.Learn to hold the mane, without dropping your reins, and stay in your 2-point or jumping position at all three gaits so that you don't injure your horse's back or mouth. You will also need to know your leads

 

6.Check your tack. Make sure that you are using all the necessary equipment and that it fits you and your horse correctly. Be especially certain to check that your girth is tight enough.

 

7.Do some two-point, sometimes known as half-seat or jump seat, exercises. This will help build leg muscle while going over the jump so you can stay balanced

 

8.Start with low crossrails that your horse could literally step over. Don't rush into big fences or could seriously injure yourself and your horse

 

9.Set up your cavaletti (or crossrail) in a straight line along a fence if possible. An average horse's stride needs to be about 4 feet apart. A pony will be about 2-3 feet apart.

 

10.Ride your horse over the cavaletti at a regular trot. Their hooves should step in the center in between each pole. If the horse takes 2 steps, they are too far, and if horse knocks pole with hoof they are too close together. Do not stop or look down while jumping. EVER. Squeeze with your legs before the pole and follow your horse's movement as you lean into two-point. Don't go too far forward and let the horse get you out of the saddle. Try to just close your hip angle as-s-pose to standing in your stirrups. When you are going over the jump, pick an object in the distance to look at. This helps you maintain your balance. Grab a piece of mane so you don't catch him in the mouth when you land. Let the horse lift your butt out of the saddle. Let your weight sink down into your heels.

 

11.Once have mastered this, you may continue on to a larger crossrail. A crossrail is a jump that has two poles that cross over one another. Looks like a squashed "X". It encourages the horse to jump in the middle, where the obstacle is lower. Be sure to have ample room to approach and land after each jump

 

12.Move up to a vertical. Just by hearing the name, you can probably guess that this jump is straight across. The vertical is normally set up to be taller than the crossrail; although it can be adjusted to any height. After your coach agrees and you feel confident, you could start with low courses of a few jumps.

 

13.Takeoff. The horse takes off a few feet in front of the fence, about the same distance away as the height of the fence. Try to get a good distance. If it seems your horse will jump long, sit tight and do a big half halt (but keep squeezing with your legs). If it seems your horse will jump short, try to extend your canter. Just try to keep your balance and sit still as the horse takes off. You will find that your body automatically swings forward with the horse. Remember to allow your horse's head as much freedom as it needs to stretch for the fence

 

14."In mid-air" As the horse jumps over the fence, keep your lower legs underneath you, with your weight down through your heels. Allow as much rein as the horse needs by letting your arms stretch forward with the movement of the head and neck as they stretch over the fence

 

15."In mid-air" As the horse jumps over the fence, keep your lower legs underneath you, with your weight down through your heels. Allow as much rein as the horse needs by letting your arms stretch forward with the movement of the head and neck as they stretch over the fence

 

16.Get-Away Just like the approach, it needs to be straight. As soon as the horse is landed, you can take up more contact with the bit once again, and make any adjustments to your pace or direction before the next fence comes. (Also you will want to put some sort of leg wrap or protection on your horses leg so it dosnt go lame if it hits a pole. Polo wraps or splint boots are best).

 

 

I hope that these steps in how to horse jump have helped and that you now know how to jump propely.

Last weeks horse ride was such a thrill, I went in the school but it was a different type of lesson. Instead of just doing tricks and tactics in the school we did a jumping lesson which is very rare thing that happens in the rose and crown. We started of with the simple cross poles and gradually progressed to a 2ft straight pole. We didn't a canter over the poles this helps us get more height over the poles instead of trotting and failing to jump the pole and get a clear round. As always, I rode my favourite horse ever, BOB, he is still as amazing as ever at trusts me quite a lot. He also obeys what signals I give him in horse terms these are called aids. Aids are a sequence of instructions that you give the horse for it to move or move forward or slow down. I will be going horse riding again this weekend and I don't know if I will be going out on a road ride or staying in the school to improve my horsemanship.

This weekend I am going horse riding at the rose and crown, Tiverton. I am looking forward to this event as it is extremely thrilling and the adrenalin kinks are amazing. I am only in the riding school this week as I went out last week and the horse needs a break! The school is amazing we learn a new technique of riding every week. This widens our riding dictionary and out knowledge on the horse that we ride and the horses around the stables. The horse I ride is called BOB! Bob is an amazing horse he is a cob horse and was born in England. His coat is a skewbald colour which is like a black and white marbled effect all over the horse, it looks amazing. He is quite an old fashioned horse as he still has feathers over his feet, feathers are like a fringe that goes over the horse’s foot and hit the floor. Also, Bob sometimes grows a moustache he looks like an old man when he does this but is irritates him so when it gets to the length where it irritates him than we cut it of for his sack.

Horse riding

Horse riding is amazing. The thrill and adrenalin is a out of this world feeling you can't top it, its admirable. One time on a horse and that's it your hooked forever. The quote "love and first site" should change to "love at first ride." If you ride you will definitely understand and agree. Horse riding isn't just about riding the horse, its also about horsemanship. The key to a good rider is fantastic horsemanship,you have to learn to trust your horse and your horse to trust you. There are various exercises and games you can do to create great horsemanship. The best horsemanship activity is grooming and tacking your horse, this is an activity you should be doing nearly everyday so the bond between you and your horse grows everyday, what a privilege. Also, if you just love your horse and congratulate your horse for when if behaves or preforms a trick exceptionally that the horse will automatically start trusting you as it thinks that if I behave and be kind i will be rewarded. The most important thing to remember is that horses are very sensitive and can understand what humans emotions are by their body language. So, some advice is to never show fear around your pony as your pony will sense this and react in a way that might not be very welcoming. REMEMBER: always treat your pony as you want to be treated and you will go far as a pair.