In This Chapter
- Exploring different jumping styles and fences
- Moving through the jumping process
- Going over a series of fences
- Solving jumping problems
Jumping isn’t part of the Western
and dressage disciplines, but for most hunt seat riders, jumping is the
ultimate goal. The feeling of soaring over a fence on the back of a horse is
exhilarating. After you try it, it’s hard not to get hooked.
In this chapter, I tell you about
the different types of competitive jumping and the various types of fences. I
also detail how to ask a horse to jump, how to position your body when jumping,
and how to ride over multiple jumps. Finally, I cover common jumping problems
and how to deal with them.
Warning!
Safety is an important issue, especially during the learning process. Make sure your instructor is present when you practice your jumping, and always wear an ASTM/SEI-approved safety helmet. (See Chapter Safety First: Protecting Yourself around Horses for more information on helmets.) Also, if you’re just figuring out how to jump, you should be studying with an experienced jumping instructor and riding an experienced jumping horse, one known for her ability and willingness to jump with an inexperienced jumper rider on her back.
Delving into Different Types of Jumping
Jumping is exciting in the schooling arena, but it’s even more of a rush in competition. Most hunt seat riders work toward the eventual goal of jumping in one of several types of competitions. Each of the competitions in the following sections offers different challenges and requires certain types of horses and riders. (For an introduction to horse competitions, head to Chapter Show Off: Riding in Competition.) You can also learn jumping just for the fun of it, although most riders who study jumping soon get the urge to compete.
On the inside: Arena jumping
The most popular type of
competitive jumping takes place in an arena. Riders can compete in two basic
types of arena jumping: show jumping (also called stadium jumping) and hunters.
Show jumping
If you’ve ever watched the
equestrian events during the Olympic Games, you’ve probably seen show jumping
(check out Figure 16-1). Show jumping can take place in a stadium as big as
Madison Square Garden or in the arena of your local boarding stable. The rules
are essentially the same, regardless of the venue. Only the experience and
skill levels of the horses and riders — and the winning prize — differ from one
setting to the next.
In show jumping, horse and
rider teams have to negotiate a series of jumps within a certain amount of
time. The team that finishes the course in the shortest amount of time with the
fewest faults is the winner. Teams accumulate faults when the horse knocks down
parts of the jump, when the horse refuses to take a jump (I discuss refusals
later in this chapter), or when the rider jumps the fences in the wrong order.
Fences for beginners often start
at 2 feet, 6 inches. At the higher levels, which include the Olympics, fences
can be as high as 8 feet or more.
Figure 16-1: Show jumping,
also called stadium jumping, is a timed event.
Hunters
Based on the British tradition of
foxhunting, hunter classes consist of a series of jumps that horse and
rider have to negotiate in a particular order. Unlike show jumping, hunter
classes are not timed. Instead, judges rate the horse on her manners and how
she looks when going over the fences. The fences are also lower in hunter
classes.
Protocol
In hunter classes, riders are expected to dress a certain way (see Chapter Not Just for the Brits: English Riding for more information about hunt seat apparel) and to groom their horses accordingly. Hunter horses usually have braided manes and tails and are impeccably groomed.
Beginning hunters can start out
with a crossrails class, which consists of a course made up of crossrails only,
the smallest of jumps (I describe crossrail jumps later in this chapter). Many
schooling shows offer hunter classes with fences as low as 12 inches. At the
upper levels of hunters, fences get as high as 4 feet.
Out there: Cross-country jumping
Cross-country jumpers are the
daredevils of the jumping world. They jump over just about anything in their
way. You can find competitive cross-country courses at all levels, from novice
to the Olympics. Cross-country may be part of a competition called three-day
eventing (dressage and show jumping are the other two events), or it can
stand on its own as a separate, single competition.
Cross-country events take
place out in the open (see Figure 16-2). The courses consist of a series of
jumps presented over several miles, and the level of competition determines the
number of miles and jumps. Unlike arena jumping, which is made up of non-solid
jumps that fall down when the horse hits them, cross-country jumps are solid
and don’t fall, making this sport a bit riskier than arena jumping.
The jumps in cross-country
consist of a variety of objects, including telephone poles and ditches that
must be jumped over and water obstacles that require the horse to land in a
small pond. The horse and rider have to complete the course within a given time
frame. Horse-and-rider teams receive faults if the horse refuses the jump or
the rider falls off.
Cross-country jumps can start at
as low as a telephone pole on the ground and work their way up to 11 feet, 10
inches for ditch drop jumps (jumps that require the horse to land lower
than where she took off) in the more advanced divisions. Because cross-country
jumps vary so much, some obstacles are long rather than tall, meaning the horse
has to jump farther rather than higher.
Figure 16-2: Cross-country
jumping tests the stamina and courage of horses and riders.
Checking Out Types of Fences
If you plan to ride hunt seat and
learn to jump, you need to know some of the common types of fences you may have
to negotiate. As I explain in the following sections, each fence type offers
its own set of challenges — and learning experiences — for both horse and
rider. Figure 16-3 depicts five popular types of fences: crossrails, verticals,
oxers, walls, and cross-country jumps. Riding instructors start students on the
easiest fence first and move them to more advanced fences when they’re ready.
X marks the spot: Crossrails
A crossrails fence is considered
a warm-up fence, and it’s the first fence you jump when you’re learning this
skill. Crossrails consist of two rails in an X shape placed between two jump
standards, or the vertical poles that hold up the horizontal poles (refer
to Figure 16-3 for an illustration of a crossrails fence).
Figure 16-3: Novice jumpers
start with crossrails and work their way through verticals, oxers, walls, and
possibly crosscountry jumps.
Crossrails are designed to
encourage the horse to jump in the center of the jump, the lowest point. This
fence is the best one for beginners because it teaches them to gauge where the
center of the jump is. For novice jumpers, jumping off to the side of the
crossrails rather than in the center is a common mistake. Also, horses
sometimes leave too early with crossrails, meaning they jump sooner than
they should to properly clear the barrier.
Get some air: Verticals
A vertical fence is more advanced
than a crossrails fence (see the preceding section), but it’s still suitable
for beginning jumpers. Vertical fences consist of two jump standards
(vertical poles) and one or two poles laid out horizontally between them, kind
of like a split rail fence (refer back to Figure 16-3).
Verticals are ideal for helping
riders figure out how to judge distance — to know where the horse should take
off for the jump. For new riders, vertical fences are more challenging than
crossrails because verticals don’t provide a lot of visual definition for the
horse. The horse may have trouble determining the best place to start to jump,
so the rider needs to provide guidance. This responsibility can be difficult
for new jumpers, who are just figuring out how to judge distance themselves.
The result may be that the horse takes off too soon or too late to jump the
obstacle. (See the later section “Taking the jump” for more information about
the jumping process.)
Go the distance: Oxers
More advanced than vertical
fences, oxers provide a more three-dimensional obstacle for horses. Oxers have
two sets of jump standards (vertical posts) and two sets of horizontal poles,
making them deeper than verticals. Even oxers have horizontal poles at
the same level; uneven oxers have the front set of poles lower than the
other. Refer to Figure 16-3 for an image.
Students negotiate oxers after
they’ve mastered the skill of correctly judging distance with crossrails and
verticals. Because the horse has to jump width as well as height when
negotiating an oxer, this jump teaches horse and rider to take off from the
right place; the added dimension helps the pair estimate distance more
accurately.
Not as scary as they look: Walls
Walls are the most intimidating
of the jumps because they appear solid and therefore bigger. A wall is
just what it sounds like: a wall built between two jump standards (vertical
poles). Of course, the wall in this case is just a series of unattached, lightweight
blocks stacked on top of each other. The lack of mortar enables them to come
down easily if the horse strikes them with her legs. (See Figure 16-3 for an
image.)
To jump a wall, you need a
confident horse who’s not easily frightened by jumps. Some horses become
hesitant when jumping a wall because the jump looks more difficult to negotiate
and because they can’t see what’s on the other side.
Remember
These fences can be daunting to horses, so you need to exhibit confidence in yourself to encourage your horse to take the leap of faith. Jumping walls helps you become a “brave” jumper. The more walls you jump, the more confident you’ll be; in turn, you’ll pass that confidence on to your horse.
A test of stamina: Cross-country jumps
When beginning to jump
cross-country, riders encounter relatively easy obstacles — compared to what
the upper levels are jumping, that is. These obstacles can be anything from
telephone poles to low shrubs, from verticals to oxers (which you may have
encountered in your arena lessons — see the earlier sections on these types of
fences). In Figure 16-3, the long wooden pole at the bottom right is an example
of a cross-country jump.
When jumping cross-country
obstacles, you test your stamina and that of your horse. You also put all the
skills you learned in arena jumping to the test while you’re out in the great
wide open.
Making Your Way through the Jumping Process
Horses are amazing for many
reasons, one of which is their ability to jump. Jumping comes naturally to
horses, although they need to be taught proper technique. Proper jumping
involves good form over fences (the way the horse carries herself),
obedience to the rider (in order to take direction), and courage (to jump over
something intimidating when asked).
In the following sections, I
describe the two-point position, which is crucial in successful jumping. I also
take you through a single jump step-by-step.
Practicing the two-point position
Before you can take a horse over
a jump, you need to know how to hold your body while the horse is in the air.
Called the two-point, this position enables you to stay balanced while
taking your weight off the horse’s back to assist her in clearing the jump.
Your riding instructor should
give you plenty of practice at the two-point position before you start jumping.
Regularly practicing this position can build up the muscles in your legs so you
can adequately hold yourself in two-point over a series of jumps.
Remember
Follow these guidelines for the two-point position (and see Figure 16-4). In one motion, make sure you
- Bend forward from the hips (not your waist) so your chest is at a 45-degree angle to your horse’s body.
- Put your weight in your heels, which are pointing down. Keep contact on the saddle with your knees without squeezing.
- Lift yourself slightly but not completely from the saddle.
- Keep your hands low, almost resting on the horse’s neck.
- Keep your head straight ahead with eyes looking forward.
Figure 16-4: A rider in two-point
position rider bends forward from the hips while lifting her weight out of the saddle.
Taking the leap
So exactly how do you get a horse
to jump over a fence? Essentially, you aim the horse toward the fence and ask
her to go forward, and the horse takes the jump. Your job as the rider is to
Keep the horse centered as she approaches the jump
Control her speed so she approaches the jump in a controlled manner
Assume a correct body position to allow the horse to jump without interference
The horse does the rest!
When jumping more than one fence
in succession (see the later section called “Riding over Multiple Jumps”), you
also need to measure the horse’s strides and control her speed so she takes off
for the jump from the right spot. Some horses are naturally good at figuring
out this distance and timing for themselves, but your job as a rider is to
influence the horse and guide her.
Tip
Before you start jumping, warm up your horse. Walk and trot her in the arena for at least 10 minutes so her muscles are ready to work.
Keeping your horse obedient and brave
Although jumping is a natural behavior for a horse,
jumping with a rider on board is not. You can do a lot to make sure your
horse is willing to jump with you on her back.
First, encourage your horse to be obedient. Before
you start jumping, spend time riding your horse in the arena and practice
turns and circles at the different gaits as I discuss in Chapters Enjoying
the Walk, Bumping
Up Your Skills with the Jog or Trot, and Getting
on the Fast Track with the Lope or Canter. This practice is a good way of “turning up” your horse before you start jumping.
Next, work on your own confidence to help your horse
be brave. Horses are very sensitive, and they pick up on a rider’s feelings.
If you’re riding a horse who doesn’t have a lot of confidence and experience
in jumping and you’re fearful as you approach a jump, you may scare your horse.
The good news is that most lesson horses are brave on their own and don’t
need the rider to exude a lot of confidence to take a jump. A horse like this
can help you build your own confidence when riding, enabling you to take that
confidence to any horse you ride.
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When you’re ready to jump, follow
these steps:
1. Ask the horse to trot (see
Chapter Bumping
Up Your Skills with the Jog or Trot for details on trotting).
Make sure you like the speed the horse is going and that you feel balanced and comfortable. Then turn her toward the fence. Make sure you have at least four horse-lengths worth of distance between you and the fence when you start your approach.
2. Keep your legs on the horse
for contact as you approach the fence and aim the horse at the center of the
jump.
More than likely, your horse’s ears will go up when she sees the fence in anticipation of taking the jump.
Warning!
Keep your eyes forward and resist the urge to look down at the jump. Doing so may throw you off balance.
3. Just as you approach the
base of the jump, assume the two-point position (see the preceding section),
keeping contact with your legs.
If your horse is a bit on the sluggish side, you may want to add a little more pressure with your calves just as you hit the spot where she needs to take off. You’ll have a sense of where this spot is as you get close to the jump.
4. As the horse goes over the
jump, maintain the two-point position and prepare yourself mentally for
landing.
By staying in position and maintaining your balance, you help the horse make it over the jump.
5. When the horse lands, stay
in the two-point position for a couple of strides and then slowly sit back in
the saddle.
Keep your eyes up and focused at the end of the arena to help you maintain your balance.
Tip
If you feel like you’re being left behind when your horse lands after the jump, grab some mane in one of your hands just before the horse jumps. This grip can help you balance and keep you moving with the horse when you land.
To get an idea of what your body
should look like as you go over a fence, see Figure 16-2, earlier in this
chapter.
Riding over Multiple Jumps
After you master jumping a single
fence, your riding instructor may start you on multiple fences. Different
multiple-fence patterns, such as the ones in the following sections, teach you
specific jumping skills. Your instructor will watch you go over each series of
fences and give you advice on your jumping as you practice.
Getting on the grid
One of the first fence patterns
you may jump in your training is called a grid. Designed to help you learn
balance when jumping, a grid consists of two to four fences (or poles on
the ground) in a row, usually with poles also laid on the ground perpendicular
to these fences to serve as guides. These poles help keep the horse moving
straight toward the jump on the approach. The fences in a grid are easy jumps,
such as crossrails (which I describe earlier in this chapter). See Figure 16-5
for a photo of a grid.
The grid pattern is laid out to
create measured strides between fences. When strides are unmeasured, as in
lines and courses, a horse may have difficulty deciding on the right place to
negotiate the jump; the horse needs guidance from the rider on the proper
number and length of strides between fences (see the later sections called
“Staying in line” and “Being on course” for info on other types of multiple
jumps).
However, the premeasured distances in a grid make jumping multiple fences easier on the rider. You don’t have to figure out how many strides the horse needs to take between jumps. A grid may require one stride between two fences and then two strides between two others. Because the strides are already measured between fences, the grid teaches the rider where he or she and the horse must take off in order to successfully clear a fence.
Figure 16-5: Riders learn to
judge distances between fences when jumping a grid.
Staying in line
Besides the grid (see the
preceding section), another simple fence pattern for novice jumpers is a line.
Consisting of two or three fences in a row, often crossrails, a line has
unmeasured distances between the obstacles. In other words, the jumps weren’t
designed so that the horse has to take a specific number of strides between
them. Instead, one fence may have two strides before it, while another may have
four or five.
The rider has to determine how
many strides the horse needs to take and at what speed to successfully
negotiate the jumps. The rider then has to communicate the decision to the
horse by asking the horse to shorten or lengthen her strides accordingly.
Successful estimates come with repeated practice and guidance from your
instructor. Figure 16-6 shows a rider navigating a line pattern.
Being on course
Figure 16-6: A line consists
of two or more fences set at an unmeasured distance apart.
Figure 16-7: When riders have
mastered the grid and line, they’re ready for more variation in a course.
Riders must be skilled at judging
distances to a fence so they can control the number of strides the horse takes
in between. The distance between fences and the length of the particular
horse’s strides determine what this number will be. Tall, long-legged horses
tend to have longer strides than shorter, more compact horses.
Horse-and-rider teams negotiate
courses in both hunter and show jumper competitions. The type of course and the
height of the jumps depend on the level of competition and whether hunters or
jumpers are being judged. See Chapter Show
Off: Riding in Competition for more info on shows.
Overcoming Jumping Problems
Although jumping is natural for horses,
jumping strange objects that a horse can easily go around, with a rider on her
back, is not. Consequently, jumping problems do arise from time to time. Most
of these problems are “manmade,” meaning that horses develop these issues
because of bad experiences due to poor riding.
As a novice jumper, you hopefully
won’t have to deal with any of the problems in the following sections. Most of
the school masters (lesson horses) who help teach beginners how to jump
are push-button; they’ll jump pretty much anything, no matter what. But should
you ever find yourself dealing with a horse who has jumping issues such as
refusing, running out, or rushing, you want to know what’s causing the problem
and how to fix it.
Refusing to jump
When a horse refuses a jump,
she’s, well, refusing to jump. This problem usually crops up when the horse
puts on the brakes at the moment she’s supposed to take off over the obstacle
(see Figure 16-8).
The consequences to the rider are
often unpleasant. The rider, anticipating the horse’s forward motion, is thrown
off balance. In the best case scenario, you may fall forward onto the horse’s
neck and then recover. In the worst case scenario, you can fall forward over
the horse’s neck and end up in the dirt (aren’t you glad you’re wearing a
helmet?).
Horses refuse fences when they
lack confidence. They’re afraid they can’t make the jump, so they stop short.
Sometimes, this fearfulness — or occasionally, disobedience — comes from a lack
of confidence in the rider. The horse senses the rider’s uncertainty and
becomes uncertain, too.
Figure 16-8: Refusals are the
result of lack of confidence in the horse and sometimes the rider.
Warning!
Don’t punish a horse who refuses jumps; instead, lower the jump to a height that’s more comfortable for the horse and try again. You may have to lower the jump to the point where the horse can just step over it from a walk. The goal is to rebuild the horse’s confidence.
Running out
Running out occurs when a
horse veers around a jump instead of going over it (see Figure 16-9). A form of
refusal, this habit stems from a lack of confidence on the part of the horse
and/or rider. Running out can be scary because it can throw you off balance
when you least expect it.
Tip
To help a horse learn to take a jump instead of running out, create a “funnel” by placing two poles on either side of the jump standard, with one end resting on the top bar of the jump and the other end on the ground. These poles create a visual guide to encourage the horse to go straight over the jump rather than around it. When guiding the horse toward the funnel, keep the reins a little bit shorter than usual while applying an even amount of leg pressure to help give the horse confidence.
Figure 16-9: Horses run out
on fences when they lack confidence to jump them.
Rushing
When a horse rushes a
jump, she approaches it too quickly and takes off from the ground at the wrong
place, failing to take the correct number of strides between fences (see Figure
16-10). As the horse tries to take the jump, she strikes the fence with her
hooves and knocks it down.
The causes of rushing can be
multiple. Sometimes, the rider is unwittingly gunning the horse, or
pushing the horse too quickly with too much leg pressure. The horse gets
excited and overanticipates the jump. Horses also rush jumps because they’re
anxious about jumping, are worried they won’t make the jump unless they
approach it with a lot of speed, or simply aren’t listening to the rider.
Tip
To reschool a horse who rushes, keep gentle pressure on the reins without making them too taut when approaching the jump. Trot to the fence, jump over it, and then stop after it. Do this step repeatedly until the horse understands that jumping doesn’t mean a mad dash around the arena. The grid obstacle, which I describe earlier in this chapter, can be helpful in teaching the horse patience. This setup works because the jumps come quickly one after another, forcing the horse to slow down and think before leaping.
Figure 16-10: A horse who
over-anticipates the jump or is pushed too fast by the rider may rush the
fence.
by Audrey Pavia with Shannon Sand
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