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Permalink Reply by Michelle Synnot on March 2, 2009 at 7:28pm

perhaps have your student two point while trotting over cavalettis? Or perhaps a small grid of x poles? Helping them focus more on dropping their heel while going over an obstacle...

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Pannell on March 3, 2009 at 1:17am

Hi Lena, try taking away her stirrups! Just over small jumps and in a grid to start with . Cheers Geoffery

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Permalink Reply by Cassy Wunsch on March 3, 2009 at 3:45pm

When I was starting out jumping my instructor would take our stirrups off the saddle and we would do a line of bounces without stirrups. We also had someone else at the end of the line holding up fingers and we had to say how many before we were done so we could prove we were not cheating (by looking down)..

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Franklin on March 3, 2009 at 4:03pm

Encourage her to jump bareback. She can always start with a rug on or one of those saddle pads, if she does not feel safe enough. I did lots of this as a kid (and once recently at a barbeque at my aggistment, after a few drinks lol) I probably rode bareback more than with a saddle. I actually had to concentrate on using my stirrups more, as my legs kept going back once I started jumping 1 metre +. The basic grip is still there as I lost both stirrups the other day, while going over a triple and still stuck it easily.

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Permalink Reply by IrishRider on March 3, 2009 at 5:45pm

Are her stirrups too long? I have found that some people (myself included) tend to reach or stand while jumping to compensate for too long of stirrup. Maybe try shortening her stirrups a hole or two. It might improve her base dramatically. It did mine.

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Permalink Reply by Dori Nowazek on March 11, 2009 at 3:11pm

The best thing that my coach ever did with this one girl that had the same problem in my pony club is to ride without stirrups and go up into two point without them. Now she always does her two point properly even when shes in the stirrups. I hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Linda Weldon on March 23, 2009 at 10:44am

Tell them to push their bottoms (bum) back towards the cantle. They generally can't stand up AND push their bottoms back at the same time. Stops them from jumping ahead of the horse over the jump and keeps the two-point position.

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Permalink Reply by Lucy on March 23, 2009 at 9:37pm

My coach has had me do alot of two point on the flat at walk and trot. Then we started doing two point over poles before progressing to cross-rails. I found that really helped as I was able to get a nice solid two point going.

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Permalink Reply by Lallanslover on March 25, 2009 at 10:41am

I'd go with shortening the stirrups, even to the point of them being a little too short. It certainly worked for me when I was learning to jump! My instructor had us up like race jockeys, so we couldn't stand even if we tried...

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Permalink Reply by Heather Frydendahl on March 28, 2009 at 9:56am

Try explaining to the student to almost place their butt 'into' the saddle when they jump, with their crotch near the pommel. Try and get her to understand she has to let the horse push her into position, with only a following rein/crest release from her. Sometimes the hardest thing for riders to learn is to do nothing! I've found this, within a few tries, works most of the time. As others said, make sure the stirrups are short enough for jumping.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Susan on March 28, 2009 at 10:09am

By coincidence, Tim Stockdale just addressed this in a blog he added here two minutes ago. Check it out!
http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blogs/teaching-your-horse-to-jump

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Permalink Reply by lauren anderson on April 11, 2009 at 10:27am

hi! my riding school's great but sometimes we have a different instructor and she keeps trying to tell me not to even lean forward while jumping. i've tried to explain to her that buster (the horse i ride) is green and does not respond to her way. when she got on and rode him she couldn't make him step over a trotting pole. she also said to put by bum back in the saddle, which is a good training exercise but should not be a proper position because whenever she says my position was in her mind perfect im offbalanced and end up on the horses neck, until the point when my horse starts refusing and im anti training him. anyway, i suggest you lunge them over a really small jump without reins OR stirrups and gradually make the jump higher. encourage them to lean forward slighty but not stand up. the no reins just means theyre not relying on the reins while learning the new position.

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