I Must Be Insane to Start Jumping...at 48

So, after 5 years of riding as an adult, I decided that jumping would be a hoot. Two weeks ago, I turned that into a reality. It is a heck of a lot of fun, but boy...talk about fear factor!

The first jumping lesson was fairly smooth, mostly getting used to that sensation of the jump, trotting to the fence, cantering away, and then halt. The second lesson was building on that. Cantering to the jump, halting OR cantering away.

Last night, the third lesson should have built upon that, but Kingston's canter just felt so out of control and heavy. As such, I kept it trotting to the fence. I felt like my lesson fell apart, and it was going backwards. I suppose this is the world of hunter/jumper schooling.

All my trainer said was "you're hanging on his mouth and he's leaning on you!" But, I swear to God I was trying my best to half-halt and soften. At one point, when cantering away, then halting, it all went well until the halt. That just did not happen. Kingston proceeded to try and run off like a madman! Fortunately, instead of panicking, I simply opened the rein, and put him on a tight circle. He went around in a tight circle no less than 5 times! It was crazy!

I've been able to bring him back before, but, last night, all bets were off.

I guess the thing that stuck with me is a much smaller goal was achieved; I no longer panic when a horse begins to take off with me. So, rather than focus on "I didn't canter to the jump, oh, I failed", I focused on the fact that I pushed the panic and fear aside, and took control of the situation.

Sometimes the little goals are more special than the big goals!

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Comment by Gray Llarmis on May 26, 2014 at 8:50am: Jackie, I have no doubt that you will succeed in that goal to be able to jump small fences safely! Yes, and I do need to get Herb back in the saddle. Right now, we are riding bikes, and that does seem to help with balance and strenghtening.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress, and know that we are rooting for you!

Comment by Gray Llarmis on May 25, 2014 at 9:39am: The main reason for learning to jump was more of a pragmatic thing. Eventually, when we retire, I would like to move back to Tennessee, or one of the Carolinas, and join a hunt club. And, I thought it would be good to know how to jump confidently and safely. And even just hacking out; you might encounter a situation where the only safe way out is via a path that has a fallen tree. As a kid, I would just jump the log, but as an adult, that would give me pause.

Comment by Chuck Bartok on May 24, 2014 at 2:40pm: We are never too old to venture down new roads.
It is important for all of us to be sure we are physically ready to attempt SOME NEW STUFF ~~smile~~

Congatualtions

Comment by Jackie Cochran on May 22, 2014 at 9:57am: If your husband is content to ride a while just at a walk his choice of mounts increases. I have ridden a few horses with my feet hanging several inches below the belly. The horse can safely carry more weight at a walk than at other gaits.

Riding a horse at a walk helps me the most at keeping walking on my own two feet. I practice with a lot of two-point at the walk to practice keeping-losing-regaining my balance safely.

Comment by Gray Llarmis on May 22, 2014 at 9:02am: Interestingly, my first lesson was on Kingston, trotting to the fence, over then halt. I've ridden him many times, and he does tend to be heavy on the forehand, but nothing that a good half halt can't fix. The second lesson was on Pherdi, and we cantered to the fence, over and then away. That was fine and smooth. But Tuesday, Kingston was just ready to go, and that tendency to not release as much as you should just creeps in. Once that happens, that itch of fear creeps in, and at that point, safety is compromised. So, I switched gears, and decided to keep it simple, and enjoy and get a better feel for the jumping sensation over the fence.

My husband has relapse and remitting MS, so, I know what you're going through. My husband rode as a kid, and he started back about 4 years ago, and rode for a few months. Our issue was he is so tall, we have a hard time finding a suitable mount! It seemed to really help him with balance, and it was the one exercise he enjoyed. I am glad to hear that you are continuing to ride! That is awesome! We're hoping Herb can return to it in the near future.

Thanks for the insight. It's always helpful!

Comment by Jackie Cochran on May 21, 2014 at 7:57pm: Congratulations for not panicking!!!!! That speaks well for your confidence as a rider. It is also a pretty reliable signal that are actually learning to ride effectively. It is the successful negotiation of the first big step to becoming a rider instead of a passenger.

I really should not be one to tell you this, but I think I know what may have happened. I tried to learn to jump decades ago not realizing I had horrible balance issues, I managed to train my horse to jump reliably but I was decidedly less than graceful. I have spent a lot of time studying horses jumping since I was hoping to finally find out what I did wrong. (I was not wrong per se, I just had undiagnosed MS.)

The problem came with the slowing down and halting right after the canter. I suspect that your hands may have gotten heavy, way too heavy for what you were asking. I think this was a reaction to your second jumping lesson and he decided to rebel. Jumping works best when there is a smooth flow both within and between the gaits, and to the jump and after the jump, all with gradual transitions. What you were asked to do is more in the realm of a rider who is experienced in jumping (a rider who has jumped a lot of horses over 3-5 years), and if it is not done correctly it tends to really irritate the horse and provoke the behavior you were describing.

One of the most eye-opening rides I had was in the second year I owned my first horse, an Anglo-Arab. I was trail riding with a much more experienced gentleman and we were having a nice canter. When I tried to slow my horse down I hung onto his mouth instead of taking-releasing, my horse set his jaw and set out to prove that yes, he WAS a half thoroughbred and born to run fast, and he proved it by running away with me. That cured me of ever taking a tight hold on a bit again.

The last few times a horse bolted on me I regained control in a few strides by doing my hand aid when his head was going UP with a full release when his head went down, repeat as needed. When the horse's head is up at the canter/gallop all four of the horse's feet are off the ground and the weight shifts back easier from the forehand to the hindquarters.

Keep on jumping! I so wish I did not have the balance problems of MS and I could jump again, especially now that I realize what I was doing wrong! There is nothing like flying through the air on a good horse. Supreme.