Improving Your Balance When Jumping

A jump has 5 phases: approach, take-off, flight, landing and the get-away. The actual jump is not finished until the horse is in the get-away phase. It is therefore important to stay in balance with the horse throughout all phases at every jump you tackle.

Landing Heavily After a Jump

Landing heavily in the saddle can occur because the rider is so relieved to have got over the jump that he or she gets back into the upright position too soon, or the rider may be anxious to prepare for the next fence and is unconsciously rushing the process.

This fault can be a cause of horses dropping their hind legs over a fence in anticipation of a bang on the back on landing, and also of the horse bucking and charging off on landing for the same reason. Anything uncomfortable to the horse while jumping, such as a bang on the back or a jab in the mouth can also cause run outs and refusals.

Steadily canter your horse on a fairly long rein, so you've no chance of using it to balance yourself but feel that you have some control, over undulating (not rough) ground, such as a ridge and furrow field, or any reliable ground with gentle dips and rises. Stand slightly in your jumping position with your seat almost brushing the saddle, be in good balance with your lower leg vertical and feel that your horse is pivoting around your knee joint. Keep the knee soft and imagine a rod running through the horse from knee to knee around which the horse may pivot but you may not.

Once you can stay balanced, progress to riding in the same way over raised poles or tiny fences, then slightly higher ones. As the fences increase in height, think of keeping your seat up out of the saddle (legs down) on landing and think ahead until the horse is completely on the flat and trotting or cantering in the get-away phase and beyond.

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