Tips for a New Jumper - Part 2

I recently had a student ask me if I had any advice for someone who is just starting to learn to jump.  I couldn't narrow my thoughts down to just one tip, but I'll go over my top four in a series of posts. In the last post I explained my first tip, count your rhythm. Now, onward to my second tip for new jumpers!

Aleina's first jumping lesson, all smiles
Photo courtesy of Katherine Oriez

#2 - Eyes Up

I am notoriously bad about watching the jump go by. A few summers ago I was leasing a horse named Halo. He and I in particular had many not-so-pretty jumps in which we both stared at the jump together. I suppose you could call it bonding, but trust me, life is easier if you don't look at the jump from the air.

It is important to look at your jump, and way earlier than you think you need to. Even if the jump is on the rail or quarter line, there's often a turn preceding it. Look for your jump before you turn to help guide your horse on exactly the right track. Looking around a corner turns your head and shoulders, but also your rib cage and ultimately your pelvis.

Your horse can absolutely feel your weight shift and the twisting of your seat bones. Even if these are not aids you are actively thinking about using, they tell your horse a ton about where you are planning to go. If you look for and plan your track to a jump farther ahead it's much easier to keep him straight, centered, and balanced, which in turn makes it much easier to get an honest, clean-jumping horse.

While it is important to start looking for your jump early in the approach, there is an equally important moment where you need to STOP looking at the jump. Sighting something in the distance is very useful, but since we are cantering towards the jump, that distance is shrinking and ultimately the jump is under you.

I realize "look at something else eventually" sounds really obvious, and really it is, but putting it into practice can be less instinctual than you might think. In simplest terms, if you continue to sight the jump as it approaches, when it gets too close you will be tipping your head down to see it. This is only a slight shift in your body but it can create several problems.

First of all, as I mentioned earlier, where your head goes, your body follows. So it's not really just your head tipping down, but likely your sternum is hollow and caved in, your shoulders are pulled forward, your back may be rounded, and in general your entire torso has likely collapsed forward.

Now these don't have to be extreme changes; they could be very subtle and slight. But regardless, you've now put extra weight on your horse's front end at the moment when you need him to raise his front end into the air to start this jump. This puts our horse more likely to slow down, hesitate, give a labored jump, or flat out refuse, none of which are desirable things.

Secondly, if your head is tilted down, your horse will perceive this as starting at the jump. It can be a very simple jump or a more intimidating one, but regardless, by staring at the jump you've inadvertently told your horse that this is a scary thing worth watching and maybe avoiding.

Now when you are just starting to learn jumping, hopefully you will be on a good school master horse who will know better and take you over it anyway. But before long you will ride a lesson pony who is perfectly happy to take an excuse to not take a jump. He may decide a low effort trip around the jump seems like a better idea or maybe just stop in front of the jump sounds good to him. Just because they are willing to be patient while you learn doesn't mean they are going to do all the work for you. (I use "ponies" lovingly to refer to all types of equines in this context).

Thirdly, tipping your head down increases your chance of falling off. Should you happen to get a refusal running out of the jump or stopping, by tipping your head and upper body forward you've compromised your balance. You may get jostled forward onto the neck and be able to recover, but your chances of coming all the way off have increased greatly.

I can tell you 1,000 reasons not to look down at the jump but that doesn't make breaking the habit any easier. It just takes a concerted effort and practice to build up a new habit. Try to focus on your jump early to navigate your turn, but as soon as you are straight to the jump push your eyes up. Look over the jump to where you are going after it. Find a point in the distance to focus on. Maybe there's a sign in the distance, a beam on the wall, some sort of crack or blemish, a tree, a person, any stationary object will do.

Sometimes as I am focused on learning well and remembering what I'm supposed to be working on, I almost feel as if my eyes are seeing the inside my head more than anything outside. I know my eyes are open but I couldn't tell you what I am looking at. Try to find a point in the distance to focus on, and if nothing else just force your chin up.

If I am working a jump and just constantly getting bad distances or weird jumps, nothing I do with my track or pace seems to be helping, sometimes the "magic" fix is adjusting the location of my eyes. I may be looking down or at the jump without realizing it. Forcing myself to raise my chin and look over the jump can fix problems that at first seemed mysterious.

Think about staring at the space above your jump on the approach. Imagine if there was a hoop hung dead center on a rope stretched between the top of the two standards. Aim for that hoop and as soon as you are straight to the jump you can see through it to the other side and your next jump or turn.

More often than not I find that this simple adjustment has amazing results. It can be hard to remember to look up every time, but each time you do it's one step closer to building a new habit.