Tips for a New Jumper - Part 3

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 two posts I explained my first two tips, count your rhythm, and keep your eyes up. Now, onward to my third tip for new jumpers!

Aleina's first jumping lesson. She and Dragon are finding that groove.
Photo courtesy of Katherine Oriez

#3 - Don't Think, Just Feel

I am a chronic over-thinker. You can probably see it in how I write. It also makes a huge impact on how I ride. I believe thinking too much makes me a great student. I am eager to suck up knowledge, I listen carefully, I ask well-thought out questions. But I also think over-thinking hinders my ability to ride well and execute the things I've learned.

I've watched riders before, thinking that their position/equitation could be better. That their heels should be farther down. Or they tip their shoulders forward as they ride when they should be more open and back. Or they need to tuck their elbows in while guiding their horse through a turn. I can easily see these riding errors. But these riders are on more advanced horses than me, riding more challenging courses, AND getting better results.

It's confusing because I can see there are so many things they are doing "wrong" that I am doing "right", but somehow doing more things right isn't yielding better results. Well it's not to say that good equitation isn't important, because it is. The better the foundations of your position are, the better your riding will get. BUT you can't prioritize equitation a the expense of relaxation and feel.

I am making a huge generalization and also theorizing here, but I believe that some of the riders that think a little less and maybe are less "perfect" in their form rise through the ranks more quickly. Instead of being locked in their head thinking all the things they should do, heels down, shoulders back, more leg, outside rein, etc. instead they are in touch with feeling what the horse is doing underneath them. And in so doing, they are more instinctive and have quicker reactions while riding.

I'm not trying to say that you should only ride on instincts and never think about the instructions you've been given. It's about finding a balance of both. And more importantly, it's about knowing where you sit on the scale of thinking vs instinctive reacting.

I know that as I rider I am very high on the thinking end of the scale and don't function very well in terms of instincts and reactions. So if I am having trouble in a lesson, if I am feeling very frustrated towards myself or my horse, if it seems that we just can't get an exercise right, I try to recognize these as signs that I may be thinking too much. I try my best to take a step back from the exercise. Take a deep breath and rewire my brain to feel instead of think before trying again.

This time through I try to feel the movement under my hips, how my pelvis is tilting and swaying with the horse. I try to feel his ribs and lungs expanding under my legs. Just listen for his hoof beats and "wing it" for once. It's like using my horse as the instructor, and see what I can get.

It's unlikely to instantly fix everything that was not going right. This isn't a Disney movie after all. But often pausing to feel your horse saps away much of that frustration. It reminds us of the connection and why we are here. It also causes us to reset our riding habits for this particular exercise. It helps us stop doing things we didn't know we were doing in the first place. Trying something different has to eventually lead to the right answer since doing what you've been doing is clearly not the right answer.

So if you're stuck or frustrated, when in doubt, give yourself a reset. Don't think, just feel!