Tips for a New Jumper - Part 4

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 in this series of posts I've gone over my top four tips. In the last three posts I explained my tips, count your rhythm, keep your eyes up, and don't think, just feel. Keep reading to hear my final tip of the four.

Aleina and a much fuzzier Dragon, a mere 5 months later, jumping at her first show.
Photo courtesy of Katherine Oriez

#4 - Quiet the Noise

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I ride, my mind is a noisy place. I take lessons because I want to be a better rider. I pay someone else to watch me ride, create learning exercises, give feedback on how I ride, and share their riding knowledge with me.

The time and money for lessons is limited so I want to make the most of it. I try to remember every piece of feedback the instructor gives me, so I can become the best rider I can be, as quickly as possible. But in trying to remember every little thing, by halfway through a lesson my mind is a huge jumble.

My brain space is entirely consumed by this internal monologue, heels down, elbows in, fingers closed, get enough canter, push with your inside leg, sight your jump, open your outside hand, but keep your elbow in, squeeze at the base, hips back, heels down again, more leg, be ready for your next jump, think ahead, what's my course again, ah turn turn! don't pull though, more inside leg outside rein, don't think about that crappy jump, get back in the saddle, breathedammit! Whew!

I survived the course but it wasn't pretty. So I come back to the trainer, get the pointers to correct, add it to the giant list and repeat with similar or worse results.

It's too much. No trainer meant for you to try to remember to do all of that. You can't learn everything all at once. Even if you could learn everything with just a snap of your fingers, where's the fun in that? The best part of learning is that there's always more to learn so we will never truly get bored.

Your trainer is telling you all of these things because 1) she doesn't know what it is that you don't know and 2) this is good information to have in your brain and think about later. You'd be surprised how often things floating around in your head come back later and click into place with an aha! moment.

It's probably true that everything in your internal monologue list had a positive impact on your riding, for the few seconds you remembered to do it. But trying to remember everything at once is impossible, and the end result is a sloppy and unsatisfying course.

Not to say that courses can't be messy in the course of learning, (they absolutely should be!) but they should be messy with a purpose. So to the purpose of learning, pick one thing to focus on. Rely on your trainer to help you if it feels overwhelming.

Teaching is a dialogue between you and your instructor. Communicating thoughtful questions will absolutely make you a better student. I often ask for help prioritizing my list. If I only do one thing right this time, what's the most important thing?

Focus on that one thing and let everything else trickle into your brain and body as it can. You can build up to another thing once the first one seems easy and habitual.  Quiet that noisy brain and just take learning one step at a time.

What Now?

If you made it through all 4 posts, congratulations! Not only are you now familiar with all four of my tips, but you can also pat yourself on the back for slogging through some seriously wordy ramblings.

I could only narrow it down to these four because they all go hand in hand. Count the rhythm of your canter to quiet your brain and feel your horse, focus on that rhythm and the one most important change your trainer has asked you to make, and when in doubt pull your eyes up. Simple right? Ha.