Beginners Guide To Jumping.

Jumping is one of the main things what people do while riding, especially in competitions. Jumping on horses originated from when people used to go fox hunting. You don’t have to learn to jump on a horse, only if you want to and if you do, always learn at your own pace.

Before starting to learn how to jump, check you do not have any wear and tear and you have all the correct gear to wear while jumping.

You’ll need; 

A riding hat up to current standards, which should be worn at all times.

Some boots you feel you can ride in, which should always have a 1 inch heel on.

A saddle which should be a all purpose or close contact saddle.

Most trainer will start you on an older reliable horse, as they have been trained for years and they will be less likely to mess up than newer trained horses. When you have sorted out which horse and got all your gear on and ready, you are ready to learn to jump!

Here are your tips to jumping.

These tips will help you learn how to jump properly while riding your horse and the different positions to go into.

First of all get in the jumping position –

When your horse start the jump you have to get yourself into the jumping position quickly. You will learn how to do it very quick in time. You need to start by lifting yourself out of the saddle and leaning forward while lifting up.

Next you need to shift your weight –

When you are lifting yourself up your weight should automatically start to shift to the balls of your feet. This movement should come naturally as you lift up and move yourself forward.

Adjust your legs –

You will need to keep your heel all the way down, do this by putting your full weight into the stirrups and it should then keep your heel down. When adjusting your legs, bend your leg a little bit to stop it from moving back too much. If you do move your heel back too much this could cause the horse to go too fast for you.

Move your hands up –

When you are about to jump, push your hands up the horses neck, higher from where you would normally place them. This will allow the horse to stretch out their neck when they are jumping.

Continue to lean forward –

When your horse is jumping lean forward even more than you already are as this will help you to maintain balance on the horse while your weight is shifting.

The last thing to do in a jump is, return to your normal position-

When your horse has landed, make sure you return to your normal riding position, this should only take a few seconds to do.