Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

Alright all you sidesaddle jumping guru's... come take a look.

Hunting
#1

I need some help, lots of it!! I’ve been working on jumping sidesaddle and while it has gotten a bit better, it’s still not very good at all. By better I mean I’m staying with the motion and holding my “fold” a bit longer but still not long enough. I’m still getting “snapped” back on the landing side of the fence and it’s sure not pretty. I know I need to stay forward longer but I just don’t feel like I physically can with my horse’s jerky jump.
Any tips of pointers you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated. I’m determined to figure this out! (try not to be too hard on me, I’m just starting jumping sidesaddle and I know I’m snapping back and it’s not too pretty at this point).

Here are some videos for you to get an idea of what’s happening.
Trotting in to the X-rail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BoPPXSooVg&feature=player_embedded

And cantering in…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS1Mj96R7sQ&feature=player_embedded

Just wanted to add that I did try using an neck strap last week and while it seemed to help, my back was so crippled for two days afterwards. Even though it was helping me to stay forward by grabbing the strap, I was still getting pretty “jerked”.

Thanks in advance!

#2

OK so I seem to be at about the same point in my sidesaddle riding as you (so take my advice with a grain of salt). I am lucky enough to have a very experienced side saddle instructor. Your horses jump will smooth out if you let him speed up a bit. Your position looks good the “snap back” is normal (unless you are under 8 years old)this is why you see ladies sitting up over the top. Look at the sidesaddle jumping videos on utube. You will feel better. Good luck.

#3

Well that’s kind of what I was starting to think from watching the different youtube videos. I guess the reason I don’t think it’s “correct” yet is because if I do any amount of jumping sidesaddle (say more than 3 jumps) my back is so incredbily sore afterwards. It’s no fun.
LOL I don’t think she needs any more speed coming into that tiny x-rail. She already has a bit of a rushing problem (which I think could be part of the issue).

#4

You need more pace, and you need to let your horse use her head and neck. You are holding her upright in a very collected frame, instead of letting her flow forward, and allowing her to land and keep going on. You do not want speed or to be rushing to a fence in the sidesaddle, but neither do you want to be crawling, just a nice flowing pace.

Here is a video of me from the other year. Now, the video has sped up some since it is a copy of a copy, but you can still get an idea of a flowing forward pace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1zrRZAx6s4. Let your horse go forward.

Oh, also, some women have lower backs that simply WON’T allow them to jump aside…no matter the horse. I would try it first on a more experienced, “hunter-type” horse and see what happens.

#5

What SidesaddleRider said…more forward pace.

Plus, you need to learn to ride in a more forward, galloping position instead of a slow canter position so you don’t get left behind. You’re almost leaning back a little (common when learning) in a more dressagy seat. Can you get outside and just gallop with your horse?

#6

Thanks Devon, your video was really helpful to watch. Compared to the canter I had going, you were really motoring. I’ll work on more pace, not necessarily faster, just a bigger stride with more “oomphf” so to speak. I was feeling like we were having issues more because of our rhythm, so hopefully with a bit more pace, we’ll be able to get that rhythm evened out a bit.
It’s hard to get really motoring inside without feeling like we’re going mach chicken around the arena. Know what I mean?
And unfortunatley, the head & neck thing, that’s just how she jumps. It may look like I’m “holding” her head up but that’s just her. As soon as she locks onto the jump, the head goes UP, I’m just trying to maintain a contact. She’s also a rusher, which really doesn’t help the situation. If she’d lengthen and take it from a longer spot, it’d be ok, but she likes to get all strung out (even astride) and then end up too close to the base. (Placing poles maybe?)

So how do you get in a more “forward” position in a sidesaddle? Like tip/lean forward a bit? I can definitely work on that too.

And yes, we have a great field to go for a run in, I’ll have to give that a try one night!

Thanks for the input guys!

#7

Here’s another quick question… I’ve seen some pictures of ladies jumping sidesaddle and it really looks like they have their bum up, off the saddle over the fence? How in the world would you manage to do that!!!

#8

In regards to my video, as I said it did speed up when I did the copy of a copy, but it was also at an “AA” show, so the lines were set longer than just a 12’ stride.

Your mare sounds an awful lot like a Trakehner mare I had. Gorgeous mover, but went like a jumper/eventer, not a hunter. I could jump her without a problem because she never cracked her back, but she naturally had a higher head set and would want to do “quick” rather than “forward” when jumping, until she had been ridden for quite a while and relaxed.

Knowing that, I would recommend working on cantering poles on the ground in the indoor first to get both of you relaxed and focusing, and see if you can get her to open up her stride a bit. Only after she is doing that successfully would I start adding in a small jump or two in addition to the poles, and try to keep the same rhythm and flow.

Dealing with the rushing successfully really comes down to FLATWORK, FLATWORK, and (dare I say? :wink: ) FLATWORK, and groundpoles. So work astride first for a good while and try to get that semi-resolved, and only then when she is listening try it aside.

Forward in a sidesaddle simply involves closing your hip angle and taking weight off your seat bones. Unlike when flatting, do not think sit up tall and seatbone down into the seat; let yourself softly settle forward by closing your hip angle and letting your upper body incline forward lightly (but do not roach your back or collapse your shoulders) and allow yourself to flow with the horse.

#9

Two ways:

  1. They are either putting too much weight in their stirrup and using it to push off of like in an astride saddle or they are overly exaggerating the proper position by throwing themselves forward on their right knee/lower thigh upon the horse leaving the ground (for an example, see http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/516770280_f42c535a9d.jpg?v=0 or http://www.independent.ie/multimedia/archive/00214/bitontheside_214566t.jpg); or
  2. The horse’s jump is causing them to come up, when it really follows through with their hind end on the jump and “lifts” the rider up a bit.

Minus the overly long rein on her floating opening left hand to keep the horse straight, notice the focus and almost straightness of this rider (whom I taught to ride aside, btw)–she is sitting lightly on the saddle, has collapsed her hips, and brought her left shoulder slightly towards her horse’s right ear to compensate for her legs on the left. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2568566057_f3471e3d1d.jpg

#10

Perfect! Thank you!

Yes exactly!!! You described it much better than I could. She would much rather do quick vs. forward and can shorten her stride so quickly vs just going FORWARD. Relaxed is definitely not something she does well… lol

Ground poles have been an everyday occurence in our flatwork and it’s definitely helping. When we first started (astride of course) she would even attempt to rush & chip ground poles, so I worked on opening her up and asking for forward & lengthen vs. sucking back or speeding up. She had the summer off of jumping and I can’t believe how much she seems to have “forgotten” so to speak. We’ll just keep on working at that lots & lots. I just couldn’t figure out how I was getting snapped back so bad, when I was trying to stay forward so hard! lol It’s all making sense.

Oh and those two pictures you posted of the ladies jumping up & out of their saddles were the exact two that I had in mind when I was saying “how in the world do they get out of their saddle like that??”. I just can’t imagine getting out of your saddle like that unless you are putting your weight in your stirrup (which I knew was bad). Otherwise, I don’t think I COULD physically get my bum off of my saddle.

You sound like a fantastic sidesaddle instructor, I wish I was closer!

#11

That is Wonderful advice from Devon. One thing I wanted to mention was not being behind the horse. You have to be with the horse. Move with the horse and be ready for the jumps and not a passenger. You can get a real whip lash if you are left behind.
But you are making progress.
Keep up the good work.
I recommend more Video tape of your riding and you will see your own faults.
That helped my daughter more than anything else. I tried to describe what she was doing wrong but when she saw it in the tapes she got it right off.
Keep on, keepin’ on.
Kindest regards, Lillian

#12

Thanks Lillian! I like to watch riding on video as well, it’s so helpful to be able to see what’s going on.
And yes, that’s pretty much how my back felt after last week’s jumping excursion, like it had whip lash. I feel like I’m doing a good job on the front half of the jump, it’s just the back half that I can’t seem to stay forward and get whipped backwards. I even had a neck strap last week, which seemed to help immensely as I didn’t feel snapped back but even so, my back was STILL incredibly sore the next day.

I’m determined to get this figured out! With all the great advice & experience on this board, I’m sure I will! Thanks again!

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $29.99 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse