Critique my jumping position please (with video)

[Libby2563]

I’m very excited to be starting my 4-year-old over fences with the plan of doing some starter horse trials this fall. I’ve evented to Novice with a few different horses over the years but I’m mostly a dressage rider and I’ve always had some insecurity about my jumping skills. I feel like something is just a little off with my position. I’m trying some different instructors to find the best fit. So far most of them haven’t identified a major position problem. Anyone want to take a stab?

Here’s a video with a clip of me jumping gymnastics on a school horse last year, followed by a clip of me jumping the 4-year-old over a tiny log this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dkMYvs2W40. Sorry for the quality, it was pretty good on my phone but uploaded kind of low-res.

In the gymnastics clip I think my leg is maybe a little loose and I’m stiff through the hips, like I’m folding over instead of sinking back in the hips to stay centered. (I’m not sure that makes sense but hopefully someone will understand what I mean.)

The second clip may not be helpful because the log is so tiny and the video is kind of far away. I struggle with what to do over such tiny jumps and I am much less comfortable approaching in trot than canter. I want to get off his back over the fence of course but I don’t want to approach in 2-point like I did in the gymnastics clip since he’s very green and maybe not trustworthy yet. In that clip I think I’m throwing my shoulders over the fence then sitting back too soon (which has always been a fault of mine). Later in that ride he started getting sassy after the jumps and throwing in some little crow hops (hopefully not because I was hitting him in the back on landing). They wouldn’t bother me in the least in my dressage saddle but I did not feel secure at all in the jumping saddle. I’m looking to improve my position a bit so I can feel more secure and confident.

TIA!

[ShandyB]

First of all, I’m no trainer. However, there are a few things that have helped me. Take it or don’t.
Second of all, I love me some Woodstock!

What you might be feeling is the general awkwardness of jumping young, inexperienced horses. They aren’t quite sure what to do with their bodies yet, and yes, you sometimes have to take a defensive position (ie. sitting back, shoulders tall and potentially getting left behind–always safer than going first and launching over their head!)

You do look to be standing up a bit through the bounces. Think about closing your hips and sending your butt backwards. With small fences, the movement is minimal, but you don’t want to be going forward and up. You seem to have already identified this, so really you just need to remember to think about it! With a green horse, it might just be falling off your radar a bit. As for sitting back too soon, think about your feet hitting first. Feel the ground through your stirrups, then either sit your canter or continue in your two point.

If you don’t feel secure in your jumping saddle, ride in it more often! Trot or canter poles, or just work on staying in two point and getting your horse to lengthen or compress his stride–without it affecting your balance. Trotting in 2 point can be helpful for finding your balance, especially if you want to be more comfortable in your jump saddle–I think this forces you to be WITH, not behind or ahead of, the motion more than cantering in 2 point, and can help you stay with the motion going into fences. That said, trotting in 2 point is weird on a good day and cringe-inducing on a bad one. Try altering your posting pattern–up up down, up up up down–to get the feel for it without totally losing your balance and slamming onto his back.