Getting Jumped Out Of Tack - Ideas On Fixing This?

[gooselover]

A few weeks ago, I posted about going back to GAG since I felt “starter” was a bit too much for me after our last show. However, yesterday, we did do starter again and won AGAIN. BUT…here’s my problem.

While my horse and I did MUCH better from the last show to this show, I got jumped out of my tack on a couple of occasions. Now, I do not know if this has anything to do with it, but my OTTB sometimes jumps WAY too high over a fence.

How can I improve me NOT getting jumped out of the tack? I am a rerider…56 years old, and doing well in my opinion, but I want to DO BETTER. So, suggestions???

[VCT]

You may need to get stronger in your leg and base of support to prevent that from happening. Even then, it may not prevent it but the extra fitness and muscle will make it easier to recover and not feel precarious for a moment or two.

No stirrups work…
Jack up the stirrups and do lots of two point… etc.

Good luck! And congrats on your win

[wildlifer]

My older horse is one with a super round jump, cracks his back and snaps up his butt and will jump you right out of the saddle. For me, I shortened my stirrup and focused on shoving my feet out in front like “landing gear” at the jump. You have to have a strong leg and really wait with your body to ride out a strong active jump.

[goodmorning]

I’m still working on it But, practice, practice, and more practice is generally the answer.

Important for both the horse & rider. As a horse learns how to jump, generally the over-jumping - or ‘jumping green’ - will diminish. The rider also gets used to the horses jump, and can anticipate when over-jumping might occur & grab some extra mane Jumping lots of other horses is always helpful. This is where I’d imagine being a pro, or having several horses, really comes in handy.

The landing-gear, or extreme pushing of feet forward upon landing, is a super helpful tool.

[sophie]

My Ottb mare used to over jump everything, and kick out over the jump for good measure. Made my legs and seat really tight, lol. With more mileage and practice, she now has a normal jump. I also replaced my jumping saddle (from a Henri de Rivel Advantage to a BdH forward flap) and the difference it made was immense! ). Riding with shorter stirrups helps. Practicing cantering in 2-point for 5 then 10 mn at a time will do wonders for strengthening your legs.
Be careful, if “shoving your feet in front of you” on landing, that you don’t slam your horse in the back. I can’t do that on mine - she’ll give me a piece of her mind.

[NSRider]

No-stirrup work, sitting, posting, and two-point. Two-point everything! Practise, practise, practise your two-point as much as you can
If you don’t want to jump a lot, save those ‘jumping miles’, do poles. Walk, trot, canter, all in two-point
Practise and have fun!
One point I always think of when jumping is let your weight go through your ankles into your heels, focus on your base (heels, ankles, calves).
For strengthening exercises outside of riding, heel lifts on a stair is always good. Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step where you can hold onto something for balance if you need it. Then let your heels drop down below the step (mimicking how they’d look in the stirrup), and raise them up above the step (going up on your toes). Rinse and repeat

[Bogie]

The over jumping will get better as your horse learns to gauge the effort required.

How well does your saddle fit? If it’s slightly off balance it may be tipping you forward which won’t help.

I would also add a neck strap so you have something to grab onto. I frequently ride with one and find it’s very helpful.

[VicariousRider]

I agree with VCT and NSRider. A lot of times I find that it is less likely to happen when my core strength is good and my leg is tight as a tick. Even then, with a particularly impressive jump a horse can jump you out of the tack but it is so much less likely because you have the strength to keep yourself with their motion. I find that sitting trot dressage really strengthens my core (man, do I have sore abs the next day!) and no stirrups work is the best for my leg.

I also agree that horses often “outgrow” the over-jumping thing and some horses really do jump better as the jumps get a bit bigger. I also think that practicing by riding to a deeper distance (not burying them, though) can help them learn to economize over the fence since they aren’t able to take a magnificent flying leap at the fence. But if the horse is a totally athletic freak this may not make much of a difference.

P.S. Congratulations on your competition! Sounds like someone should have a little more faith in their own abilities!!! :winkgrin:

[Janet]

You mean like this?

[goodmorning]

[QUOTE=VicariousRider;5941086]
I also think that practicing by riding to a deeper distance (not burying them, though) can help them learn to economize over the fence since they aren’t able to take a magnificent flying leap at the fence. [/QUOTE]

I’d be careful with this. Too deep can worry this type, if they are the sort to worry. Also, it maximizes the ‘roundness’ of the jump which is usually what leads to rider getting jumped out of the tack (encourages the back-cracking & tail flipping). A long, flat jump is not going to get you jumped out of the tack (or it shouldn’t). But the point isn’t to encourage a long, flat jump. While they may have their place, generally not how you want your horse jumping.

[kkindley]

Another thing to think about is are you moving forward enough to the fences. A friend has this problem when his horse minces around and gets to the fence and launches. All the scope in the world, but no impulsion. So there is no flowing energy, just an abrupt launch!

[Highflyer]

Sometimes I have this problem, too. All the stuff everyone has said-- being more forward, getting a deeper spot, being fitter and tighter and better about waiting for the fence to come to you-- can help. Neither experience nor bigger fences really did much for Apollo, though. He used to jump 3’ over 2’6 fences and now he jumps 4’ over 3’6 fences.

One thing that did help me was ditching my old flat close contact saddle for a Stubben Roxane with a deeper seat and knee blocks. But I have had to accept that I will never look pretty on this horse!

[retreadeventer]

Horses always jump higher and with more bascule in unfamiliar places. At home, you think it’s great. You get to a show and all of a sudden WOW uh-oh. Boy do I know that feeling!
I know I have to be fitter to ride better. At home it always feels easy!

[oldhorsegirl]

Slightly shorter stirrups (or much shorter, depending on the length you ride in now), pressing your heel down and forward to the jumps, a flatter-seat saddle (a deep seat can flip you forward when the horse brings his hind legs up over the backside of the jump), and making sure the flaps on your saddle are forward enough that, when you ride with the correct length of stirrup for work over fences, your hip-to-knee-to-heel makes more of an equilateral triangle than an isosceles triangle. This gives you a better base of support. A straighter flap on a saddle pushes your knee down and back, thereby swinging your lower leg back and popping you up in the air when your horse makes his exaggerated effort.

Additionally, the more your horse jumps without popping you off his back, the quicker he is likely to relax in his jumping and be confident that he doesn’t need to over-jump.

[TheHotSensitiveType]

Janet, is that you in the picture? If so did you manage a spectacular save or did you meet the ground? The horse’s expression is priceless, he looks like nothing is amiss back there…

[phoebetrainer]

@gooselover;5940023

BUT…here’s my problem.

While my horse and I did MUCH better from the last show to this show, I got jumped out of my tack on a couple of occasions. Now, I do not know if this has anything to do with it, but my OTTB sometimes jumps WAY too high over a fence.

How can I improve me NOT getting jumped out of the tack? I am a rerider…56 years old, and doing well in my opinion, but I want to DO BETTER. So, suggestions???

Do you have any photos? It would be easier to tell if hte problem was stirrups too short or too long or poor saddle fit if we had photos. I’d also suggest that maybe the problem is that you are coming too slow into the fence and your horse is having to make a big effort to jump from lack of impulsion - this will always pop you out of the saddle.

Other issue is that jumps are too small for horse - I know that sounds weird, but if you have a good jumper, jumping piddly little jumps will bore the socks off him and he will jump bigger for fun.

And, maybe there isn’t really a problem at all. When we are eventing, we do not need to sit every fence perfectly. I would say getting jumped out of the saddle a couple of times out of what 25 jumps all up is not bad at all. Don’t sit around at lower heights waiting until you are jumping each and every jump perfectly.

Sounds like your horse has talent and ability. You may need to push yourself really hard to meet him.

[Dr_Doolittle]

[QUOTE=Janet;5941181]
You mean like this?[/QUOTE]

Holy crap! Belle, I presume?? Did you stay on?

[Cheval_Gris]

Omg Janet- this couldnt have ended well?! Possibly in the ER? OmG.

[seeuatx]

As others have said core balance/strength and leg strength are key. Winter is the perfect time to drop those stirrups or spend the day in 2pt (no cheating ).

But a video clip would help… sometimes riders that are feeling over faced will try to shut the canter down and then the horse BOINGS up over the fence and the rider gets jumped out or left.

[Janet]

@Dr. Doolittle;5943600

Holy crap! Belle, I presume?? Did you stay on?

Yes Belle.

No, I was not able to save it.

But I was unhurt except for my ego and maybe a couple of small bruises.

It was at the Connemara show, and I forgot to compensate for the fact that the lines were set for ponies. I got her WAY too deep to the “out” of a line, she almost came to a standstill, and then LAUNCHED over the fence.