Going from Dressage to Jumping (and fixing a chair seat)

[freebird1]

I have been wanting to get into jumping on/off for a while, but always seemed to go back to Dressage. Had Dressage tack, lessons, and was using my horse for Dressage before I sold her.

I recently took on a working student position at a nice facility that focuses more on H/J. So, two times a week I receive jumping lessons and as someone not very familiar with jumping I am at square one with cross rails trying to get my position under control!

The biggest issue I am having is that for some reason I have adopted a chair seat. Perhaps it’s the difference in saddle that I’m used to, perhaps it’s that I am not used to shorter stirrups. But I find that I am in a chair seat and behind the motion of the horse.

Would love some tips or advice on how to get past this annoying habit I now have.

I would also love to hear any tips in general others have about going from Dressage to Jumping!

[subk]

Chair seats are more often than not the result of the balance of your saddle and how it fits you and not your equitation. Are there other saddles you can try to see if it’s a saddle issue?

[freebird1]

[QUOTE=subk;9017954]
Chair seats are more often than not the result of the balance of your saddle and how it fits you and not your equitation. Are there other saddles you can try to see if it’s a saddle issue?[/QUOTE]

Perhaps! That slipped my mind to be honest but could very well be the reason. I’m only using school saddles as I don’t have one of my own. Most of them are too small for my leg… I’m only 5’3 but my proportions are strange so I really need a forward flap!

[babecakes]

Also hugely about where the stirrup bar is set on (lesser) saddles. If it’s set too far forward you can NOT get or keep your leg under you. It will throw you back.

[Lusoluv]

As a long time Dressager now doing eventing, I agree with subk and babecakes! Finding a well-balanced jumping saddle can be difficult. Took me about a year of trial and error to find one. I find the majority of jump saddles (not just cheap ones) put you in a chair seat. This also goes for dressage saddles, though to a lesser degree.

[merrygoround]

The dish of the saddle’s seat, although minimal in jump saddles, along with the bar position will fight your body when you try to get out of chair seat. Sometimes a lift pad will help but usually it is not a cure,

[Scribbler]

Some saddles will force some people into a chair seat, and this can also be true of dressage saddles. Presumably you had a decent fit in your dressage saddle, and now you are playing catch as catch can with the lesson string saddles. Been there, done that! Fortunately that was the start of my re-riding, and I wasn’t fussy about saddle fit. Now that I’ve accommodated myself to reasonably well-fitting saddles I would hate to have to ride those old horrors again!

One general tip is to practise dropping your thigh down the saddle. This puts your weight more under you. It works for both jump and dressage saddles. Also to be aware that if you are jamming your heels into the stirrup to secure your seat, this can drive your whole foot forward and your butt back (think about how saddle bronc riders sit). Finally, once you get better a two point, you will be able to ride more forward. Sometimes when I’m watching Grand Prix jumpers, with short stirrups, they look almost chair seat when they are walking into the ring, but as soon as they are cantering, they are up on their knees, and going with the motion. So they aren’t true chair seat, clearly!

[lonewolf]

I’ve found it’s common for dressage riders who begin jumping to get left behind a bit, since they’re used to sitting much deeper with an upper body that is much farther back.

My guess is that if you work on lightening your seat BEFORE the jump, you’ll have a better position in the air. Think about having weight distributed down through your whole leg: calf, thigh, and heels, and work on being flexible through your hip with an angle that might be a little more closed than you’re used to. Grab mane if you need at first! Takes time to feel that new centre of gravity.

[nm724]

Go into a half-seat or a jumping position, throw your weight into your heels and let them sink a low as they go and sit down slowly without moving your legs then adjust your back and straightness. If you’re still in a chair seat, scoot up a bit. Try/do this before you start working or when you feel out-of place in the saddle. Even if the saddle doesn’t fit you properly it will help put you in your correct position

[ace]

I went through the same thing (still working on it!), but there are some simple exercises you can do on the flat to help with your balance and build strength in your two point. My old coach had me do things like:

1. Stand in the stirrups while walking, and slowly sit down in the tack (don’t “fall” into the saddle) repeat, repeat, repeat.
2. Pick up a posting trot, once you have a good rythym, instead of going up,down,up,down, change the motion to up,up,down,up,up,down. So up for two beats, down for one.
3. Post the canter rythym.
4. Stay in two point in trot for a couple rounds of the ring each way.
5. Throughout all of the above exercises, and on your regular flat riding (and over fences!), concentrate on feeling where your stirrups are - not necessarily getting your heel way lower, but just feeling that your weight and balance is in the stirrups (as opposed to the seat like in dressage)

And then there’s some mental imaging from a couple of clinicians I rode with that have really helped me:

1. Remember that you should have 1/3 of your weight in each of 3 points - each stirrup, and your seat. Obviously this goes to 50/50 in each stirrup when in two point. I seriously have to think about this as soon as I get on the horse, even warming up in walk on a loose rein, or I revert right back to a deep seated feeling, and lose the stirrup balance.

2. You might not have this problem, but I had a serious knee-pinching issue/ thigh gripping issue when I was transitioning from dressage to jumpers (but didn’t really realize it). My regular coach kept saying “get your lower leg on” repeat repeat. Finally took a clinic with a guy that said “release your knee”. BINGO! I still do mental “release the knee” checks to make sure I’m not holding with my thighs/knee