Hello all!
When ever I land from a jump,I tend to hunch my back. It is arched for the takeoff and over it. My trainer said to think of catching a ball but I still can’t seem to hold my position on the landing. Any tips? :sadsmile:
Where are your eyes? Are they looking up at the next jump, the roof of the barn, the top of the tree? Or are they looking down at your horse’s shoulder to check the lead or sideways and down looking at the next jump? Recently there’s been this (bad!) trend of jumper riders looking DOWN at the jump in the air. I don’t know how that got started, but don’t do it! Look up up up - think of pointing your chin up. That will help immensely with your back and shoulders. Try it. If your chin is up, it is hard to hunch your back - in fact, it’s downright uncomfortable. I don’t get the part about catching a ball, myself.
Ah - I thought you meant catching a ball in your hand! That’s way too abstract for me. :lol:
[QUOTE=Guin;7022729]
Where are your eyes? Are they looking up at the next jump, the roof of the barn, the top of the tree? Or are they looking down at your horse’s shoulder to check the lead or sideways and down looking at the next jump? Recently there’s been this (bad!) trend of jumper riders looking DOWN at the jump in the air. I don’t know how that got started, but don’t do it! Look up up up - think of pointing your chin up. That will help immensely with your back and shoulders. Try it. If your chin is up, it is hard to hunch your back - in fact, it’s downright uncomfortable. I don’t get the part about catching a ball, myself.[/QUOTE]
A rider who’s great to watch for this is Reed Kessler. In nearly every picture of her that I see, she’s always looking up and ahead and her back is flat.
I used the Equitfit Shoulders Back lite. It works great to help keep you from hunching over. Smartpak carries it for 47.95
The hunching is coming from the hip, not the shoulders. You’re essentially falling behind on land and ‘catching up’ by rounding your upper body. Think more of keeping your hip angle closed on landing.
[QUOTE=goodlife;7022822]
A rider who’s great to watch for this is Reed Kessler. In nearly every picture of her that I see, she’s always looking up and ahead and her back is flat.[/QUOTE]
Wow, you’re right…I don’t think her chin is ever not parallel with the ground! She’s beautiful to watch.
I also have this habit, and it is indeed from opening the hip angle too soon. I have tried many different mental images to try and overcome this, but the one that has worked for me is to think “chest up” over the jump. It’s a simple one to think about at the base of the jump.
