Jumping a bank- hunter style

[teddygirl]

[QUOTE=Ibex;7259194]
And remember too that the UL eventers are riding in a much more defensive seat to start for safety reasons…

If you look at Andrew Nicholson’s photo dropping into the water at Rolex this year, he’s still not leaning back - he’s just sitting up straight and the horse is dropping away from him.
http://www.horsejunkiesunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/524820_566649040035390_1925062296_n1.jpg[/QUOTE]

I’m sorry, could he look any more relaxed jumping down an insanely massive drop into water on a green horse?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=teddygirl;7259223]
I’m sorry, could he look any more relaxed jumping down an insanely massive drop into water on a green horse?[/QUOTE]

yeah…and THAT is why those guys kick our butts.

[PoohLP]

I’m no expert, but I’m a former hunter (now jumper) who has started learning banks and ditches on my horse who is also learning banks - with our trainer’s help, of course. Most important thing is do not lean or shift your weight forward. Especially if your horse is new to banks, this might throw his balance off slightly and result in a stop - ask me how I know and how I got my last black eye. Also, sometimes when horses are new to banks - ask me how I know again - they treat a 2 foot bank like it is a 4 foot trench and launch forward and out instead of stepping slightly down. Make sure you keep your body centered over the saddle, your balance firmly in your stirrups and don’t be ashamed to grab mane the first couple times in practice - just to give you that extra balance if your horse does rocket forward. Once you both have the feel right, you can refine your position so it is spot on for competition.

[MHM]

[QUOTE=Ibex;7259194]

If you look at Andrew Nicholson’s photo dropping into the water at Rolex this year, he’s still not leaning back - he’s just sitting up straight and the horse is dropping away from him.
http://www.horsejunkiesunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/524820_566649040035390_1925062296_n1.jpg[/QUOTE]
Every time I see that picture, I cannot believe how relaxed in every way he looks under the circumstances. I would not look anything like that! Although the only way I would ever be in that situation would be if I went on a trail ride at KHP that went horribly, horribly wrong. :lol:

That would be a fantastic shot to blow up to a life size cut out where people could put their faces in and take their own picture.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=PoohLP;7259367]
Also, sometimes when horses are new to banks - ask me how I know again - they treat a 2 foot bank like it is a 4 foot trench and launch forward and out instead of stepping slightly down. [/QUOTE]

You mean like this below (my green mare’s first few banks). Like others also said, holding the reins actually makes them launch more. In my mare’s case…she just LIKED too. I had my hand in my neck strap luckily…but grabbing mane is good too! It took a while but she eventually learned to step down them but I would have to think if they launch like this in a hunter derby…probably not ideal

[Ibex]

[QUOTE=MHM;7259428]
Every time I see that picture, I cannot believe how relaxed in every way he looks under the circumstances. I would not look anything like that! :lol:

That would be a fantastic shot to blow up to a life size cut out where people could put their faces in and take their own picture. :)[/QUOTE]

Now THERE’S an idea!

Because really, that’s the only way I’ll ever be riding down a drop of that size…

[MHM]

[QUOTE=Ibex;7259442]
Now THERE’S an idea!

Because really, that’s the only way I’ll ever be riding down a drop of that size…[/QUOTE]

I know I’ve seen the jumper version of the cut out picture over a Grand Prix size jump. :lol:

[Bogie]

[QUOTE=MHM;7259428]
Every time I see that picture, I cannot believe how relaxed in every way he looks under the circumstances. I would not look anything like that! Although the only way I would ever be in that situation would be if I went on a trail ride at KHP that went horribly, horribly wrong. :lol:

That would be a fantastic shot to blow up to a life size cut out where people could put their faces in and take their own picture. :)[/QUOTE]

Wonderful idea! I just love this photo and there’s no way I’m ever going to jump much more than a novice bank.

[Snugglerug]

I love that picture of Andrew too–he could be sitting in his easy chair for all the tension in his body! Amazingly relaxed.

And a perfect picture of what we’re talking about–he looks like he’s leaning back, but he’s really perpendicular to the ground. It’s his horse’s position that has changed, not his.

I know good when I see it; too bad I can’t reproduce it down my little BN banks! :lol:

[enjoytheride]

There is no way I’d make the first bank a horse jumps at a show.

Some horses don’t care. Others slide to a stop, snork, and spin in a circle. Others creep up to the edge and launch down. A few fall off and land in a heap. Some put their front feet down then jerk them back up. Some launch and land bucking.

[asterix]

Just another vote for being soft with your reins. While it is true that if the horse jumps down softly off a small bank you don’t need to fling your reins at him, it is also true that keeping contact can encourage them to launch.
I would school at the walk first - stay softly in the saddle and just think following hips, land over your feet, eyes UP, soft reins. Then the trot, then the canter. Your seat will come out of the saddle naturally at trot and canter but do not lean forward!! Hands stay at withers, opening fingers if need be to let reins slip a bit.

[JenEM]

@bornfreenowexpensive;7259074

Eventers do not lean back (not those that know what they are doing). You let the horse jump down out from under you (slipping the reins as they take them–which off a small bank likely will not be much)…leaning back actually interfers. It is a subtle difference but in effect…it has a huge difference. Basically, you do not make a move, but let the HORSE move out from under you. In a small bank, it will not cause your position on take off to change really. You want to land in the top of your leg…the same as you would coming landing off a jump of similar size.

This! Landing is TERRIBLE if you lean back, and I speak from experience. First time we went XC schooling and did the bank, I got bounced all over the place landing, until it was explained to me that I don’t need to lean back, just sit up straight and let the horse drop down. Of course, it didn’t help that mine did the flying leap the first few times. But she LOVES a bank or a mound. This was us schooling over a small one probably similar in size to what you’d be jumping down. My leg is a little far back, but you can see I’m not leaning back, just sitting up where I would have been if her stride had continued forward rather than down.

I would definitely make sure you practice a bit first, both for the horse and for you. The landing takes a bit of feeling to get used to, and I still struggle with not getting discombobulated and getting straight to the next fence if we’re heading somewhere in close proximity. On an event course you can fumble around like a monkey for a minute and it won’t matter much, but that won’t do you well for a hunter round!

[Linny]

http://s205.photobucket.com/user/Linny999/media/Screenshot1_zps457e6e73.png.html?filters[user]=48465611&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0

I was able to grab this blurry image as a screenshot of Jen Alfano on Jersey Boy from the video linked above. Clearly she’s not dropping back. At this level a horse should be balanced enough to hop off a fairly small bank without his rider having to slide the reins.

[Linny]

http://s205.photobucket.com/user/Linny999/media/Screenshot1_zps457e6e73.png.html

This blurry grab is from the above video. Clearly Jen is not sliding the reins. At this level horse should be balanced enough to hop off a small bank without the rider’s shoulders behind the tack. Remember, eventing banks are negotiated within the context of a faster ride and over less manicured footing.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Linny;7259664]
http://s205.photobucket.com/user/Linny999/media/Screenshot1_zps457e6e73.png.html

This blurry grab is from the above video. Clearly Jen is not sliding the reins. At this level horse should be balanced enough to hop off a small bank without the rider’s shoulders behind the tack. Remember, eventing banks are negotiated within the context of a faster ride and over less manicured footing.[/QUOTE]

That isn’t at the point where you would slip the reins. Again…you do not slip the reins UNLESS the horse puts their head down. When teaching a horse or rider to initially do a drop, I would come on a loose rein…but only because riders tend to hold too much and that can cause the LAUNCH. But an experienced pair, you just stay soft…if the horse puts their head down, the reins will slip but off of that tiny of a bank, some horses will not even bother reaching down. You slip the reins so as not to get to forward or to restrict the horse…you do not slip the reins just because it is a drop. If the horse doesn’t reach, then there would be no need to slip the reins.

[Linny]

Since her rein length on landing appears the same as on top of the bank and since she didn’t appear to adjust, it doesn’t look like they were slipped.

[soloudinhere]

There wouldn’t be a need to slip the reins here because the horse stepped down out of an easy canter stride. You slip the reins when the horse reaches down with the nose to take a look or to kind of leap off the bank.

You see slippage over the massive XC jumps because the horse has no choice but to reach down to stay balanced. Over something 2’ tall, it’s a big canter stride.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=soloudinhere;7260523]
There wouldn’t be a need to slip the reins here because the horse stepped down out of an easy canter stride. You slip the reins when the horse reaches down with the nose to take a look or to kind of leap off the bank.

You see slippage over the massive XC jumps because the horse has no choice but to reach down to stay balanced. Over something 2’ tall, it’s a big canter stride.[/QUOTE]

exactly…over that tiny of a bank, most horse will not reach down. As a rider she is too far forward by today’s standards…but off that small of a bank it really doesn’t matter unless the horse stops.

[RugBug]

After some terrible first experiences with banks when I was a teen (getting launched), I developed a pretty decent fear of them that wasn’t lessened until a few years ago when I gave low level eventing a try.

Basically, when young, I didn’t get any instruction on what to do, so I rode it like any other jump and almost came off every time. As an adult, my trainer had me put my hands down (grab mane), put my feet a little forward and think about landing into my heels, keep my eyes up and straight ahead and then just let the horse step off the bank. I was on a horse that knew what to do, so it was nice to feel what it feels like when done correctly. It was kind of fun. I did up to the training level banks and just trusted my trainer’s instruction and the horse and it was all good. 'Course, I didn’t trust her advice on the half coffin going downhill and ended up on the ground, but oh well…

[axl]

[QUOTE=Dakotawyatt;7259047]
THANK YOU for that video! That was so awesome! I’ve never seen that round before. First of all, GREAT derby course! And secondly, I loved her nice forward hand gallop the entire time. Fabulous![/QUOTE]

It was a great course and a really lovely ride, but no gallop was involved. She developed a strong canter and kept it. Jersey Boy is so rhythmic you can easily see the the 3-beat the whole time.
Although it may look like a hand gallop compared to the current hunter canter, I wouldn’t want anyone to think it really was a gallop.