Nervous over tiny jumps

[Lunabear1988]

So this probably goes along with another thread that I put in put in the dressage forum. I know I have some performance anxiety at times anyways. But this is kind of perplexing me!

I’ve been riding for over 25 years. Western, HUS, H/J, and Dressage at various points in my life. Last spring, I took some jumping lessons just to switch it up from the dressage and to keep myself in shape while I was horse shopping. It went well. I feel like I definitely progressed and felt like I was starting to understand this jumping stuff.

Now I have my 4 year old in partial training. He’s been fabulous. The trainer recently introduced him to Tiny tiny cross rails after a few months of pole work. He is pretty excited about it and he’s kind of at that stage in his training in general that he thinks he knows it all. Just a bit cocky ha ha.

Which is great but my horse that previously was a real push ride is sometimes coming out hot if he thinks we will do any “jumping.” He’s not naughty and he will come down eventually. And honestly if I wasn’t an adult amateur I don’t think it would be a big deal. He’s fine but for me it’s like wow this is a really different horse all of a sudden! And he has a big bascule. Some of that is just him figuring out his body. But trainer thinks he is just always going to have a pretty round jump.

Sometimes I have been trying to do this in a dressage saddle. The difference in my confidence and the dressage side of versus the jumping saddle when we do anything that might have even a little bit of a jump (And for him right now sometimes that’s poles lol) I feel so much better in the jumping saddle. But I think we’re doing such tiny things that it really shouldn’t matter and maybe I’m just making a big deal over something rediculous? I am thinking that I need to go ahead and just buy a jump saddle asap though.

I am going to take some more jumping lessons on school horses to just kind of regain my own confidence. Nothing has really happened with my young horse and he’s totally fine but I want to make sure that I am steady and confident enough to support him. The trainer says that this stage will pass as well.

For me I’m mostly sticking with just poles. Obviously he shouldn’t be jumping hardly at all right now. And I’m not sure that what we have taken them over could hardly even be called the jump! More like a glorified cavaletti but he still thinks it’s pretty awesome.

[fourfillies]

It’s wonderful he is excited to work but tiny crossrails should just be another trot or canter stride. Think of it like that. He will chill it out as well.

[Scribbler]

For starters there is a huge difference in balance point between a dressage and a jumping saddle. Yes highly skilled riders and 1920s dressage masters can jump in a dressage saddles. The rest of us need every bit of help we can get. As I recall from my returning rider lessons even a jump saddle that doesn’t fit you rught takes a big toll even over cross poles.

Only jump in your jump saddle. Also put in the hours in two point at the trot and then at the canter to be really stable in forward seat. Hacking out in trot two point is really good as is doing hand gallop on trails.

Jumper needs more forward than many older dressage riders are initially comfortable with. When the coach says “now that’s a canter you can somethung with” the rider thinks “that’s a full on bolt” but it’s just a big canter.

[Lunabear1988]

Yes that’s definitely what we are working on! I almost think right now poles are harder than a small cross rail. Because he’s more likely to kind of just launch at a weird distance at the pole lol. It’s just him being excited and not totally understanding everything yet.

But it’s totally stuff that he can walk over ha ha.

[Lunabear1988]

Yeah it just feels awkward and I don’t know where I want my body when I’m in the Dressage saddle (for this work.) Nothing has happened I haven’t been left behind or anything. The other day he did get excited over some poles and decided to cantee over the second one in the line and kind of launched too early (although the trainer said that I saw the distance and tried to set him up but he kind of just had a baby brain moment and went for it.) He then got a but excited and kind of crow hopped a little. But I was going to jump saddle and I felt pretty capable of handling all this. If I had been in the dressage saddle I’m not sure what would happen!

I don’t have a jump saddle that fits so I borrow one when I can. Last night we did a miniature pile of poles clinic. I only had my dressage saddle to use and thought we would be okay. And technically we were but I just felt funky and not confident in that saddle.

And yes we’ve been working on more two point lately! Honestly I think a lot of this is more mental than physical right now. So I think taking some more lessons on some schoolies would be really good.

My horse is seriously a good boy and non emotional which is awesome. I just want to make sure that I can help him stay so confident!

[Huntin_Pony]

" I saw the distance and tried to set him up "

At this stage, you should not be trying to set him up. The whole point of poles and tiny crossrails is to offer the horse a learning opportunity that’s easy and safe. Leave him alone and just focus on staying in the middle and in balance. Give him a chance to learn from experience.

BTW, I agree with others’ comments on the saddles.

[ThreeWishes]

Yes! Just ride the tempo of your canter, EYES up! Don’t stare at the pole or the cross rail let your horse figure it out and wait for him to do so. It’s really just a canter stride. Get a good even canter and relax.

[Scribbler]

Also practice hand gallop in the dressage saddle. If you aren’t ready for a bit of speed you aren’t ready for jumps. It is also perfectly ok to not jump

[libgrrl]

Also – if you are uncomfortable with a “big effort” – a neckloop/yoke is your friend

[Scribbler]

Excess enthusiasm can also be anxiety in a jump horse so don’t assume he is totally chill. You really want to not slam his mouth, slam his back, or start choking him up at this stage.

[Mander]

Honestly, this is just good advice on youngsters even if you are comfortable with big efforts. Helps prevent you from accidentally smacking them in the mouth/falling on their back if you get caught off guard by what you thought was going to be a straightforward effort

[ThreeWishes]

Exactly. I’ve shown successfully in pre adult hunters. Was on the tract to go move up to 3’. Covid, a death in the family, and a horse injury set that aside for a couple of months. I’m back in the saddle. Had a lesson today. We did cross rails. Easy trot in canter out. Stop in the line after. Everything relaxed. Then built to two fences. Stop after the effort all relaxed. Then canter a full course with changes but still relaxed. The key was me. Eyes up it’s just a cross rail. Develop the rhythmic canter and leave it alone. If the horse gets deep or decides to leave long just wait. Stay soft. They will figure it out.

[Lunabear1988]

I mean I wasn’t consciously doing anything except half halt with my body. It was on a curved line and my trainer had specifically said it wasn’t set up to canter but to trot. Honestly I was just getting trying to go with him at the point. But he had other ideas lol. My trainer said I stayed with him and out of his way like I needed too. She said it was just a very clear baby moment. After that he trotted through wonderfully.

[Lunabear1988]

I think part of it is we had been doing poles for awhile. No big deal. But then when he was introduced to crossrails, if a pole is set between some standards, he sometimes assumes it’s a jump, at least the first go. I just think I need a jump saddle to feel confident in my ability to go with him and stay out of his way.

His mane is roached so we just added a jump strap.

So far according to my trainer I have not been left behind or bumped him in his mouth and have stayed with him very well. But I just worry about the what if* especially in a dressage saddle.

I do know that some horses get nervous which feels like excitement. But I don’t think that’s the case and neither does the trainer. She’s the one introducing him to everything not me. He is just excited at first and then once he figures it out he’s very chill about it.

Just to be clear I never do any poles or anything outside of a lesson. Not right now anyway.

[Lunabear1988]

Come to think of it we’ve only had the extra exuberance at the poles not an actual crossrail. So maybe it’s just me?

Regardless I’m hoping to get my own jump saddle by the end of January. And we continue to work on my position and his canter. Last time I cantered a little gymnastic (I think that’s what it was) there was no issues. Just when trotting a pile of poles lol.

[Posting_Trot]

Since your anxiety seems to result from his over-the-top enthusiasm, maybe the thing to do is to start there.

He may be over-jumping massively because he doesn’t have a clue. If you intend to keep jumping him, you will have to learn to ride that big bascule, but really he needs to learn what kind of effort different types of jumps require.

Can you throw together a very rinky-dink jump chute? Just 3 or 4 cross-rails or cavaletti (or maybe just start with two) in a row, and then lunge him over the jumps? Let him figure out the spacing, where his feet go, etc.

There’s no reason to overdo it, but just giving the horse a problem that he has to figure out can be really helpful. Plus, you’ll know that he won’t be feeding off your anxiety as a rider as he jumps.

Good luck!

[173north]

@Lunabear1988

Just to be clear I never do any poles or anything outside of a lesson. Not right now anyway.

Definitely smart for your own comfort level but it would also benefit your horse to see poles more often so they aren’t so exciting! Do you ever just lead him over poles, or lunge him over them? I just started one over jumps and I found lots of hand-walking and trotting over poles and teeny x-rails was super helpful for him. They go from “what is THAAAAT!?” to “oh, the thing I walk over” pretty fast and you don’t have to worry about interfering with him. And you will feel calmer in the saddle when you know he’ll trot them quietly in-hand instead of pretending he is in the 1.60m.

[Lunabear1988]

Oh yeah I mean I have a lunge or walk over them. And I can trot like a single pole, like one just in the middle of the ring just fine. It’s only the ones that are in between any type of standard that he’s kind of like maybe this is a jump?

I just met I don’t tackle anything that I’m not very confident in, by myself.

But I suppose I should focus more on walking over the ones that are down between the standards. Last night he seemed like he was starting to really get the idea. That just because it’s between a standard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a jump.

[Lunabear1988]

That’s a good idea. I do think he’s starting to understand and he’s not always over jumping. I think it’s more I’m not confident in myself always more than a him thing if that makes sense?

But doing like a jump shoot would not be a bad idea. I’m sure I could set one up in the indoor.

[IPEsq]

I would try at least a couple of these tiny cavaletti jumps and poles every time he is ridden for a while. It will become more boring/routine. If I recall, your guy has some QH in him? Some of the most round jumpers I’ve been on have been QH or Paint. It will take some getting used to, but just because he’s round doesn’t mean you will get launched to the moon. It might not change much as the jumps go up (if you decide to do that later). Even though he’s more on the muscle, be sure you let go and give a good release at this stage. Yes, at that height eventually you should be able to do them in your dressage tack on some contact, but not in this phase. Some horses need an exaggerated release for the height and then don’t grab and whoa immediately on landing even if it’s forward at first. Work on a circle or do trot in canter out and then circle if you need to slow down. He should settle down.