Not bending my hip over jumps? Help!

[Equitationbaby]

Hello everyone. My major problem over fences is that I don’t flex my hip. I tense up in front of the jump and instead of letting my hip angle flex with my pony, I just stand up in my stirrups. I potentially have a show in two weeks so i’m desperate. This is the height I would show in as well. I really want to fix it before i jump courses at 2’ instead of just through a grid. Please give me any advice and critique away!

Here is a picture:

http://www.judgemyride.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/image204.jpg

[Credosporthorses]

What happens when you jump with out stirrups?

[no.stirrups]

So are you saying that you can do it in a grid? So what you may need is more practice in grids. The other thing is to consciously force yourself to flex that joint in an exaggerated fashion over each and every jump just to get in the habit of not locking the joint. It isn’t something that will just go away, you have to make it go away with concentrated effort. You have to put a lot of work in to get the new habit more deeply ingrained than the old habit. There is no substitute for that.

[Trixie]

Here’s a question - do you get stiff in your hips at other times? Because if that’s where tension kind of manifests on you, maybe try some yoga stretches or something. If nothing else those muscles will be more malleable.

[alternate_universe]

The photo shows you bending at the hips… just not nearly enough. You’re not bending in your back or waist, which is good. Try over-exaggerating it for a bit and see what happens. Maybe your perception of what feels like too much will actually be just right.

[Equitationbaby]

[QUOTE=Credosporthorses;7707471]
What happens when you jump with out stirrups?[/QUOTE]

I have never jumped without stirrups. I have very low confidence when it comes to jumping.

[Equitationbaby]

[QUOTE=no.stirrups;7707494]
So are you saying that you can do it in a grid? So what you may need is more practice in grids. The other thing is to consciously force yourself to flex that joint in an exaggerated fashion over each and every jump just to get in the habit of not locking the joint. It isn’t something that will just go away, you have to make it go away with concentrated effort. You have to put a lot of work in to get the new habit more deeply ingrained than the old habit. There is no substitute for that.[/QUOTE]

I have only jumped 2’ with placing poles to help me find my distance.

[CrowneDragon]

I’m not an eq person, but your body angle looks fine to me. You are going over such a small fence that it is just a bit more than a canter stride. You don’t want to dive down the neck.
You do look like you are stiff and arched in your back (and a bit stiff everywhere), which will stiffen your hips. Try to soften your back a bit and relax.
JMHO.

[Equitationbaby]

Okay another question. In front of the jumps I tend to ride on my pommel and I get nervous. I also ride in half-seat around my courses. Would it be easier for me to stay back in the saddle and get my upper body positioned more correctly if I sat more to the jump. Keeping in mind my pony is a Quarter Pony and built more downhill. Thanks for the advice so far everyone. I really appreciate it.

[CrowneDragon]

Yes, it looks like you are standing up a bit. Try to think about being soft in the saddle and not perching. Don’t worry about “posing”, but instead about staying balanced over the horse.

In eventland where I now live ;), I have had clinicians tell me to practice “hailing a cab”, which means you don’t get out of the saddle at all over a jump, but instead sit back put your reins in one hand (you may need to slip them), and your other hand goes up in the air to help you stay back in balance with the horse. This is to practice for XC when you get to a fence at a bad distance/“take a flyer”. I have found it helpful to curb any jumping ahead of the horse’s motion. You can play with that although at your barn people may look at you like you’re nuts. :lol:

[Sarah616]

An exercise to practice - ride to the jump in your two-point, as as you turn the corner to get closer to the jump, get closer to the neck by closing your hip angle. Think every stride, close your hips a little more, until you’re almost touching the horse’s neck with your upper body. And then STAY THERE at the jump. That’s key. You’re already in your jumping position, so you don’t have to move. Practice “getting closer” on the flat and over poles first if you want - a big part of it is that you likely aren’t secure enough in your leg and balance, so you aren’t comfortable closing your hips. You want to think of closing your hips instead of standing up like you’re doing here.

Over small jumps, you don’t NEED to have a dramatically closed hip angle, but the exercise I described above will prevent you from standing up and raising your shoulder at the jump, and give you the proper feel

[billiebob]

I think your position is nice for that small of a fence. I find it difficult to properly fold over anything lower than about 2’6. What helps me is thinking about squatting over the horse. I like to think “hands forward, butt out” going over the fence. One woman I used to teach had a bad habit of standing and I used to tell her to bring her belly button towards the pommel.

There was a really good article in the March 2013 issue of Practical Horseman where Bernie Traurig described the four different seats a rider should use jumping around a course. On a downhill horse I would probably prefer a light 3-point rather than a half-seat. I especially prefer being back in the saddle on the approach to a jump that makes me nervous.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I would think its pretty hard to get the feel of it when you aren’t really jumping - this is a very small rise and your pony is only cantering the pole. You could sit through the ‘jump’ and feel your horse take a bigger ‘jump’ in his canter.

The best way for your to understand relaxing and closing your hip angle will be a larger jump, and jump without out stirrups.

I don’t understand why you can’t get up in a half seat and stay there over the jump. Surely you can ride with your hip angle closed at a canter up in a half seat.

If you can’t ride without stirrups at a canter, then you can’t jump without them. Practice riding without stirrups first.

[fargaloo]

I’m not a trainer or an instructor, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt ;). Along with the other suggestions, I’d recommend that you do a lot of your flat work in two-point – at the walk, trot and canter, as well as transitions between gaits, etc. You need to build muscle memory so that your over-fences position feels automatic. One thing I notice is that many people practicing two point on the flat more or less stand in the stirrups with their crotch over the pommel. It’s a lot less tiring in this position than with your hips back, but this is exactly the habit you are trying to break. When you two point on the flat, put up your stirrups a couple of holes, then really think about pushing your hips back and dropping your weight down your whole leg. If your pony is reliable enough, try knotting your reins and putting your arms out to the sides as you trot around - this will tell you if you are truly balanced over your leg. This is also a great confidence builder – you will start to trust how secure you feel in this position, rather than the precarious “perch, pinch with your knees and swing your lower leg” position that we all have as we learn to jump.

Good luck – you guys are a cute pair already!

[pony_grandma]

[QUOTE=fargaloo;7708122]
When you two point on the flat, put up your stirrups a couple of holes, then really think about pushing your hips back and dropping your weight down your whole leg. [/QUOTE]

I like to use the descriptive feel word “sink” vs bending because that connotes leaning forward. Get into the 2 pt as mentioned ^ then sink your hip down into your lower leg. Try straddling an imaginary low stool, feet on both sides straight under your hips. Then lower your hips, now push your butt back. perfecto.

When you get to jumping with some height then you can let the horse jump for you and the horse will close that angle (if you stay soft!).

[pryme_thyme]

I don’t actually see much wrong with your photo to be honest. You are getting a bit too far forward. Crotch should be behind pommel of the saddle rather than above it.

Your horse looks to be a bit of a flatter jumper, (Mine is too until the fences get large), really for you/your horse it is more or less a canter stride over those size fences.
Ideally, the horse should lift his/her shoulders over the fence and come up to you which closes your hip angle for you as long as you are in a proper position and staying with the motion. But if your horse if flat, there isn’t much help in this department. You have to do most of the work.

I would suggest moving your stirrups up a hole and work on your two point through the canter, sink your weight down the back of your calf to your ankle and think Flinstone brakes. (This helps me sink my weight down in the stirrup, keep my leg steady and prevent any gripping with my knees).
That size of jump doesn’t need a big release, you in your two point with soft elbows and getting the right striding should be enough.

Good luck, you look great!

[ybiaw]

I think your position is fine for a jump of this height. It looks like it’s only, what, 18"? No need to be completely folded over onto yourself over a fence that small. As you get more experience and start jumping larger fences, you’ll find that you naturally “fold” more to stay with the motion of your horses jump. Over a fence this small it’s completely unnecessary to do so, and is one of my biggest pet peeves. IMO, you don’t even start feeling a horse really jump until you’re around 2’6".

Long story short - you look fine, and don’t worry too much about it until you start jumping bigger. Better to keep your shoulder up over a small fence than learn to duck at this point, am I right?!

[Spud_amp_Saf]

I would much rather see this position over a small jump than someone who is laying over their horse’s neck.

Just think about relaxing your lower back, hips, knees and ankles and pushing your bum towards the back of the saddle over the jump.

Good luck at the show!

[Spud_amp_Saf]

I would much rather see this position over a small jump than someone who is laying over their horse’s neck.

Just think about relaxing your lower back, hips, knees and ankles and pushing your bum towards the back of the saddle over the jump.

Good luck at the show!

[CindyCRNA]

Stick your butt out! My trainer yells that at me and it helped.