Hello! I was wondering if anyone could share tips on finding a distance to jump. I’m always struggling with that! I know when I’m going to get bad distance but I don’t know what to do about it so I’m always a half stride off. Thanks!!!
Rhythm and straightness.
Get into rhythm, keep your horse straight between your legs (not using your hands), and you’ll find that reasonable distances just happen.
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Thank you!!
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In addition to rhythm and straightness, I think the concept of impulsion is necessary.
If you are looking for actual exercises, I can recommend some that have helped me with both my hunters and my jumpers.
On the flat: lengthen along the long side, collect on the short side. After doing this consistently, try to find the happy medium pace and think of a song with a similar tempo. This might help with rhythm if you can’t tell where you’re at with your stride length.
Poles: these are going to teach you more about finding a distance than fence height (I might be exaggerating, but poles, cavalleti, and small jumps are great for distance and rhythm). Work on impulsion to the base, then work on collection to the base. Try bending lines with poles. Short approach, long approach, whatever is your weakness.
Hope this helps!
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What does impulsion exactly mean? I think I know what it means what I want make sure I understand.
Agree with all of the above. A canter that is between your hand and your leg, meaning you can lengthen or shorten easily at any time. How do you know that you have this? Canter LOTS and LOTS of poles. Related distances and singles. Add or subtract strides in the related distances. Experiment with the canter. Gallop and then reorganize to a softer canter that is more collected. Practice a ton.
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Impulsion is an enigma! If I’m thinking of impulsion on my jumper, I’m thinking of having the energy in her canter on her hind end, shoulder up, and balance. This doesn’t mean fast or quick— I could easily collect her with the same impulsion I’m feeling when she’s forward.
With my hunters, they were all heavy on the forehand and pulled like a semi if you got into the battle of pulling against them. Similarly, the answer to that question was impulsion and balance. I strive for my hunters to be forward and rhythmic through, and out of, the corner. Again, think of that tempo/song analogy.
Aside from all of that, invest in your lateral work. What is your horse’s knowledge? What is your knowledge? These are questions to ask yourself. If you can have better control of the shoulder or haunch, say through shoulders fore, etc., you have better odds of understanding impulsion, rhythm, and straightness. It is unfortunately all feel-based and very hard to put into words.
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I think of impulsion as a quality of gait that I can do almost anything from without needing a great reorganization or big kick. There is enough energy there (productive energy, not wild and crazy energy) that you could easily lengthen, shorten, jump a 4 foot fence that appears in front of you, etc.
It should always feel like there’s more horse in front of you than behind you, if that makes any sense.
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When in doubt, add leg without changing the rhythm. Make sure the horse is balanced. If the horse is balanced, with good rhythm, and moving forward, any distance from 1/2 stride long to a 1/2 stride short will produce a good jump. If the horse is unbalanced, or with an uneven rhythm, or not moving forward, ALL takeoff points will be a "bad distance
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I think of impulsion as the bouncy-ness of my canter. A fast and strung out (meaning the stride is too long and quick to be balanced) horse feels more flat-moving while in the saddle than a horse who has connection from the inside leg to the outside rein. When you achieve that connection, meaning you’ve found just the right amount of leg and hand together for that specific horse (which you may only achieve for a few strides at first - that’s okay! You’re learning!) the canter should feel elastic and “bouncy” underneath you. It should feel like there is energy in their hind end that is pushing you in the saddle. I like to think of my horse having enough energy from the hind end, and enough balance on the front end, so that it could bound up a bank in cross country or go through a grid. Good luck!
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Rhythm, straightness, and pace are super important BUT not the only factors.
When you watch top riders that seemingly never miss, it’s not because the perfect takeoff spot just magically appears for them every time. It’s because those riders see where they are 8, 9, 10 strides out from the jump and make any needed adjustments that far back. And when adjustments are made that early they are far more subtle. By the time they get to the base they’ve already made the adjustment and therefore arrive at an ideal or close to ideal takeoff spot.
So in addition to working on rhythm, straightness, and pace, work on collecting and opening the canter stride so that when you need to make an adjustment, you can do so smoothly. Work with lots of ground poles as well, so you can start to see where you are in relation to the pole earlier and earlier. Trying to count 5 strides before the pole, then 6, and continue working up from there is a great exercise for that also.
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I understand what you’re saying! Sometimes when my horse gets fired up I do half halts on the inside rein and hold my outside and it slows her down but she becomes more engaged and still has energy or “impulsion” but in a controlled pace.
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I understand! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!
Question how do you find distance with hunter? In shows you kinda want them flat so if you have impulsion with hunter you might get scored down right?
Half halts should come mostly from your seat/balance/intention, not your reins. Although the desired rider position is different from that in hunter/jumper riding, dressage lessons may help you understand how to create impulsion and balance in your horse. At the lower levels of dressage, dressage horses and hunter/jumper horses should travel in the same balance and shape.
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DON’T “look” for the take off spot. It comes to you. The more you look, the less likely you will see it. Instead, focus on pace, impulsion, rhythm, carriage and line. If you have those things, your horse can jump from where he gets to. If you don’t have just ONE of these things, your take off distance will be less than ideal more often than not. If you “blow” your take off spot and have a bad jump, it is due to one of these things missing. About the worst thing you can do when approaching a jump is grab hold of the reins and pull while you “look for a spot”.
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Honestly, I used to freak out and always try to find the perfect distance… and then I realized that it was never there bc I was slowing down to find it.
If you pick up a canter (usually a step or 2 faster than you think is right… bc… ammy life) and get that pace/rhythm… and go middle to middle… you usually find it.
I try to line up with the second jump of the line and aim for middle of both… and keep pace off the turn and land and kick, bc my horse will particularly slow down in a line and if I sit at all to try to drive, she shortens.
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Something someone told me eons ago, in addition to all the great advice above, is to turn to the jump when your horses shoulder lines up with the inside standard. If that makes sense. Just an easy way to find your track. It has helped me a TON.
Sometimes I have a “Jesus take the wheel” moment when I turn the corner and every time it just works out with keeping that in mind.
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