3 simple tips for jumping better: A blog on how to perform better show jumping.
Maintain good form.
- Maintain good form.
- Keep your head up.
- Keep your balance.
- Keep your heels down.
- Keep your hips forward.
- Keep your back straight.
- Keep your arms relaxed.
- Keep your hands firm.
- Keep your toes pointed.
- Chin up and get jumping!
Be patient.
- Don’t rush. Even if you’re their mom, don’t make your horse rush. Go at a pace that suits both of you and don’t go too fast for the fence.
- Be patient with yourself and your horse in general. You are not going to get this right every time, neither will they. So enjoy the learning process, even if you do take a tumble every now and again!
- Enjoy yourself! If this isn’t fun then it is pointless!
Focus on the jump, not your horse.
Riding a horse at a competition requires you to be at your best, so it makes sense that your thoughts would be totally occupied with the task at hand. But, when show jumping, it’s important not to get too distracted by all of the action around you. Instead, focus on what you need to do: once you and your horse have approached the jump, look ahead—not down or off to one side—to make sure that both of you are in proper position for the horse’s takeoff. If there’s an obstacle after your jump (or if this is part of a course), take advantage of every available moment to glance ahead and prepare yourself for what’s next.
When performing well in competitions and events like these is so important, many riders tend towards superstition; they might pick up a particular lucky stone or wear their hair in a certain braid before each show. However, it can be helpful for beginners to keep things simple and focus on correct technique instead of worrying about rituals.
You can motivate yourself without being mean to yourself.
I’ve always been a little afraid of jumping. I mean, I get it: you’re on a horse, and you’re taking off at full speed with a thousand pounds of animal in front of you. That’s terrifying.
But there is something to be said for the riskiness of it all: my riding partners and I have the opportunity to test ourselves against one another, pushing the both of us harder than we probably want to go yet enjoying that element of danger and unpredictability that comes with it. And what better way to put all your hard work into practice? Plus, who doesn’t love packing up a heavy backpack that weighs more than half your body?
I’ve been thinking about these issues lately because I recently got back from one of our pre-season training sessions. We were doing a lot of ground work before trying any jumping at first but some of us had an issue with this week’s focus being “jump everything out.” While we still did some jumping each day (with flairs!) there was also quite a bit of ground work involved too as well as focusing on technique and other skills that are required before we can even think about stringing two horses together (figuratively speaking).
This type of practice isn’t necessarily new or different but it’s something many riders don’t think about enough: practicing your skills without forcing yourself to jump every time. These days, my partner is going through her own problems with confidence—and she has told me she would like to do more groundwork now that she feels like she’s getting back into shape after last season’s run-in with injury. It makes no sense for her not to fill in those gaps; this is where years of training come into play, which can never be overstated!
Anns is a contributor at EFA National. We are committed to providing well-researched, accurate, and valuable content to our readers.
