Welcome to my jumping page!

Got jumping problems?  This page will help you "get over it!"

Please wear a helmet!

There are a lot of different kinds of jumping.  There's stadium, cross country, steeplechasing, and a few others.  On this page, I am going to talk about cross country and stadium jumping, how to jump, and much more.

How do I jump?

Well, in order to jump, you will need to go into two-point.  This is also known as jumping position.  When you do this, put your weight way down in your heels.  Lift yourself slightly out of the saddle and lean forward.  Keep your back STRAIGHT and your eyes forward.  Keep your heels down!  Push your hands up so they are in the middle of your horse's neck, which allows him to stretch over the jump without getting jabbed in the mouth.  If you feel insecure, hold onto the mane (it won't hurt him!)  Stay in this position while your horse is in the air.  When he comes back down, go back to your normal position.  Look at the rider above to see the correct position.

A Few Things to Remember When Jumping

Shorten your stirrups two holes.  If you normally ride with long stirrups, shorten them three holes.

Don't jump the same jump over and over.  If you do, your horse will get bored and won't pay attention to you.

If your horse refuses, make sure you take it again, and keep your leg on him.  For example, if he ducks to the left, keep your left leg on him.

Don't jump your horse right away.  Always warm him up at the trot and canter first.

Stadium Jumping

Stadium jumping is jumping usually done in an arena.  Fences are less solid than in cross country, so they are able to be knocked over.

The next few pictures are from the personal website:

http://rivendell.cc.uk.uky.edu/

They are from the Rolex at Kentucky Horse Park, but were taken by the website's owner personally.

This one's of David O'Conner!  He won the gold at the Olympics in Sydney!

Cross Country

Cross country is, well, riding across the countryside.  It is done with natural jumps, such as logs, shrubs, barrels, etc.  It is a little more risky than stadium jumping because it is uneven ground and the jumps look a little scarier to the rider, and a lot scarier to the horse.  Here are a few types of cross country jumps (but not all of them):

Here's a log jumped thats on some kinda stilts.  (If you know what they are called officially, please e-mail me!)

Here's a hedge jump

Here's a horse going over a cross country hedge jump.