At 03:19:10 on 21.12.11, SnowRose wrote:
I have been Jumping for just over a year now and I seem to lean forward before jumps. I know that you are supposed to go into the jumping position once your horses feet leave the ground, but I always worry whether I'll get left behind. I have getting left behind! It makes everything that I have done in the past jumps in that course and the jumps that I am going to do feel messy, like I have messed everything up. I'm really self conscience about the position of my hands and whether my heels are down or not (by the way, does anyone have any advice I could use on heels down?)I have started riding a horse that is easier to deal with so I'm ready to start thinking on my position more then other things. I'm really picky. So if anyone could help, please do!

At 03:35:09 on 21.12.11, kmarbert1 wrote:
hi there! I have this problem as well- As i played volleyball for 15 years competitively,( and when you play you play on the balls of your feet the entire time) heels down has been an issue! One expercise you can do out of the saddle is to stand on a step with just your toes on it, and sink down into your heels to stretch your hamstring. Too tight hamstrings wont let you stretch down into the stirrup and your heel. This stretch has helped me immensely, but make sure you DONT bounce up and down when you do it, otherwise you are just building calf muscle and not stretching lol. As an added idea, maybe you could video tape yourself jumping and review it later? this has also helped me because you may see something when you come back later and look at it that you couldnt necessarily feel in the moment. Having somebody on the ground for a second set of eyes is also a great help! Hope this helps in any way!

At 03:40:19 on 21.12.11, SnowRose wrote:
It does! Thank you very much! :D

At 06:35:46 on 21.12.11, nut_lover wrote:
one thing is that if you are worried about being left behind just grab onto a hunk of mane. i am pretty sure horses dont have feeling in there mane lol and it helps making sure you dont pull on there mouth either. but you could try that for now until you are more confident one not being left behind :D good luck!

At 23:01:07 on 21.12.11, SnowRose wrote:
Thank you! :D Sounds like a plan lol. xD

At 03:19:28 on 28.12.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
I thought this was a good video on describing jumping positions :)

At 01:16:26 on 03.01.12, shadypony wrote:
Since leaning forward is a habit you have right now, I think it would actually be a GOOD thing if you got left behind (to an extent anyway) if you get left behind it means your breaking past the leaning, even if its an opposite extreme. And since you do lean forward too much, I can't imagine that it would be very dramatic if you got left behind. It might feel messy, but I know that I look stupid when I get up too early, and it can be dangerous. Recently I've been riding a mare thats notorious for dirty stops, (she's been pretty good tho,) and if I get ahead of her she'll stop and I'll fall. And try counting to yourself. It's not just for distances! It will help you know what stride to get up on, so you won't get left behind or get up too early :)