Do You Jump From

newforest

newforest

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Mar 15, 2008
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Trot, canter or both
Why and why not etc.
I know its horse depending as in experience, confidence etc. :)

My answer up until now is trot. I have ridden youngsters or been xc where I have been the green one. I don't think we have cantered?

I set up my own course of groundpoles to make the school more interesting and it just got me thinking that we could actually canter over these. (Bearing in mind I needed to learn my own course)

;)
 
Canter! When we started jumping Raf would jump huge from trot - I'll never forget seeing the brief inadvertent flash of fear on my RIs fence as we cat leaped into the air one time - obviously wondering whether we'd make it down in one piece or two halves. Cantering he seemed to be able to incorporate them in his stride and just popped over. I don't think he does the huge from trot any more, now that he knows what it's all about, but I've never forgotten and still prefer canter lol.
 
Both, I tend to trot if I think they are likely to put in a stop, Jess is very new to jumping so I normally trot the first one or two then canter them once she settles :D
 
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Trot or canter. Depends on how big the jump is, how confident im feeling and how fresh Belle is .
 
I far prefer jumping from canter. I can see the stride much more easily so I stay more in balance. But I will often I trot between fences. Zak is happy either way and the girls usually jump him from trot.
 
When Storm and I used to jump I just let her decide (bad me) and more often than not we set off in trot and ended up cantering. I trusted her to do what she thought was best.
 
Canter is so much nicer, he has a lovely balanced canter now going into a jump and we are doing pole work etc to improve even furthur. He has a lovely jump from canter, from trot its just not as smooth.
 
I think I will ask for a canter over the pole about five strides before and trot in between. Just to work on transitions and get her focused.
One of her habits is to start to cut in, great for a jump offs, not so great to get the basics in place.

This stride business always puzzles me. To me I get the horse to the jump straight and with impulsion, its their job to see the stride and take off, mine to keep up and go with. If I try to "see" a stride it may not be the one they saw.
 
There are lots of great exercises and pole work you can use to help with your jumping. But the biggest help for me has been to get Ale working properly forward in w,t and canter. He has always been a bit sluggish, I spent many many weeks working on getting him really foreward and off my leg, then my instructor popped up a jump and I was shocked at how easy it was!
 
I don't jump now but when i used to i much preferred from a canter. My horse enjoys popping a jump now and then but he doesn't do slow unfortunately.
 
Like newforest I usually trot in between and then canter a few strides in. For riding I much prefer to jump even small jumps from canter. I don't jump big enough fences to worry about getting an accurate stride, but I exactly what our options are in canter. My RS ponies can plop over or clunk poles from trot - better to go in with a bit more oomph!

For bolder horses a numpty rider like me finds it harder to guess where the horse might go from. I once trotted a friends Welsh D into a modest x-pole. He had been terrified of coloured poles, but having had some time not being near them was just discovering what fun jumping was. He misinterpreted the "helpful" placing pole in front of the fence, took one big canter stride and cleared the lot. I was so surprised that I didn't have time to fall off.
 
Canter. He's less likely to duck out from canter too. I think it's because I'm more confident of where we should be taking off from canter and can see my stride better.
 
Always canter. I use to trot in to my first jump in a session as the first jump is always a cross pole. But now I canter them. If I am jumping more than one I never go back to trot unless he has taken the wrong lead and not changed on the turn then back to canter.

A good rhythm in the canter is the answer to a good jump and trotting breaks this rhythm for me. As for a stride I could not see one if it smacked me in the face. I can feel the stride through my sit in the canter as I approach the fence and can feel when to get up and go with him but I could not see it.

I have seen loads of jumping demos and have fortnightly jump lessons and my RI has always said give the horse the correct line and rhythem 3 strides out they will do the rest.

To be honest if ginger is going to take off early he will do and me trying to hold him back one stride will just mess him up.
 
Maybe I am using the wrong word when I say 'see the stride'. I don't try to change it, I just know when I'm 3 strides out, so it's 3,2,1 jump. In trot I never know when they are going to take off.
 
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