How important is seeing a stride?

Keket

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Jan 26, 2004
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The concept of having to figure out my horse's takeoff point terrifies me. I'm a good rider, don't get me wrong. But I literally have no depth perception (I was told this when I did my driver's test!). I've heard various opinions on seeing a stride though. Some people say that some people can just do it, and other people just can't, no matter how hard they work at it. Some people say that it's not important and if the rest of the approach is good (rhythmic, straight, balanced, forward), the horse should be able to get itself through, others say that it's always important. Some people say that it's only important over larger fences (over 3ft) while others say that it's important over small fences too.

Seeing as I'm still at the level of crossrails, and getting Coquette forward and straight means she'll jump nicely, how much longer until I have to worry about this "seeing a stride" nonsense?!
 
I think it's pretty important to be able to see a stride, but it's also important not to get hung up over it. I'm just learning to see a stride now, and it's not easy, but I spent so long looking for it (invariably downwards) that I was forgetting to set up the rest of a jump.

Now that we're jumping more regularly I find I know (most of the time!) when Daffy is going to take off and that allows me to go with him, as opposed to get left behind. Although sometimes he takes out a stride early. Theoretically, I should be able to tell him when to take off. I don't think we work like that though, not atm anyway.

If I get good at seeing a stride, I assume I'll be able to correct the stride/shorten/lengthen/whatever so we can ride more technical and larger courses.
 
I think it's pretty important to be able to see a stride, but it's also important not to get hung up over it. I'm just learning to see a stride now, and it's not easy, but I spent so long looking for it (invariably downwards) that I was forgetting to set up the rest of a jump.

Ah, glad you responded to this, Daffy. It was your post about Daffs not being able to his stride that made me really start thinking about it. Minor panic moment where I'm thinking, ":eek: What if we get to a point where Coquette can't find hers?! I'll be lost!" as most of my jumping effort right now consists of getting her forward and straight to the jump and then not interfering with her.
 
There was a really neat exercise in this months' errr ..... english-riding focussed horse magazine ... mostly huntery jumpery stuff ... Darn, I'm helpful. He had people mark the ideal take off spot and then ride to it over and over in walk, and stop where you thought it was, with a ground person telling you how well you did. Then ride to it and jump. He reckoned that you gradually gained a 'feel' for where the take off spot was.
 
There was a really neat exercise in this months' errr ..... english-riding focussed horse magazine ... mostly huntery jumpery stuff ... Darn, I'm helpful. He had people mark the ideal take off spot and then ride to it over and over in walk, and stop where you thought it was, with a ground person telling you how well you did. Then ride to it and jump. He reckoned that you gradually gained a 'feel' for where the take off spot was.

Practical Horseman? Aren't they hunter-jumpery? :confused:
 
Don't worry Shadow, follow me I'll show you ...

... clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop ... wheeeeeeeeee .... clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop ...

did you see it that time ?

ETA : Sorry Keket, feel free to slap me. That PH article was really well-written - worth getting a hold of a copy ... I have a copier and a fax machine if that would work ... but no scanner :(
 
LOL My horsees usually saw me through it :)

There are actually several photos of me kicking around at mom's with my eye's closed.. it's usually when I got over the 4 foot mark.. some of the big solid set jumps.. Guide in.. Grab mane close eyes...Visualize landing still attached...

Worked well really ... I am still hear to talk about it...
 
Don't worry Shadow, follow me I'll show you ...

... clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop ... wheeeeeeeeee .... clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop, clipperty-clop ...

did you see it that time ?

ETA : Sorry Keket, feel free to slap me. That PH article was really well-written - worth getting a hold of a copy ... I have a copier and a fax machine if that would work ... but no scanner :(

Ah, wouldn't think to slap you, Kate! Maybe a light thwack with a foam bat... ;) I'll see if I can get it. Good magazine, but hard to find around here! I can only think of one place that carries it.

And yes, I definitely saw the stride that time. Very obvious! How could I not? :D
 
LOL My horsees usually saw me through it :)

There are actually several photos of me kicking around at mom's with my eye's closed.. it's usually when I got over the 4 foot mark.. some of the big solid set jumps.. Guide in.. Grab mane close eyes...Visualize landing still attached...

Worked well really ... I am still hear to talk about it...

That's encouraging! So I'm assuming you're of the "point and trust the horse" category? And clearly you had some success with it. :)

I asked my temporary jump coach what the highest she ever jumped was.

"The highest I ever jumped was 4'6". And I'm never doing it again. Ever."
 
The day we ran the chase me charlie up to 6 feet at the county fair was the day I nearly ruined my saddle by peeing on it...

I often struggled in the 4 foot plus classes with fear over the fence. Although I liked to think of it as self preservation more than fear... For me eventing was facing my "self preservation" head on and living dangerously.

It's important to note that I NEVER did the style classes.. only speed/survival ones :)
 
I'd say it depends on the horse. Some take you into a jump & see a stride for themselves, some wait for you to press 'go' which can be a bit of a shock if you are used to riding the other sort! My theory is that horses that were introduced to jumping loose or on the lunge are more likely to take you into a jump. Fits with my experience anyway!
 
I would agree 100% iron maiden - if you teach them to think for themselves.. and then give them a hand when on board chances are pretty good you will do alright..

Still important to understand the premis :)

If you watch the big names walk at Spruce Meadows.. it's eye opening.. you watch some walk it and measure every little distance.. and others have a wander, sip some coffee and chat about the weather.. Dead giveaway what kind of horse they have ;)
 
The worst thing to do is worry about looking for a stride when you aproch the jump look to the top and over the jump and the stride should come naturally, don't look and the ground bottom of the jump as you will probably get the wrong stride. Practice lengthening and shorting strides for j/o offs.
 
personally, i can always 'see' the stride. but i am such a big wimp jumping that it really doesn't help me much, now if there were2 people on the horse..one who knows how to jump and me who can see the stride that would work!!!

i would say confidence is the key to jumping. while i can see a stride i lack confidence which undoes it all.

lots of practise using placing poles will help. but also make sure you trust in your horse to know their own capabilities.
 
Would you have one of them hold the reins and the other one use the stirrups ... or how would that work ? Unless Lucy J is really really small, maybe she can perch on the pommel there, and Shadow could do all the actual riding ?

Dammit - I thought I wasn't responding to Canadians any more. :mad:
 
Would you have one of them hold the reins and the other one use the stirrups ... or how would that work ? Unless Lucy J is really really small, maybe she can perch on the pommel there, and Shadow could do all the actual riding ?

Dammit - I thought I wasn't responding to Canadians any more. :mad:

I've got confidence, and Lucy J's got depth perception! Perfect!

And why aren't you responding to Canadians? :p
 
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