how to ride a jumper course

How to Ride a Show jumping Course

• Building a simple course. Make the first fence an easy one: an ascending spread – that is, one where the second rail is...
• Types of fences. Vertical or upright fence – that is, those in which all the poles or planks are in the same vertical...
• Walking the course. However modest the size of the fences, you should always walk a course...

Full Answer

How do I learn to ride over jumps?

Your first step in learning to ride over jumps is to work with a coach or instructor to develop a secure seat at all gaits from a walk to hand gallop. You should also be able to ride these gaits securely in two points or half seat.

Do English riders need to know how to jump?

There are lots of disciplines that English riders can participate in that don't require jumping such as dressage, English pleasure, equitation and flat classes such as road hack, le tree, distance riding, mounted games, polo, and polocrosse. Nevertheless, for the reasons mentioned above, it is good to know how to approach and go over a jump.

How long does it take to learn to go over jumps?

In any horse activity, you should be safe, and you should be having fun. If you're scared, you're not having fun. Whether you take three months or three years or perhaps decades to learn to go over jumps doesn't matter. Your instructor or coach should be willing to go your pace and not compare you to other riders.

How long does it take to learn to jump a horse?

A really keen, athletic rider on a well-schooled horse may be able to start jumping after a few months of lessons. Others may take longer, either because they aren't as athletic, or are keen but apprehensive.

How do you walk in a jumper course?

6:179:28How to walk a Showjumping course? Tutorial with Bethany Lee | Guest VlogYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then take take yourself through it walking on foot counting the strides to see where you'll beMoreAnd then take take yourself through it walking on foot counting the strides to see where you'll be at just as a kind of a gauge to see what would be. The straight centered approach and track for you.

How do you memorize a jump course?

8 Ways to Remember Your Show CourseName the Jumps. Every jump has some defining feature that's worthy of a descriptive nickname. ... Break the Show Course into Sections. ... Plan out Your Turns. ... Repeat the Course, Jumps and Turns out Loud. ... Visualize Your Ride. ... Walk the Course if You Can. ... Draw the Course. ... Play Games.

How do you walk a horse on a jumping class?

0:144:14HOW TO WALK A SHOWJUMPING COURSE - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight walk all the way out to the track work out where the line is to the middle of the fence. AndMoreRight walk all the way out to the track work out where the line is to the middle of the fence. And make sure that you are keeping that. Clear.

How do jumper classes work?

In this format of class, everyone jumps their first round, aiming to go clear and within time allowed. After everyone has jumped, those with clear rounds come back for the jumpoff, which is a shortened version of the first course. Time to go fast! Grand Prix classes are often run under this format.

How many jumps are in a show jumping course?

8-16 jumpsCourses are usually made out of 8-16 jumps. You'll want to make sure you can control your horse and complete a course. What is this? A show jumping course can consist of turns, angles, combinations, certain stride-lengths, and intimidating jumps.

How do you walk in strides between jumps?

0:010:46Counting Strides and Walking a Jump Course - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipKeep walking counting every four steps which equals one horse tried count all the way up to the baseMoreKeep walking counting every four steps which equals one horse tried count all the way up to the base of the next fence that will give you the correct number of strides between elements.

How many human steps are in a horse's canter stride?

four human stepsIt is generally assumed that the average horse's canter stride is about 12 feet long. Since a human step is around three feet long, we can determine that four human steps cover roughly the same distance as one horse canter stride.

How many feet is 6 strides?

Bounce only recommended for speed, derby or novelty classesStridesDistance (m)Distance (feet)314.3 - 14.9m47' - 49'417.7 - 18.9m58' - 62'521 - 22.9m69' - 75'624.4 - 26.8m80' - 88'5 more rows

How are jumpers judged?

Jumper classes are scored objectively based solely on the horse's athletic ability over fences as measured by time. A jumper's only job is to clear all the fences in the course as quickly as possible without incurring any faults.

What breed of horse is used for jumping?

The 11 Best Horse Breeds for JumpingOldenburg.Dutch Warmblood.Quarter Horse.Trakehner.Thoroughbred.Holsteiner.Irish Sport Horse.Arabian.More items...•

What does RT mean in equestrian?

Round. The riders turn to jump a course. Course. The prescribed order of the jumps in a specific class. Courses are posted in advance so the riders can learn them prior to riding their round.

What is the training scale for a horse?

The training scale applies to the training of jumpers just as much as it does to dressage horses. Once the horse is jumping full courses, it has to be through in order to do rhythmic changes, canter long lines and turn quickly. In this course, you will learn how to introduce a young horse to jumping. Furthermore, you'll get valuable tips on how to fix common problems with flatwork exercises.

Is riding a figure 8 a good training tool?

Once the horse has learned to collect a bit and is overall more through, riding a figure eight can be a valuable training tool. This course also covers how you can correct many of the common mistakes when jumping, for example, the horse leaving out a stride or running at the jump.

What does it mean when you have no jump off in a race?

There is no jump off, meaning that the rider must go fast in the first round to improve the chances of winning. Faults have the same effect in this round, so people with rails place below people with no faults, even if their time is better.

What happens if a horse has no jumping faults in the first round?

If the horse has no jumping or time faults in the first round they return for the jump-off after all competitors have gone in the first round. The jump-off order is the same order as the first round, taking out the combinations that did not go clear.

What is table 2 in jumper?

Table II – The table II format is usually seen in the schooling jumper classes. This format is a single round, where all clear rounds are equal in placing. This means that if a horse finishes the course with no faults they receive a blue ribbon, resulting in multiple people in the same class getting a blue ribbon.

What is the first phase of a bike race?

The first phase is power, during the power phase the rider wants to stay clear and in the time. If the rider is clear they continue on in the course and finish the speed phase, if they are not clear they are buzzed out and do not participate in the second part of the course.

What is the time limit for jumping?

In jumpers, each course has a time limit, with a certain number of seconds given to complete the course. This is referred to as the “time allowed.” Horses who go over this time are assessed penalties.

What is a jump off in horse riding?

In the jumper ring, there are certain classes that will have a “jump-off.” If a horse and rider complete their initial course with no faults (meaning they didn’t knock any rails down and came in under the time allowed) they progress to the jump-off, which is a shorter course over the same jumps. Sometimes this happens immediately, without the horse and rider leaving the ring; other times, jump-offs occur after all horses and riders in the class have completed the initial course, having each horse and rider pair return to the ring a second time.

What does it mean when a jump is bending?

This means that the line of jumps isn’t perfectly straight, but set on a slight curve. Sometimes, course designers set these lines in a specific number of strides, or will allow the rider to “ride off their eye,” and choose their own number of strides depending on the track they take to the second jump.

What is a line of jumps?

A “line” of jumps is a term used to describe two or more fences that are usually set in a straight line, with a related distance. The course map will tell riders how many feet are between each fence, denoting the number of strides their horse should take. Sometimes riders further describe a line using the term “outside line” which denotes two jumps set in a line along the fence, or “diagonal line” which means the two jumps are set across the middle of the ring, on the diagonal which causes the horse and rider to change directions as they go over the jumps.

What are the components of a jump?

While the components of a jump may vary, all are composed of “standards,” which are the upright structures which hold the “poles” or “rails” between them to form the jump. Here are a few of the most common types of jumps:

How to do a rollback on a horse?

To complete this, a horse and rider will jump going one direction and then do a half circle (approximately turning 180 degrees) so that they jump a second jump going back the way they came. These are infrequently used in the hunter classes, but are often found in the Equitation and Jumper classes, as they are a true test of the rider’s ability to adjust his or her horse’s stride effectively and correctly.

Who is the Olympic show jumping rider?

Olympic show jumping rider McLain Ward guides you through a show jumping course walk with tips for everything from remembering the course to accounting for factors that can affect your horse’s performance.

When did the youngest rider reach $1 million?

After turning pro, he quickly became the youngest rider to reach the $1 million mark in earnings in 1999, at age 24. In the early 2000s, his mounts included the famed grand prix show jumper Goldika.

How to learn to ride over jumps?

Your first step in learning to ride over jumps is to work with a coach or instructor to develop a secure seat at all gaits from a walk to hand gallop. You should also be able to ride these gaits securely in two points or half seat.

What disciplines can English riders participate in that don't require jumping?

There are lots of disciplines that English riders can participate in that don't require jumping such as dressage, English pleasure, equitation and flat classes such as road hack, le tree, distance riding, mounted games, polo, and polocrosse. Nevertheless, for the reasons mentioned above, it is good to know how to approach and go over a jump.

What are the different types of jumps?

As you become skilled at riding jumps in an arena or ring, you will graduate to riding different types of jumps, including oxers (jumps that are two or three rails wide), water jumps, and other more complicated and intimidating (at least for the horse) types of jumps.

How to ride over poles?

Often instructors will start with just one pole, that will be ridden over at the walk. You will then learn to walk and then trot over a line of poles, both at a posting trot and two-point seat.

How to balance a horse when jumping?

A horse needs to stretch its neck out as it jumps to help it balance, and you don't want to interfere with this (you will momentarily have no contact with the bit). As you land, sit gently down in the saddle, and bring your hands back to the normal position. Be sure not to fold your legs back or push them forward.

How long does it take to get a horse to jump?

A really keen, athletic rider on a well-schooled horse may be able to start jumping after a few months of lessons. Others may take longer, either because they aren't as athletic, or are keen but apprehensive.

Is jumping a good thing for horses?

Jumping adds a lot of risk to horseback riding, and safety should always be the first priority. A rider who is feeling pressured and insecure isn't a safe rider. You want to go over jumps fully committed and confident—not half-hearted and nervous. In any horse activity, you should be safe, and you should be having fun.

Building A Simple Course

See more on outdoorsentinel.com

Types of Fences

Walking The Course

Safe Jumping