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Horse jumping is an exhilirating sport! Here's what you need to know to do it safely and well.Horse jumping: You should always use the crest release when jumping, right?George Morris introduced the crest release in horse jumping, then almost immediately regretted it. He advocates the automatic release instead. Want to know why?Controlling your horse's speed when jumping a courseEver feel like your horse wants to jump a course faster than a speeding bullet? Many equestrians encounter this problem. You may be tempted to use a stronger bit. Here’s an alternative that’s better for you and your horse.Horse jumping puts you at risk for head injuries. The most dangerous is called a "closed head injury".Closed head injuries are no joke. They are injuries where people hit their heads, think they are OK, and go about their business. But, unbeknownst to them, they have bleeding in the brain. Eventually the brain swells enough to be life-threatening. Do you know the warning signs?Want to improve your jumping? Consider dressage training. Here's why.Like many "horsey girls", I loved jumping. Dressage? That was for fussy old ladies (from my young viewpoint). Just look at them, going round and round in circles, making their horses cross their legs and other silly things. What was the point?Until I started feeling like I was stalling out in my jumping. Something was keeping my wonderful 16.2 hand thoroughbred mare from achieving the quality of jumping that I knew she could. What was keeping her back? Out of curiosity, I decided to take a few lessons from the dressage trainer at my barn. And, as they say, my eyes were opened. I felt how my own aids were keeping my horse from improving, in particular, my rein contact and my misunderstanding of the term "half halt". As I worked on developing a more balanced seat, a more elastic contact, and extending and collecting my horse's frame at trot and canter, my jumping improved in leaps and bounds. (Yes, pun intended). I also noticed that my horse's topline became stronger, and that she was jumping more by pushing off from behind instead of throwing her forehand over the jumps. So, again as they say, I became a believer. For exercises to improve these crucial aspects of jumping,
go to our dressage page, and dig in!
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