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Post by horseguy on Mar 28, 2016 19:58:47 GMT
Gymnastics refers to a line of obstacles with a rhythmic pattern that is set up to "demand" by its context that the horse move in a steady repeatable rhythm. These patterns of obstacles can be ground poles or they can be higher for use in developing timing and relaxation in jumping.
These gymnastic lines, sometimes called jumping grids, are very useful in getting our horses in shape. You can start low and simple and build up to greater heights and complexity of rhythms. They are also very useful for the rider. If used repetitively, a rider can learn the rhythm and flow with it. This becomes very relaxing after a while and it allows the rider to loosen up and discover greater efficiency of balance and timing in their jumping.
Here are some books on the subject.
 by Jim Wofford, Olympic rider
 older book by Reiner Klimke
 revised edition with his daughter Ingrid, both are Olympic riders
This is a huge area of discussion because there are infinite patterns, each with its own advantage. |
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Post by horseguy on Mar 29, 2016 13:06:01 GMT
There is a lot to this topic. Distances, heights, symmetrical versus asymmetrical patterns that create different rhythms, seat position i.e. jumping position, half seat, light seat, dead in the saddle, and more are all variations that can be combined into very rewarding work. I have decades of experience using these lanes or grids. I'm not going to write a book on it, but I would be glad to answer specific questions.
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Post by grayhorse on Jun 23, 2016 4:37:56 GMT
Horseguy,
What sort of set up would you do for a horse that likes to rush after a jump...I am not able to haul over for jump lessons as much as I'd like and inbetween lessons I'd like to practice at home. I own two jump blocks and two standards... Currently I have 4 poles but could buy another 4 to make 8.
The issue I have is my horse will use the jump as an excuse to charge off towards a gate or other horse upon landing...I'd like to set up something that will help keep her on her butt and back her off a bit after landing the first jump...She does best with a 9 foot stride if she has to reach at all she gets flat and on her forehand and really pulls with her shoulders which can make a second jump a little terrifying...since I'll mostly be alone when I do this I feel x rails are best and safer but a small vertical would be ok too I think ...also this has a lot to do with getting my confidence back as well.
Thanks for any input.
Carrie
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Post by horseguy on Jun 23, 2016 11:36:10 GMT
First, you need more jumps. Some inexpensive options are to check craigslist for 30 gallon barrels.
The 30 gal. are the small ones, big are 55 gal. You can put a little sand or dirt in them so they don't blow away. You can buy them typically around here for $5 used if you buy a bunch. Farm chemicals come in them and most farmers have them laying around. Be careful of what's inside. Lay 3 or 4 on their side and they make a solid looking jump. If you stand them upright, they make good standards for cross rails. Cheap rails are split rails from Lowes or Home Depot.
When a horse rushes after a jump, I use a grid or lane with bounces and I vary the heights, particularly the bounces heights, to make them pay attention. If I remember correctly, your horse will do an awkward refusal, so keep them low and rhythmic at first. The 9 foot stride is a pony stride. I'd try to use at least a 10 foot in laying out the lane, and not worry about the horse flattening out and pulling with shoulders because by alternating 1 and 2 stride spacing with bounces, most horses will keep their hind engaged. Here is an example.
I . I I I I . I I I I 1 2 B 1 B 1 2 B 1 B
90 degree turn ___ B ___
I would use something like this 2 stride, bounce, 1 stride, bounce, 2 stride bounce, 1 stride bounce. It's rhythmic and very learnable for most any horse. I'd let your horse go through any way he wanted at first not worrying at all about knocking down rails or rushing. Most horses get it when they fail and when they succeed. Banging their cannon bones and hooves on stuff in a grid is a failure message for most. I'd let him fail and be encouraging. The only help I would offer would be into the first jump, either slowing or leg to get more energy, whatever is needed. I'd let him figure it out no matter how many passes it took. I'd ride close to the saddle. I have left these grids setup for 4 or 5 weeks until a stubborn horse gets them. You can return to the grid anytime, so no need to get it all done in one session.
Once he learns the grid rhythm, he most likely will speedup if he likes to bolt after a jump. When he gets to that point of confidence and begins to speed up, then I would start raising the second or back jump height in one of the bounces, probably the second one. When he incorporated that, I'd raise the front height to be even with the back of the second bounce. Then I'd let him get comfortable and see if he rushed again, and then I'd do the same with the first bounce, then I'd repeat the bounce change on the last jump. Then when he got comfortable with the grid with some higher bounces, I'd but a jump 90 degrees to the right or left and make him sit down after the last jump, do a pretty square turn to the last jump and let him go to it. You can get him to sit down and turn on his haunches in landing the last bounce if you are willing to make the last bounce pretty high. I'd use about a 9' or 10' spread for a small horse in the bounces.
Try this. Ride defensively at first. Horses that will give you a full stop refusal will do it when you raise a jump, so be aware. If I think they might refuse, I get on them early with voice and by shaking a whip. you don't want to use a lot of spur and direct whip in a lane because it disrupts the horse's process of figuring out the rhythm and of integrating changes. So, you pretty much have to use voice and threats if you feel a refusal coming. After all, the main point is for them to figure it out because that is what makes them think and what therefore slows them down. So, whips and spurs are only for the first jump, if at all.
Let us know how it goes.
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Post by grayhorse on Jun 24, 2016 3:12:38 GMT
HG, thank you. This is great help. I had a feeling you would say get more jumps...not a problem for me to purchase but it could be an issue for my boarding facility. They are Nazi's about people jumping without a trainer (boarders are not allowed to use trainers jumps, which I do understand)...however in a further attempt to dissuade people we are not allowed to store anything aside from our tack. My small collection of jump blocks and poles have gone mostly unnoticed...I'll have a problem hiding the barrels. I also have to put up and take down anything I use every time I ride...I could probably stash one set of barrels in the tack room I share...but will be unable to get as many as your grid needs. But, all is not lost I will just request this set up in my jump lessons and do what I can at home. Sounds like I need to incorporate a bounce, this I can do. If I have a set of 8 poles and 3 jumps is there a combo I can ride at home that will help? Even if it's very simple, that is A-OK with me.
I really liked your last paragraph about the potential for refusals when the jumps get higher. This is so true, yet no one has come out and said that to me before, so thank you. In a way, its a little validating. I've been having a hard time trusting my instructors as the last one was obsessed with me jumping bigger and higher...and would raise the jumps behind my back so when I'd come around on an approach all of a sudden it was like Oh $hit. Perhaps this works fine with other people but jumping bigger too soon was detrimental for me and if it was bad for me then of course I would then translate that to my horse...this is when the refusals started in earnest. Well, I take that back...the video's I played of me jumping the xc jumps (if you remember) well, at the end of that same day I was pressured to jump a table I was not comfortable jumping, but I went for it anyways. After 5 or 6 HARD refusals and I galloped at that damn jump so these refusals were huge butt dropping stops and run outs... I was told to get left behind and hold the left rein so she could not run out to the right...so I did I stayed way back in the saddle and held that rein tight... my horse did jump but she jumped huge and I got launched out of the saddle for it. It was a horrible hit to my confidence. I am sure my horse hated me for it as well.
The very next week I took that spill onto my head (from the concussion thread)...and what ensued afterwards well, I am so ashamed and embarrassed but...in a span of about 10 months I had about 30 or more falls. THIRTY. Every time it was during a lesson so under guidance ... riding hard to a jump and at the last second right when I'd think about getting into jump position, my horse would give a hard dirt flying refusal and I'd get launched off her back. Sometimes I would get thrown twice in a lesson. TWICE, ugh. The last straw that broke my confidence completely was when I broke my finger and had the surgery, etc...I kept thinking well Carrie it is YOU...you need to ride better, practice harder, stick with it, get more fit, get stronger, work on your position, trust the professional etc...but that trainer scared the living daylights out of me whenever we had a lesson. I just did not trust her anymore, too many falls. It was such a confusing time because all her other students were amazing riders and incredible jumpers, so I mean, it must've been me, right?? I dunno but in the end, she moved out of state and I found a new jump trainer.
My new jump instructor I'm happy to report I've had zero falls and have been jumping on and off for about 6 months now and my horse is no longer stopping on me (over SMALL jumps because I'm too afraid to jump anything over 2 feet) but the new trainer is now starting to raise the jumps and is asking me to jump bigger and I'm having heart palpitation's over it. 30 some odd falls is not an easy thing to shake off.
So there you have it, the truth comes out. I don't know what else to say other than, I sure need help. Or rather, I need to jump at home and build myself up and have some success...which I've been trying to do and that is when I ran into the rushing thing...a horse that bolts after the jump is not helping my cause and I need to nip this one in the bud. Anyhow.
Sorry for all this rambling. It helps to actually write it out, admit it and hopefully start to face it...so thanks everyone especially HG. Your advice above is excellent, thank you. You probably think I'm a lost cause now but...I swear I have a lot of try and dedication in me. I will get this done.
Carrie
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Post by horseguy on Jun 24, 2016 3:47:07 GMT
Instructors like that are all ego. It's about them, not the student or the horse. It's why I keep saying our Federation needs to set standards for instructors like every other equestrian country. People quit riding, get hurt, go through all kinds of emotional psychological stuff, all because some poorly trained instructor does their number on a student. Happens all the time. Sorry it happened to you.
Set up a camera. That is easy with a jumping lane. Videos are helpful to document change in a horse's development, as well as in the moment for review.
Maybe I will start a thread about horses refusing, not only jumps but tasks.
I think refusals are taught by riders. The horse learns to stop doing the task. There are several reasons, doubt is one, "noise" of shifting weight or sudden unbalancing by the rider from too quick timing are others. There are many. It might be useful to list them and go over them.
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Post by grayhorse on Jun 24, 2016 20:00:13 GMT
I am sorry it happened too. It started me on a beat myself up path you would not believe...no one is a worse critic of my riding than myself. I would make myself sick thinking about my failure and if it was ruining my horse. I would be so embarrassed to show fear in front of all these prelim and up riders too...the pressure to jump bigger was immense and I was just not ready or capable.
What I don't understand is I seem very alone in this. Someone once told me if you are not falling you are not trying whereas that makes some sense I have never met, seen or read about anyone else that has hit the ground as much as me. Not just the jumping I'm talking overall in my earlier riding years on his horse too....either I'm a rare case and was simply not meant to ride horses or people won't admit they fall too.
If you wrote a topic on refusals I would of course read it and try to see what I might be doing to cause them.
Carrie
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Post by horseguy on Jun 24, 2016 22:09:46 GMT
I always had a saying when I was teaching, "If you don't come off a horse once or twice a year, you are not pushing the limits of your riding (and some people don't what to push those limits). If you come off more than twice a year, something is wrong". So, when you said you came off 30 times, that's completely nuts. Like I said, your instructor is the big ego type. Those types are dangerous.
You said she "would raise the jumps behind my back so when I'd come around on an approach all of a sudden it was like Oh $hit". That's insane. Who does that? It's all about her making you learn and then taking the credit. This kind for instructor doesn't really care about their students. I knew a Hunter/Jumper instructor who would yell at students that didn't get at least a top three ribbon at shows. She would yell stuff like, "you embarrassed me" or "people will think I cannot teach" and make kids cry. She couldn't teach.
An instructor has to have the well being of the student as their primary goal. They can never focus on taking credit or force a student, as you instructor did. If a student does well it's because the student did the work. If they fail it's because the student needs more time (except for the narcissists that Jimmy and I run into from time to time).
Again, I am sorry you went through that. It was wrong. In Germany the instructor would lose their license to teach riding. Here there are not consequences for the instructor.
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