I am I on a good track?

Question

I have been riding for 1 year and I am jumping 2 foot six am I am going to do 3 feet soon. Am I on a good track? thanks...

If you can remember what it was like when you were riding at 1 year... tell me please.. Thanks sooo much

My horse is in great shape and thank you for your honnest oppinions-- please do not put anything thats rude thanks again

oh yeah if ur going to the turkey show.....yeah im goin there

Its in november

I've been riding for 3 days a week but just a few months ago, i had to go riding only once a week

http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=61t5wqv&s=1

http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=5yvradg&s=1

Answer 1

In one year I was still walking and trotting...well I took lessons every other week and not in the winter for two years....I have jumped 2'3" but now I am training my green horse over fences (he is 8 and not green on the flat, just over fences). I have been riding for 5 and I have been doing x rails all this year. I don't think it really depends on the jump heigth, but how well you work with the horse and how well your equ. is. Equ. is the solid foundation for anything in the horse world. A soild leg and good seat is required for jumping and not falling off.
Do you take lessons every day? How well is your horse? Is he push button or is he hard to handle? How hard does your teacher push you? Do you practice riding every day even at home w/o a horse? Did you do dance before this (you have strong calves in dance)? Or is your teacher pushing you to jump when you aren't ready? Does she/he not care about equ. and keeps on highering the jump when you don't have the basics down?

Take a video or some pictures of you riding/jumping so we can really see. We hardly know what you look like, but if you have a great foundation in equ. and have a semi-soild lower leg and a good jump position, that is very good!


EDIT: That is very good for one year, but on the first video, why is your trainer telling you to two point yearly? If you have the jumping expirence under your belt, shouldn't you move with the horse? Also by 3 ft, you should be doing crest or automatic release, here you are grabbing mane. Also, your leg doesn't look solid and you are getting ahead of the horse. See how when you post trot your feet are noisy and you have to sit a few beats before the jump? I'm not trying to critize you and tell you you are bad, but maybe during your lessons and outside of lessons, practice doing leg strengthing excersises. I know my leg's not the best, but it is pretty solid at the trot and canter because I don't use my feet like you were doing there. But I have to say, for one year you are doing very well! But before you go onto three foot, please try getting a more solid leg. This horse may be a quiet one, but you never know if you were to buy a horse (or another one) how it would act. Generally, the higher you go, the hotter the horse. My horse refuses fences because he is green and so I decided pretty quickly I wanted a soild lower leg (I used to use my feet and post straight up and down...not saying that I am perfect, but yea) so I worked at it. Sometimes I still use my feet and I remind myself I am being naughty and to use my thigh, calf, knee, AND put pressure through my leg to keep my heel down. Also, try lifting your hands out of your horse's neck a bit. Sit back and let the jump come to you! Good luck and keep riding! You are doing great!

Answer 2

Lets see... Ive been riding for 8 years and I can only jump 3 or 3 6" if I had to. I'd say you are doing very good. In both clips I did notice that your leg slipped back over the jump. In the 1st clip I think you might have gotten up into 2-point a little early.
You are really doing good though for your experience.

Answer 3

It depends, how often are you riding? If you're doing once a week lessons then yeah that's good. How many jumps in a row are you doing? One-four in a row or full courses? I can jump pretty high if I'm only doing one, but it has to be slightly lower to go around more than four or so jumps. But whatever you're doing, as long as you're having fun riding you're doing well. Don't let your trainer push you past what you're comfortable with, if you're ready for 3 feet go for it but if you get scared back off a bit.

Answer 4

that seems extremely high! after watching your videos, you seems like a natural though! but i would still slow down A LOT. work on harder small elements like 1ft gates and things. try doing a whole course: 8+ elements with one or two direction changes at the canter at one foot. if you can do that perfectly (cantering the the whole time), then you might be on a far too basic horse for you. after watching the first video, i would say that your horse seems rather "push button-ish".
no offense but you weren't really riding at all. if i did that with my horse, he wouldnt of gone over it. you just let your horse do all the work. do you always trot your jumps? your flat seems very good, but your schedule seems extremely intense! 3 days a week? it seems to be paying off though, you look amazing for a beginner. when i first started i was going once every other week!

PS- dont grab onto the mane, it looks bad and judges will eat you up for it. do a release. practice it over smaller jumps to gain confidence.

Answer 5

That's great! You must be a natural, I have been riding about 2 and half or three years and am jumping about that! Good for you and good for your horse!

Answer 6

Wow! Your must be real good! I have been riding for 10 years and only made it up to jumping 2'6" at year nine, before I quit jumping and did only dressage. Your really good to be jumping this high so soon!

Answer 7

That is great! You must get pushed pretty hard. At one year I had only cantered once. They though I was 'scared' (yeah right). It is a good thing to get pushed though!

Answer 8

keep up the good work
you are doing great

Answer 9

yes you are! you must be a natural!

Answer 10

Ask the poor horse, as it is his legs you are breaking down, not the yahoo "advisors"