Beginner novice stadium jumping Queeny Park St. Louis

[megaria44]

hi i have just started out jumping with my horse i would like to start showing her next year have u got any tips

[jschmidt1035]

@megaria44 Sorry for the slow reply. I've been gone for a bit.

There are a hundred things I could say, but here are just two. First, put extra special effort into using a stable and secure jumping position. Make sure your lower legs stay firmly against your horse as you jump and don't let them swing backwards. That's a highly unstable position to be in. Make sure you don't jump up your horse's neck and have your butt high up out of the saddle. That will make you very prone to fall.

[jschmidt1035]

@megaria44 Every horse will occasionally stop or run out. If your legs are loose and your upper body is too far forward, you will likely fall off. I had to learn all this the hard way! Also, learn to get your horse into a rhythmic, energetic, uphill canter so he has power and balance to jump. That's more important than you may think, but it really is.

Also, are you really from Austrailia?

[Equestrian08]

Memorizing jump courses terrorizes me. I've never been in a stadium jumping competition yet but I'm going to soon and I'm scared of having to memorize the course. Any advice?

[jschmidt1035]

@Equestrian08 Memorizing these courses and also dressage tests has always been a little difficult for me too, but what I do is go out there and walk the course about three times and then go over it in my head until I can see each jump in order in my mind witrhout having to look at the real course. I found that after doing several courses, it actually became easier to memorize them because you will begin to recognize certain repeating patterns in how they're designed.. Good luck with it all!

[imahorsegirl123]

Not bad. You have a nice horse. How are you doing now three years later?

[jschmidt1035]

@imahorsegirl123 We did manage to move up a couple levels since then. We had pretty good luck at novice level for more than one season and then we moved up to training. We got to do only one show at that level last year because all the shows around my area were cancelled for the WEG in Lexington. I'm hoping for a fuller season this year. Thanks for the compliment too.

I hope you're also doing all that you want to do. Having good luck?

[imahorsegirl123]

@jschmidt1035 Well, so far my luck isn't bad. I started last year on my trainers pony because my horse was green, so I worked on training him and took him to his first event last November which went terribly, so I've been training him all winter and he's doing much better. I'm hoping for some begginer novice this year and possibly Novice if all goes well.

[jschmidt1035]

@imahorsegirl123 Sounds like a good plan. The winter is a good time to work out all kinds of problems, and that's what I try to do too. So good luck then. Seems like you're doing all the right things.

[imahorsegirl123]

@jschmidt1035 Thanks! Good luck to you as well.

[jschmidt1035]

Well thanks, although I hope I'm doing a little better now. Last year I moved up to novice level, and this year I hope to move up to training later in the summer if everything keeps going okay. That can be a big if, though.

[millidawggirl]

this is awesome! do u live in stl ? i ride at kraus farms XD

[jschmidt1035]

I live a little to the south of Indianapolis, but we came over there to be in the show that weekend. It was a good time. I saw the Kraus Farms website and it looks like a very nice place. You and your friends look like you're having a lot of fun

[XxXSceneTasticXxX]

i can only jump 3'4 but if i have to i get to go lower then wanted

[jschmidt1035]

That's a nice option to have to be able to pick what you're comfortable with.

[willie88664]

do you get to do a warm up jump in the stadium round?

[jschmidt1035]

The typical deal is for there to be a smaller warmup area with jumps somewhere close to the stadium where you can practice. You are allowed to walk around the stadium course to get familiar with it, but your horse is never allowed to see the course before you actually run it. That's part of the test for the horse, to test his boldness and bravery in an unknown course.

[DxH30]

lol queeny park is a giant playground, i live right down the road. i ride there almost every other day, whether its jumping or trail riding. its great fun.

[jschmidt1035]

It really is a great place and you're very fortunate to be able to use it so much. Our schedule didn't let us come back this year, but maybe next time. Have fun with it.

[ArabianHorseLover6]

how high are those jumps?

[jschmidt1035]

They were all about 2' 9". Lots of fun.

[oldenburg1994]

if you broke your arm you wouldnt be riding a week later and i broke my arm and had to wait at least 3 weeks to ride

[imahorsegirl123]

@oldenburg1994 She said she was GOING to. Learn to read.

[ridingismilife42]

Hey great job! i was gonna do this division...but i broke mi arm a week before:(:(:(

[jschmidt1035]

Oh no! I hope you didn't do that by falling off a horse, although it's no fun no matter how you do it. In the meantime I enjoyed this run quite a bit. I think maybe I'm moving up to Novice for this coming season.

[ridingismilife42]

oh i didnt! me and mi brother were fighting! hahah.. that was really good! i wish all mi stadiums looked like that! i just did mi first bn with mi horse and we got first! and i think we might move up to novice too!

[jschmidt1035]

I'd say you and your brother need to find a little easier way to fight. Next thing you know you'll end up with a broken leg too. Good luck on moving up to novice. I'm looking forward to it myself.