Jumping position

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The jumping seat, with the knees, shoulders, and head in front of the perpendicular line made by the stirrup leather, and the hips behind it, keeping the rider balanced over her horse's center of gravity and off his back.

The jumping position is a position used by equestrians over an obstacle. It usually involves what is known as the "forward seat," first developed by Captain Federico Caprilli. This involves the rider centered over her feet, with the stirrup leathers perpendicular to the ground. Continuing a line upwards from the stirrup leathers, the head and shoulders fall in front of the line, as do the knees, the hips fall behind it.

A correct jumping seat serves two purposes:

• It gives the horse the freedom to jump the obstacle, allowing him to keep his forelegs and hindlegs tight, thereby decreasing the chance of a rail down or a fall. It also encourages him to bascule over the fence, which improves jumping form and the horse's ability to jump higher obstacles.
• It provides the rider the support needed to stay out of the horse's way while still maintaining a secure seat so that she is less likely to fall on landing.

[edit] The influence of the horse on position

The jumping seat is not meant to be held by the rider, but rather it is a fluid seat that changes as the horse's balance changes. It keeps the rider in a position over the horse's center of gravity.

It is important to note that the horse, not the rider, is responsible for opening and closing the rider's angles (notably, the hip and knee). As the horse takes off, he raises his upper body off the ground and comes closer to the rider. This makes the rider's hip angle (between the thigh and chest) close. Over the fence, the rider keeps the angles closed. As the horse lands, he moves away from the rider's body, which allows the hip angle to open and the rider to become more perpendicular to the ground. The rider simply allows this movement to happen.

[edit] Position of the leg

Poor leg position often makes it difficult for the rider to stay with the horse's efforts

The lower leg is the anchor of the rider's position, and contributes a great deal to her security. Poor lower leg position makes a rider more likely to lose balance of fences, and therefore increases the chance that she may fall. It also tends to decrease the ability of the rider to communicate clearly with her horse.

The leg should hang down the horse's side, making even contact along its whole length (inner thigh, knee, and calf), and should not change position when the upper body moves. The rider's weight is dropped along the back of the leg and into the heel through a flexible ankle, so that the heel is lower than the toes. The toes are generally turned out slightly (as opposed to dressage riding, when the feet are parallel to the horse's body). This places the back of the calf against the horse, instead of the whole inner side as in dressage, which decreases the contact of the calf on the horse, therefore lowering the refinement in communication between horse and rider. However, the toe-out position tends to anchor the rider and increase security. Toes should turn no more thean 45 degrees out.

The stirrups are shortened from the long dressage length, according to the height of the fence. Grand Prix jumpers and eventers on cross-country generally need to shorten the stirrups the most, to allow them to gallop and jump in motion with their horse. The short stirrup provides more leverage, and therefore security should the horse stumble, get a poor distance, or peck on landing. More importantly, a shorter stirrup allows the rider to get off the horse's back between and over the fence, freeing up his back and allowing him to bascule. The stirrup leather should remain perpendicular to the ground. The stirrup iron is usually placed on the ball of the foot, allowing the rider to have a flexible, shock-absorbing ankle. The rider should keep even pressure across the foot, rather than pushing on the inside or outside of the stirrup iron, as this makes the lower leg stiff.

The result of a shorter stirrup is that the ankle and knee angle decrease. Both the angles are used as shock-absorbers, opening and closing accordingly with the thrust of takeoff and landing. Stiffness in these angles makes it harder to stay with horse's balance, which may result in the riders "jumping ahead" or being "left behind."

[edit] Variations in leg position

Steeplechase jockies shove their legs forward for extra security.

Leg position may vary slightly between disciplines. Eventers and steeplechase jockies tend to have a slightly forward leg position, with the foot "home" in the iron. The more forward leg position increases security, making it much more difficult for the rider to become dislodged. This is important in both sports because riders jump solid fences at high speed, where the horse is more likely to stumble or fall if he hits the fence. Especially in the case of steeplechase jockey, a fall could be extremely dangerous, as the other horses in the race could trample him.

The foot is also placed "home" (behind the ball of the foot, near the heel) for security purposes. This decreases the chance that the rider will loose a stirrup should a horse jump or land awkwardly.

[edit] Position of the seat, hips, and thighs

The rider keeps his weight toward the pelvis, and suspended in the air over the saddle (not on the horse's back). This allows the horse to bring his back up over the fence (bascule). The rider should not bring his hips too far forward, over the pommel, as seen in the fault of jumping ahead. This changes the rider's balance, and places him in a potentially dangerous position.

The hip joints are especially important, as they are the connection between the lower leg (which remains still), and the upper body. The hips should be very flexible, opening and closing as needed. The hips should always move backward from the neutral position, not forward (a sign that the rider is jumping ahead).

Between fences, the rider may ride in two-point (thighs take up weight of rider, not seatbones) or three point (seat bones touch saddle).

[edit] Position of the Upper body (shoulders, head, trunk)

Looking down causes the upper body to fall forward.

In all disciplines, the rider should be looking up and in the direction of where she needs to go on landing. Looking down tends to cause riders to lean forward with their shoulders, round their back, and places them in a precarious position. The head should also not be tilted to one side, as this changes the rider's lateral balance and places more weight on one side.

In general, the back should be flat. Overarching causes stiffness, rounding not only looks bad, but affect the rider's balance. A slightly rounded back is acceptable cross-country when used in the safety seat.

The rider should have an open chest with shoulders back. This helps to prevent the rider from collapsing forward and helps to center the weight of the upper body over the lower leg, therefore helping to keep the rider secure.

[edit] Releases

Short crest release.

Long crest release

The automatic release: the rider has a straight line from elbow to bit, and maintains a soft, elastic contact with the horse's mouth.

Slipping the reins while going down a drop.

In all cases, the rider should release her horse over a fence, or give him enough rein so he can stretch his neck forward and use it as a balancing mechanism. The key to a good release is relaxed arms with proper hand, wrist, and elbow position. First, the arms (elbows and shoulders) should be soft and elastic, allowing the horse to pull them forward as needed. Preferably, there should be a straight line from bit to elbow (automatic release), as this improves contact and communication between horse and rider. The wrists of the rider should remain straight, as bent wrists tend to stiffen the lower arm. The elbows should be next to the rider's side, not "chicken-winged" and pointing outward, which decreases flexibility and softness.

As in all riding, the hands should be softly closed, neither tightly holding the reins (which causes tension and stiffness) not so soft that the reins easily slip through. The one exception to this rule is when the rider needs to slip her reins.

[edit] Types of releases

Difference releases are used depending on circumstances. However, all riders should strive to readily be able to use each one as needed, and should practice them all.

Basic release: the rider grabs the mane of the horse. This allows the rider to be sure that she does not fall back and hit the horse in the mouth or back, or try to use the mouth for balance. It is used by beginner riders who do not yet have the position and balance to do more advanced releases without risking hitting their horse in the mouth. It is also very important for more advanced riders on green horses, who tend to overjump, or when a rider for some reason loses position due to an awkward jump. Riders should not think it is reserved for novices, and all good riders will grab mane to save their horse's mouth. However, it provides the least amount of control. It should therefore not be used if it is not required.

Short crest release: the rider slides the hands up the crest as the horse takes off, not before (which "drops" the horse). The hands should not slide far up the crest, only a couple inches, as needed. It provides support for the rider's upper body, while still providing a good amount of control due to the fact that the rider did not release any more than needed. Best used on verticals, when the rider needs to turn mid-air, or when going down drop fences. An intermediate release.

Long crest release: Similar to the short crest release, in that the rider slides his hands up the crest, but the hands are pushed much further along the neck. Gives a great deal of freedom, but fairly little control. Best for very wide oxers, to alow the horse to really stretch across, for green horses that may jump large or awkwardly, for gymnastics grids, and for use on horses that have been hit in the mouth over fences and are reluctant to jump or stretch down over a fence. The rider should be careful not to associate a large movement forward with the hands and elbows to mean a movement forward with the hips. The hip angle should still close backward. Many riders get into the habit of jumping ahead with this release. This release is considered by some to be overused by hunter riders.

Automatic release: The most advanced release, where the rider maintains a soft, elastic, steady contact with a straight line from elbow to bit as the horse jumps. Results in a great deal of control and communication between horse and rider, allowing the rider to signal to the horse what to do on landing. It is allows the rider to better turn while in the air, to correct horses that jump crookedly, and to provide the support that some horses prefer over fences. It is also good on horses that need lots of control after landing. The automatic release requires perfect balance from the rider to be executed correctly. An unsteady rider will catch the horse in the mouth, and an incorrect automatic release will spoil a horse's jump and confidence. However, if a rider is able to preform it correctly, it is often best to use this release whenever possible. Very useful in show jumping and eventing, where control is very important.

Slipping the reins: Not a release, per se, but a very valuable tool all riders should have. To be used when the rider gets behind the motion by accident, when riding drop fences or fences with a downhill landing, or when a horse gets in trouble over a fence (such as catches a leg on a cross-country fence). Allows the rider to release the horse and give him the freedom he needs, without forcing the rider to do one of the other releases (which are inappropriate for drop fences). However, results in extra long reins on landing, so the rider should practice immediately gathering up her reins and shortening them to the correct length.

With experience, riders will learn by feel to instinctively choose the correct release.

[edit] Common Faults

Grand Prix fences will sometimes make even the best riders to lose the classic position.

• Swinging lower leg: this usually occurs if the rider pinches or grips with the knees, if she lacks contact throughout the whole leg (for example, has no contact with the thigh), or if she rides with sitrrups that are too long to provide support. Since the lower leg is the rider's anchor, a swinging lower leg greatly decreases security and can be very dangerous if the rider is jumping complex fences at high speeds. There are two "acceptable" occasions for the swinging leg. First, the Grand Prix rider may lose position because the fences are so large, and his horse's thrust and motion is very difficult to stay with. Riders of this caliber are generally able to compensate for their deviations from the classical position due to skill and experience. Second, this is commonly seen by hunter riders, because their horses have such power jumps and great bascule that it is hard to stay with the jump. In both cases, however, there remain riders that are still able to maintain a classical position.

• Toes down/Heels up: This is usually accompanied by the swinging lower leg. In some cases it is due to the rider standing on her toe, instead of sinking her weight down her lower leg. Again, this places the rider in a very precarious position.

• Lower leg shoved forward: Pushing the lower leg slightly forward is appropriate for some fences (such as cross-country) for added security. However, it is not appropriate for riding on level ground in a manicured arena at low speeds. Shoving the lower leg forward tends to decrease the rider's ability to stay with the motion, placing them in "the back seat" and risking that they will fall down on their horse's back while over a fence.

A rider jumping ahead. Note the open hip and knee angles, and the fact that her hips are in front of the line made by the stirrup leather.

• Jumping ahead: This involves the rider opening the hip angle over the fence, rather than folding back, so that the majority of their body is in front of the line made by the stirrup leather. The lower leg usually swings backward. It places the rider in a very insecure position, since the rider not only loses her base of support (her lower leg), but also is in front of the horse's center of motion. This means that the rider will fall forward (and possibly off) if the horse for any reason slows down his motion, (stops, runs out, or stumbles). Secondly, this throws the rider's weight over the horse's shoulders, making it very difficult for the horse to pick it up as he takes off and harder for him to get out of trouble on landing. Riders most commonly jump ahead if they are trying to jump for their horse or if they anticipate the take-off and do not wait for the horse to close their hip and knee angles. It is also seen in the hunter arena, as some believe it makes their horse's jump look more powerful.

• Getting "left behind": When the rider's body is mostly behind the line made by the perpendicular stirrup leather, and "behind the horse's motion." This results in the rider placing extra amount of weight on the horse's back. Although hitting the horse in the back is a huge fault in the hunter and jumper arenas, because it punishes the horse for rounding into the bascule which is essential in those disciplines, it is acceptable for eventing when riding cross-country.
  

  

  A rider correctly getting left behind for security, while slipping his reins to allow the horse freedom.
  This is because it places the rider in an extremely secure seat (as riders usually fall off over the shoulder of the horse, not the hindquarters), and because a great bascule is not encouraged cross-country. Instead, it is better if the horse jumps slightly flat for most fences, because they are very wide, and because a flat jump is usually a quicker jump, therefore making it easier for the rider to make the time. This position is preformed in degrees depending on the type of fence, with most fences where the rider is behind the motion but not putting his seatbones on the horse's back, and others, such as drop fences, where it is essential that the rider keep his seat completely in the saddle for security purposes. However, getting left behind sometimes occurs if the rider's upper body is too open and she is leaning back before the fence, if the horse takes off from a very long distance (jumps from too far back), or if the rider's lower leg is shoved so far forward in front of the knee that it forces the upper body back. In all cases, the rider must slip the reins to provide the horse freedom of movement to get over the fence.

• Snapping up: When the rider throws his upper body upward, quickly opening his hip angle, on the landing side. This risks that the rider will catch the horse in the mouth or put too much weight on his back. It also disrupts the horse's jump. It usually occurs when a rider has gotten into the habit of falling forward (usually because her lower leg swings back), and tries to compensate by bringing her upper body back too soon before the horse has completed the jump.

• Ducking: When the rider bends her hip angles too much, and snaps her upper body over one shoulder. This makes the horse carry uneven weight on one side, which makes it more difficult for him to jump. This occurs when the rider has too much weight in one stirrup, instead of being evenly centered.

This rider has hit her horse in the mouth because she is not releasing sufficiently.

• Not releasing: This is a cardinal sin in all riding circles, as it causes the horse to jump flat and, more importantly, can result in the horse to detest jumping because he assocites it with pain, which will eventually lead to stopping. A poor release may occur for several reasons. First, the rider may use the reins for support over the fence because she has not developed correct balance. This rider should be sure to grab mane to avoid hitting her horse in the mouth. Secondly, a rider may be left behind the motion for various reasons. In this case, the rider should be sure to slip the reins. Some riders do so when they are mounted on strong horses, and they wish to tell the horse to slow down over the fence before landing, or get in the habit of overusing their hands between fences and forget to release. In this case, the rider must make a conscious effort to remember to release the horse in the air. It also occurs when riders plant their hands on the neck over a fence to support their upper body, but the hands are placed too far back to allow adequate rein for the horse, or if the riders keep contact during takeoff but stiffen their elbows so that they dont follow that contact forward over the fence. Occasionally, it appears as if a rider is not releasing enough, when in fact she is slipping the reins or preforming a correct automatic release.

• Incorrect release: When the rider releases by shoving her hands above the horse's neck, into the air, or way down below the neck. This not only looks sloppy, but changes the rider's balance over fences.