Horse Crazy Horse Club - Horse Jumping

		Being able to jump is great fun, if you haven't tried it before why not give it a go. You will be able to enter into gymkhanas and competitions or just compete against friends for fun. When you are confident & stable on your horse and you think you are ready to go a step further, go along to a riding school and enquire about jumping lessons. It is advisable to have proper lessons, as they will teach you the correct and more importantly the safe way to jump.

There are five stages in a jump, the approach, take off, movement in mid air, landing and get away. You must concentrate through all the stages so that you and the horse clear the jump and are ready for the next one.

		As shown above, when your horse approaches and starts to jump look ahead and keep your back flat, then lean forward lifting yourself from the saddle pushing your weight into your heels. When your horse lands sit up and get ready for the next jump.

There are many levels and types of jumping, but the easiest level of competition is the Clear Round Class. If you are new to the sport, this is for you. Unlike more intense show jumping, if you get it wrong you can keep trying until you get it right. As the name states when you get a clear round you will be rewarded with a rosette.

		When you are more confident with your jumping, you might want to try your hand at harder levels of competition jumping. Show jumping takes place in an indoor or outdoor arena on a grass or an all weather pitch. The jumping itself is to clear made-up jumps without knocking any posts down sometimes against time.