IMPROVE YOUR JUMPING POSITION WITH SHOWJUMPER BEX MASON

Do you need to hone your jumping position? As Derriere’s showjumping ambassador, I have some tips! It can be tricky to find that perfect leg position, and many of us have our stirrups a little too short - you will need to have quite short stirrups, especially as the fences rise in height, in order to give you the required shock absorption through the ankle joint. Your stirrups need to be short enough so that you can comfortably get your seat out of the saddle, allowing your horse to bascule through your legs. Your heels must stay down, and you need to have a bend in the knee, keeping your lower leg position ‘anchored’.

Practise your position

           

Because we use our jumping position for only a few seconds at a time, it can be difficult to master. Familiarise yourself by taking your jumping position when schooling on the flat, without jumps. A common mistake is to allow your lower leg to swing too far back, inadvertently encouraging your horse to speed up. Keeping the weight into your stirrups with your heels well down should prevent this happening. Over a fence, really focus on keeping the weight down into your heels, and do consider your upper body - if it is too far forward, e.g. if you lean forward too early, you may get catapulted forward, and your heels will rise. It is usually better from a safety perspective to be behind the movement that in front of it!

When training, I like to use bounce fences, where the horse will not put any strides between each jump, maintaining the jumping position throughout a grid. Start by setting out canter poles and if the distance is correct for you, it will be about the same for bounce jumps. One non-jumping stride is approx 7.5m, and two non-jumping strides approx 10.7m, but this is totally variable! Ask a friend to assist by moving the poles and adjusting them for you, and putting back any knocked poles, or work with your instructor. Try to keep the lower leg still, and think of the hips as acting like a ‘hinge’.

The show jumping position needs to be quite versatile - riders jumping higher showjumping fences are often seen in unusual positions when they ride against the clock, for example leaning to one side of the saddle, or pushing off from the ball of their foot to gain balance if the horse cat leaps. This means they need to have optimum foot stability, as the ankle acts like a spring for the rider’s limb, and must not collapse. Although all riders are different, the predominant style for event riders’ positions over XC fences currently seems to be more ‘chair’ shaped than when tackling arena fences, with the lower leg quite far forward, and the rider’s body weight further back with the heels well down as an ‘anchor’.

Either way, e.g. whatever your discipline, we can all improve our strength and stability through lunge lessons, which helps to mobilise and open the hips. Remember your comfy riding underwear too!

About Bex

Bex has worked for many years breaking in horses and competing at an international level with elite riders such as Tina and Graham Fletcher (GB), Ludo Philleaperts (BEL), Steve Cohan (NZ) and Viki Roycroft (AUS). Bex specialises in producing competition horses. “I find myself expressing love for my Derrieres daily,” Bex says of the underwear range. “I openly discuss the results and versatility of the products, whether it’s to customers at my yard, or fellow competitors at shows; I don’t even realise I’m doing it - these pants change riders’ lives!” 

"I would not be without my derrières they're an essential to my everyday and competition life. A day in the saddle calls for them, what ever your discipline. derrieres will help you perfect that perfect seat maintain comfort and support throughout your time in the saddle.  I've recommended the fab range to many equestrian friends from international polocross players to hardy seasoned hunters all with raving feedback!! Who would've thought we all needed such an innovative stylish undergarment, lessens the grind of our day, especially as the winter has set in, my behind is cared for. perfect pressie that will be with you for life not just for Christmas, proof is in the pudding after all

ALL ABOUT THE GAITS BY EVENTER DAISY BERKELEY DERRIERE EQUESTRIAN SPONSORED RIDER

All of us that ride horses know about the three main gaits, and how to ride each of them. But how often do we actually think about the gaits, and how our riding influences them? It may be second nature to us now, but it warrants some further thought, in order to maximise our effectiveness in the saddle.

First of all, let’s look at the difference between a gait and a pace - a gait is a type of movement, or a ‘way of going’, e.g. walk, trot and canter, while the pace is more about the speed within the gait - e.g. collected or medium walk. Within a gait, we can break it down to the footfall sequence, the beat, the stride, and any moments of suspension.

Walk

Walk is a four beat gait with the footfalls following one another - so, inside hind, inside fore, outside hind, outside fore. At the walk, the horse will always have one foot raised, although each horse’s way of going differs slightly, notably by breed. So, what should we be doing as a rider in walk? Whatever your discipline you will be seeking a forward-going walk, so the horse is ‘marching’ out.

If the rider is ‘nagging’ with their legs and frequently asking the horse to walk on, their position may be compromised, and the horse isn’t really attentive. You should be using a definite squeeze with the lower leg backed up with a tap of your whip, if required. You should be sitting tall and absorbing the movement through your hips and pelvis, with the weight down into your stirrups. The horse is moving its head forwards and backwards, and you should be ‘giving’ in the contact, to allow for this movement. When walking downhill, this is a good time to really focus on the horse’s movement, as it is exaggerated - can you feel the movement through your hips and lower back - are you mobilising with the horse?

Trot

Trot is a two beat gait where diagonal leg of pairs move simultaneously, followed by a moment of suspension. If you’re in rising trot, you are sitting and then rising with each diagonal pair. Are your hips moving upwards and forwards, with a thrusting motion, rather than a directly ‘up and down’ movement? Try to keep the lower leg still, to aid a rhythmical rising motion, and sit on the correct diagonal, eg. sitting as the inside hind leg and outside fore hit the ground. In sitting trot,  remember that a braced back and less flexible pelvis leads to a stilted movement, so try to mobilise your lower back! Work without stirrups helps.

Canter

This three-time gait involves the hind leg striking off, followed by the inside hind and outside fore together as a pair, then the inside fore, followed by a moment of suspension. Canter is easier to sit to than trot, for most people - let your upper body remain in neutral, e.g. still and balanced, and allow your hips and pelvis to swing - your core will be supporting your upper body. The muscles moving and supporting your hip joints must remain relaxed and flexible, so they can absorb the horse's own hip and pelvis movements. Try not to hollow your back! This can ‘drive’ the canter forward unintentionally.

  

 

Remember, when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, they can move more easily with the horse’s gait.  Bear in mind also that a good sports bra is essential, in order to both carry and open the shoulders!

Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Rider Daisy Berkeley is an event rider and alumni of British teams, including the 2008 Olympics, where the Brits placed third. Daisy’s top results in 2016 included a top fifteen placing in the three star class at Bramham with ‘Strike Smartly’, and a second place at Houghton with ‘Ballinteskin Cooper S’ in the one star CCI. Daisy is an experienced eventer with top rides having included Springbok and Spring Along. She has a promising string of youngsters that she is currently producing.

“Derriere underwear is fabulous; discreet and very comfortable,” Daisy says. “The breeches are extremely smart and very flattering. Excitingly, I have started to get into yoga. When I heard that Mark Todd is quite a follower, and remains supple at his age, I thought I would give it a go! It has made a great difference to my core strength, balance and flexibility. When I combine this with my wonderful Derriere clothing, I hope to have that edge we are all looking for, so roll on next season!”

Team Derriere Equestrian are behind Daisy all the way for the 2017 season and wish her every success.

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