30 May 21. Jumping Position
Every rider who aspires to being good at jumping knows that only by achieving the best possible position will the horse be able to produce its optimum performance in the approach to, over and after each fence. An unbalanced rider, on the other hand, will not be able to follow the horse's movement over the jumps. You need to be balanced over the centre of the saddle and over your horse's centre of gravity, helped by flexibility in your ankle, knee and hip joints, all of which act as shock absorbers. If you are in the correct position, there will be a straight line from your shoulder, through your elbow and your knee and down towards the ball of your foot. There should be some room between your body and your horse’s withers, with your head centred, looking up and forward. There are a number of risks to jumping if you...
