Teaching Mature Riders to Jump

My friend, Susan McCarron, recently sent me a link to a great blog called, The Enlightened Horseman, authored by Robin Shen. Susan told me about Robin's blog post called, A Jumping Exercise, which described an innovative way for teaching mature riders the correct position for jumping without the beginner angst associated with actually riding the horse over jumps. When the correct two point position becomes a part of muscle memory, the mature rider will then have a much easier time starting over jumps.

Robin's post describes his own training in jumping from a veteran pony club instructor. He started by trotting poles in two point and then moved to hopping over an "X". Over time the poles were raised and Robin eventually started jumping oxers, combinations, logs, and other stadium and cross country obstacles.

Robin says that this is still a very effective way to teach young riders to jump, but middle-aged beginner riders have problems with this process. The young riders can adjust and correct their positions during the very short time the horse is in the air, but the mature riders often lack the flexibility and agility to do that.

Robin solved the problem by putting horses and riders to work on a hill. Moving at a trot and then a canter up hill and down, in jumping position, gives the beginner rider plenty of time to respond to instruction and correct his or her position. Robin listed the benefits for beginner jumpers as:

1. Extended time with the horse in the ascending and descending jumping positions, providing plenty of time for instruction and correction.
2. If the rider's having trouble, the instructor can stop the horse on the hill, which provides an infinite amount of time to correct the rider's position.
3. Riders will look at the top of the hill ascending, which keeps them from developing the bad habit of looking down at the jump.
4. It's safer for the riders and horses because the riders won't actually start to jump until they've learned the correct position.
5. No need to reset the jumps repeatedly turning the teaching process. By the time the rider starts jumping, the rider will be helping the horse clear the jumps with a good position.

I took jumping lessons in my 40s, and I remember being apprehensive about my mare's last second refusals. Several times she stopped at the jump and launched me over it. I'm sure that my fear didn't make her confident about jumping, and her refusals and my fear certainly affected my position. Following Robin's techniques, I wouldn't have started to jump until I had a good, secure position and could give my horse the confidence to jump cleanly.

I'm certainly not a jumper rider or an instructor. What do the jumper riders and instructors think about this idea?