Horse WORLD
ROS CANTER INTERVIEW, PAGE 20
Lordships Graffalo is just an out and out event horse – it’s like he was made for the job
Photo: Matthew Roberts
babies Water
Teach your horse to be confident through water with top eventer Georgie Goss
EXPERT
Georgie Goss is an international eventer based in Wiltshire. She’s won two team gold medals at the Young Rider Europeans and has completed Badminton nine times.
So many people have that feeling of dread when it comes to riding through water – after all, it’s one of the hardest skills to practise in a realistic way at home and the stakes couldn’t be higher, because no one wants a bath halfway around the cross-country! But it doesn’t have to be like this.
Let’s find out how to introduce your horse to water and help him tackle it with confidence every time.
TOP TIP
Make use of streams and puddles out hacking to get your horse used to walking through water in a relaxed way.
Form the foundations
The key to riding through water successfully is building trust between you and your horse, and that’s something that needs to develop long before you ride out of the start box. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can work on at home to help prepare you for a water jump.
Set it up
You’ll need…
TOP TIP
Work on the following steps over a few sessions, only moving on to the next one when your horse has completed each task calmly and confidently.
• a water tray or equivalent, such as a sheet of heavyduty plastic or a tarpaulin
• poles or blocks to secure the sheet
• a pair of wings
• one or two 3m poles to create a jump later on
Introduce water trays
Step one
Before you bring your horse into the arena, place the water tray somewhere in the middle so you can ride around it.
Familiarise your horse with the water tray by riding plenty of shapes and transitions nearby during your warm-up. Begin further away if he’s hesitant and gradually move closer as he grows in confidence.
In this feature
Introduce water trays
Boost his confidence
Tackle water jumps
Don’t forget...
Reward your horse with your voice and a gentle scratch on his wither for his efforts and any positive steps he takes. If he takes a backward step, pause, take a breath, reset and try again, making sure your aids and body language are clear and confident.
Simple
Part two: working out
How good is your balance?
Put it to the test with this workout routine
As a rider, balance is one of the most important skills you need – not only to keep you safe and secure, but also to help your horse perform at his best. Fitness ball workouts are a surefire way to put your stability to the test, so why not give my exercises a go?
Louise Harwood BHSII is a BE accredited coach, and has ridden to 5* level on her string of homebred horses. She also runs fitness ball classes for riders in Herefordshire.
Exercises to try
While these exercises can be carried out anywhere as long as you have a ball, finding a suitable location is crucial. Ensure you have a flat, level surface that’s relatively soft underfoot in case you wobble off the ball.
I’ve shared my top seven exercises, but feel free to pick and choose a few or go all in and try every single one! Remember to take your time and pay attention to your form, rather than rush through to get the job done.
TOP TIP
Complete a number of reps and sets, for example 10 reps of each exercise and three sets, and then increase the number of reps or rounds as you begin to feel stronger and more confident.
1
Single leg raise
Sit tall on the ball and alternate lifting each leg off the floor. Engage your core and keep your chest up.
Don’t forget
2 Crunches
Roll the ball a little so you’re almost perched on the front. Lean back while activating your core and keeping a neutral spine, and then sit up and repeat.
Making sudden movements will cause you to lose balance. Focus on small, slow corrections and adjustments.
LEVEL UP
Increase the difficulty by rotating your upper body towards the leg that’s raised, or you can pass a weight around your body.
LEVEL UP
By lifting one leg at a time and reaching your elbow to your knee you’ll up the challenge, but only do this once you’re completing standard crunches confidently.
