F E AT U R E
Confident cross country Cross country training isn’t all galloping hell for leather over big fences, neither is it perfect distances and stride control. So, how should you train? ENYA CROCKFORD explains.
I
recently spoke with Sarah Clark, a
the greenest of green horses to riding
5* eventer who has a track record
through 4* and 5* combinations.
for producing young horses to
the top levels of the sport. In Sarah’s expert opinion, the success of this phase comes down to two seemingly contradictory things: teaching the
First, envision a red string from your eyes onto the intended path over the fences. Now imagine your legs and hands are bumpers similar to those in bumper bowling. When the horse tries
horse to think for themselves, while still
to deviate from the line, they simply hit
listening to their rider. Neither horse
the left or right bumper and thus have to
nor rider gets it right 100 per cent of the
stay in the middle. This avoids fighting
time, so the horse needs to learn to use
them onto the line or accidentally
their initiative and develop a sense of
overcorrecting them.
self-preservation, all while responding to your aids.
Their responsibility: footwork
With all the adrenaline that cross country brings, how do you teach your horse to maintain the pace you set? Sarah is
A safe cross country horse is one
a big believer in doing things slowly
who takes responsibility for their own
from the start, giving your horse time to
footwork, rather than always relying on
figure questions out and to answer them
you to place them on the correct stride.
without a rush of blood.
Good footwork can be developed by riding over different terrain and lines, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
Your responsibility: line and pace
If your horse does get excited, be consistent in correcting any changes in pace. Sarah uses a lot of halts in her
With Cassage S at the 2020 Wallaby Hill CCI3*-S (Image by Melissa Goodson, Snapshotaustralia). when to push and when to wait, and that leads us to our arena exercises, which are an excellent way of safely developing your feel and your horse’s ability to think about their feet.
training – four strides before or after the
Training on the arena
Sarah says that as a rider, your two
fence – to make sure the horse is listening
While there’s no substitute for
primary responsibilities are the line you
and to defuse any tendency to rush.
take and the pace of your approach.
schooling on a course, there are several
Developing feel
fundamental cross country skills that can
In addition to deciding the line and pace,
be developed on the arena. You can do
it’s also your responsibility to hone your
some of these exercises even before
From the very beginning of their training, you should teach your horse to maintain the line you ride them on. Focus on teaching your horse to correct their line by responding to your aids, as opposed to manhandling them into straightness.
ability to feel what’s happening and to react to it quickly. This comes through time, experience, and getting to know
you and your horse have reached the stage when you’re ready to start jumping.
your horse. While you’re teaching your
Provided you can stop, go, and steer, you
Sarah has two tips for riding accurate
horse to figure their feet out, you can’t
can begin putting in the building blocks
lines that can be used from schooling
just be a passenger. You have to learn
to set yourselves up for success.
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