But not every horse has a ‘standard’ canter stride, so if your horse is struggling with the distance and finding it too long or too short, be prepared to adjust it to make him comfortable. Stride it outĪ rule of thumb when measuring out distances is 12ft/4m to one canter stride. I don’t worry about stopping and starting – it’s better to find a solution on the day than having to wait for our next outing. If the horse isn’t happy with one, or isn’t accepting the bridle in it, I’ll see if a change in bitting helps the situation. Izzy’s Top Tip – If I’m taking a youngster cross-country schooling for the first time, I always take an assortment of bits with me so that I can experiment on the day. The advantage of cross-country practice in the arena is that there is less space for your horse to shoot off after the fence, so to some extent he is forced to listen as you make decisions on turns and fences on related strides. Focus on getting him back into a steady rhythm as quickly as possible – this will help to get his attention back on the job at hand. If your horse is prone to shooting off on landing, it’s important that you’re ready for him. The getaway is also important, because it forms part of your approach to the next fence. ![]() While positive riding is an important part of your approach to a fence, that’s not the only thing to consider. It’s no good only riding him positively like this towards a fence – you need to make this your normal way of riding so that he learns to trust you. You can create this feeling of support with a sensitive, consistent rein contact and by having your leg close to his side at all times. It’s important that he feels you are committed to the fence, because if he senses otherwise then he may lose confidence on the approach and be reluctant to jump. Build it upīeing confident in your partnership with your horse is essential. ![]() Wasting time and energy between fences will have a big impact on your round, and when riding longer and more taxing courses, having enough fuel in both your own and your horse’s tank will be a deciding factor in whether you will have sufficient stamina to help your horse make the distance. Successful cross-country riding is also about economy. If you don’t work on this adjustability and responsiveness at home, you simply won’t be able to do it out on the course. The more responsive your horse is, the less time you will waste setting up in front of a jump or bringing him back to the canter you need to jump a skinny fence after a long gallop. You’re aiming for good adjustability in his canter without it affecting his tempo or rhythm. Practise lengthening and shortening your horse’s canter stride between markers in the school. Out on a course, you will need to ride with a more attacking style than in the arena, so get into the zone by shortening your stirrups to the length you would ride at cross-country, come up into a light seat and check that your canter has plenty of impulsion to take you to the fence. Even though you’re in the arena, it’s important that you have a cross-country mindset. ![]() Start rightĪlways begin with a warm-up that focuses on ensuring your horse is listening to your aids and moving forward from your leg into a strong, forward canter. This includes ways to improve your approach to fences and your accuracy over them, as well as establishing good pace and tempo between jumps, which will improve your performance. There really is no substitute for getting out and practising over solid obstacles, but between those cross-country schooling sessions, there are ways to fine-tune elements of your cross-country technique at home in the school. And the training doesn’t end there – especially for the youngsters, who continue to go out and about schooling between competitions throughout the year. I take all my horses cross-country schooling early in the spring season to allow them to get their eye in.
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