Get out on course!
Before you enter an event, make
sure you give yourself time to get
out to a real cross country course
to practise. There will be lots of
fences you haven’t come across
before and your horse may not
have either. Cross country courses are becoming more tricky in
terms of the type of fences and
technicality. It isn’t unusual these
days for course builders to incorporate unnatural looking fences
into the course. By practising,
you will have a much better idea
on what to expect on course on
the day.
No matter what level you plan on
competing,these tips will help you
on your way to a successful and
enjoyable day! Have a great time
and love every minute!
Fitness and speed
Is your horse fit enough for the cross country course? Are you fit enough? If the answer is no then you had
better get working! Fitness is critical to the event horse and rider. Dedicate some fitness sessions every week
incorporating hill work and gallop periods. There are many places you can do this, down the beach, on a farm,
in the forest, safe road side verges, or even in just a big open paddock. Anything is better than nothing. If you
are really stuck you can build fitness in a standard size jumping arena. Do some interval training, time yourself
in canter, then open his canter up/ gallop if you have room, before sitting him back into canter for a few more
minutes. Trot work is also a great way to build fitness.
If you aren’t fit enough yourself then make it your mission to get fitter, be it in a gym, out running or climbing
stairs. Get your cardio better and that will help you immensely! You owe it to your horse to be fit!
Another thing you can focus on is speed. You will have to be mindful to work towards the optimum time on the
cross country course at an event. Practising this at home will also help you gauge if you are fit enough for the
course at a competition. The best way to find out if you are fast enough, is to find out the optimum time for
your level and test yourself out in the paddock. Make it a habit to kick on after each fence and when you walk
the course look for the best lines. If you are new to eventing then find someone knowledgeable who can walk
the course with you. Watch what experienced riders are doing and what lines they are taking. You can learn a lot
by watching!