Safety Check: By Amber Heintzberger
FIFTH LEG TRAINING FOR EVENT HORSES
There is a concept in eventing, steeplechasing and fox hunting known as the “fifth leg,” in which the horse develops a sense of self-preservation and is allowed and encouraged by the rider to have the initiative to get himself out of sticky situations.
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rish rider, trainer and coach William Micklem has written and been interviewed about the idea and says, “I am very pleased that more riders and writers are now thinking
about fifth leg training. When I first coined the expression in 1995, there were few who picked up on it, but now it has obvi- ously been accepted as an important part of both cross coun- try and show jumping training.” For eventers who gallop at solid obstacles and wish to keep their bones intact, fifth leg training is an excellent concept to add to the training arsenal. Here are four top event riders who share some insight into how they get the message across to their horses, and what riders can do to encourage their horses to think for themselves and use their bodies effectively to be safer over fences.
Q: What is the importance of having a horse with a “fifth leg” on cross country?
Beth Perkins: If they’re going to be an event horse, the “fifth leg” is an important part of a young horse’s education. One of the best things you can do to develop the fifth leg is a
sitting trot to a low jump. It can be a spooky jump or a big X or anything really. I think it’s important when you’re starting young horses cross country that you don’t want to scare them. You also don’t want to change the amount of pressure on the rein aid, because a lot of people either hold their horse up too much or drop them right in front of the fence, and neither will help the horse’s confidence. I think lungeing over jumps is helpful too, or putting them in a round pen at trot and canter, so they are really making their own decisions about where to leave the ground.
Will Coleman: I wouldn’t want to ride a horse who didn’t have a sense of self-preservation. Most horses out compet- ing don’t want to fall down and if they’re really not trying, I just don’t even bother! You can improve a horse or make him worse, but you’re not going to [fundamentally] change him. When you try a new horse, put yourself in a situation where
you test the horse’s instincts. He has to help you as much as you help him. Most horses want to stay upright and you have to be in a good balance and make it possible for them to follow their instincts, and stay out of their way so they can clear the jump.
Holly Payne Caravella: Everything has gotten so technical on cross country and you see people riding more controlled all the time; it becomes more of a show jumping ride and that’s where you get in trouble, I think. There’s a transition from where you help the horses understand how to jump and then let them figure it out on their own. I don’t just take them out cross country and say, “Okay, go flip over if you want.” I never want to set them up for failure; I make it simple in the beginning to keep their confidence up. If they never lose their
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