talking tactics
Caroline Mosley is pictured with Classy Touch “the über amazing veteran eventer on loan to me from his amazing owners.” The pair are pictured last season at Blair Castle as they were just about to start on the 1* International cross country
a few fences and go through the course so far in your memory – I say things to myself such as:
Fence 1 – log, straight onto fence 2 - table, turn left over hill to 3ab, hanging log to skinny etc; close your eyes and imagine the fences so that you memorise them. If there is a particular turn where I may end up the wrong side of the flags, I repeat this several times to myself - ‘fence 7 turn left, fence 7 turn left, fence 7 turn left’ so it becomes a bit of a mantra. Recently at Forgandenny, fence 7abc was a coffin complex with a left turn afterwards. The 90/100 class went to the right of the string and the my Novice class to the left.
It was so easy to go
the wrong side, so I told myself this mantra for half of my walk on the way to fence 8! I went through the course from fence 1 to fence 7 to remind myself of this, as it could have been an easy time wasting error. I’m pleased to say I went left of the string!!
Striding the distances takes practice, but knowing your stride length can be done simply at
www.theequinesite.co.uk
home and is useful when walking the cross country course. Does the striding mean you need more of a showjumping canter or does it mean you can push forward? Coming from a showjumping background I find combinations much easier than single fences (oddly), although I tend to ‘show jump’ them to make sure and then have to make up my time afterwards.
When walking the cross country, try not to get distracted. This is easily done and very annoying! Last year at Floors Castle I committed this cardinal sin and got distracted by a lovely dachshund when walking the cross country, only to lose concentration, so I didn’t notice the swerve needed to get to fence 16. Sailed on past it I did - and it cost us a place with a big fat ‘E’ on my horse’s record. Annoying and easily avoided! It’s a mistake I will not be repeating in a hurry! In all my years of eventing it is the first time I have done this and it will hopefully be the last! It was positioned to be a rider error fence and I fell right into it! (not literally!)
When the fences get bigger, I tend to walk the cross country twice. If you feel the course you are walking is ‘ginormous’, it’s often better to do a second walk. The course never looks as bad a second time, as you can assess your lines, the ground and approaches again when you see them on a second turn. Occasionally I have walked 3 and 4 times, but this is usually at a 3 day when we have lots of time to walk the dogs!
Just before I get on to head over to cross country, I have a quiet moment to go through the course. I go through it in my memory then check it against my cross country app and the notes of the minute markers. I have always written the markers on my arm too in case I forget on the course. When going through the course in my memory I add in the minute markers. I often don’t check them at every one, but it’s good to know them so that I can check when it’s convenient. Obviously if your minute is over a fence it would be daft to check it, but you can have a look as you gallop away to see if you are
a few seconds up or down. Be sensible with minute markers and ride the horse, not the time. Lastly, if you are feeling nervous in the warm up, jump the fences that you feel comfortable to jump. Even if it’s just a single log, get the gallop going and jump it on a normal stride, longer stride, shorter stride, at an angle etc. You don’t have to jump every fence in the warm up.
If you are jumping at the
higher levels its useful to jump a couple of angles or the skinny in the warm up to make sure your communication is working. Pull up, give the horse chance to get his breath back, memorise the course again, take deep breaths and make your way to the start box for an awesome round!
I hope you find this useful, If you are ever at an event and unsure of how to ride something, ask a fellow competitor, I’ve found most eventers are friendly and helpful and will offer their input if you ask for it.
I am also happy
to help, so if you see me in orange, with my Labrador (aka Chief water-jump-depth-tester) then do ask.
Equine Page 37
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