( PADDOCK YARD STABLE & ARENA )
TOP TIPS from Equestrian Direct sponsored rider, Izzy Taylor
Tip: Look to where you want to go and open the corresponding rein to encourage your horse to land on the other lead. Check you’re not collapsing on landing as this will cause your horse to drop onto his forehand and lose balance.
F
rom young horses to experienced eventers, all horses can benefit from cross-country schooling between competitions. Equestrian Direct sponsored rider, Izzy Taylor shares her top tips to perfecting your XC technique in your school at home.
1) Ensure your horse is listening to your aids and moving off the leg in a strong, forward canter
2) Ride in an attacking XC style, shorten your stirrups and come into a light seat
3) Practise lengthening and shortening the canter stride between markers in the school. Good adjustability, without affecting tempo, will save time setting up in front of a jump
4) Maintain a consistent contact and keep your leg close to your horse’s side to give them confidence
5) Your getaway from a fence forms your approach to the next one. Focus on getting back to a steady rhythm as soon as possible
Exercise one Warm up over a cross-pole, approaching from both reins in trot and then canter, making sure your approach is straight and balanced. Start by landing on the rein you approached on, then begin changing your landing direction in the air.
Exercise two (see diagram) Depending on the size of your arena, the second fences should be four or five strides away from the first jump. This ‘dog leg’ exercise is great for allowing you to try out different lines and approaches, whilst keeping a bigger canter. The fences are close together so it’s important that you have your horses’ full attention. Use half-halts and transitions to ensure he is listening to you, all the while maintaining a positive, controlled canter.
Before tackling these exercises, it is important to make sure your surface is up to the job. The warmer months can cause arena surfaces to dry out, becoming deep and dusty - potentially causing damage to joints, soſt tissues, muscles and hooves, as well as the respiratory and vascular systems. A short-term solution is to level, water and roll the arena, replacing the moisture which has been lost. However, the beneficial effects will be temporary. A top-up of Equestrian Direct’s Flexiride surface will improve footing and retain moisture on most existing surface types. Flexiride is virtually maintenance free, has exceptional cushioning properties and is ideal for most equestrian disciplines. For more information, please visit
www.equestriandirectltd.co.uk or call 01564 794020
86
MAY/JUNE 2019
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visitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk
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