What are some tips on developing a competitive edge, or quick “get r done” attitude on XC? I am a very even keeled calm person, which in most scenarios serves me well. But I find that in XC I am just a little too slow to react or too quiet in my adjustments as I should be.
My talented 5 yr old had a stop at a puny downbank at last weekend’s horse trial (and, earlier in the summer, at a water element) and I KNOW if I had been quicker to stick in, spur him on or tap him with the stick we would’ve been clear. I just am slow to correct! Trying to figure out how to get in my head better.
For reference, I go preliminary on my more experienced horse, who I bought originally to show me the ropes up upper levels. So I know what I’m doing, just need to unleash a more scrappy self.
Not a XC rider, but using a stick and otherwise preventing an imminent stop are learned skills. You and your trainer can/should be using those stops as a learning experience - what happened, and how and when should you have reacted? And then like any other skill, you try to do better next time. It’s a little bit of a trade off: if you’ve been fortunate to ride mainly horses that don’t stop, you won’t have these skills at top of mind, but you have also probably avoided all the mental and physical bad habits that can develop when you ride mainly horses that do have a stop (especially a dirty one).
I tend to be hesitant in cross country. The older I get, the nerves are settling in. My trainer told me that my young horse is asking me a question, he’s asking me “yes or no?” And my response is … “Maybe?“ LOL. I haven’t jumped much lately, but I was trying to work on answering him with a “H#$$ YES!!” Now even in the arena, I working on thinking “YES!!”
Personally, this is about sharpness, not necessarily about having more grit.
As an adult amateur riding my one mount and one only, I am not as quick as one who rides 5+ horses a day. I also don’t jump every day, I stick to twice a week max, and rarely is it a xc school, those are only every so often, with what my budget allows.
It sounds like its just being a bit quicker and sharper in your eye, knowing and feeling at that moment that you need to react. I find the more horses you ride, the sharper you become, or the more often you are having to do it, the sharper you become.
This year I attempted more schoolings and more lessons, working on my eye and sharpness, and boy did that help with my being quicker to react when he was questioning things on course.
I would prefer to have the calm cool brain, instead of the current anxiety over analyzing ride that I have on the regular. Consider your situation a gift! I think you just need to get out schooling more and in more situations, it should help make you sharper.
A good way would be to go to a XC clinic of several days (preferably 3) with a coach known for instilling confidence and good XC riding.
You may get some initial hesitating from your horse seeing new sights, so that is your first opportunity to practice being positive in your riding. Then over the next few days, you will get the chance to try some harder fences and more technical lines - stretching you and your horse’s skills. Again, it’s a good time to work on the skills you are looking to improve. Have a plan ahead of time - mentally prepare for giving your horse a positive ride to every fence, keeping your eyes up to your next jump and your legs on to funnel your horse where you want him to go.
Learn to growl. Sing some rock n roll. There have been threads about mental songs to play.
Practice a gymnastic line with bounces and then 2 strides to a BIG oxer at the end. GET THAT FORWARD go for it, get er done jump at the end. You’re IN the gymnastic - you GOTTA GO, get that attitude. Ride it that way.
Referencing an Olympic screening trial and listening to Jack LeGoff shout don’t be a ‘pass - enger’ at Olympic riders !! in his thick accent. Relating to your experienced Prelim ride? Not to be critical if Olympic riders needed encouragement!
Use the stick. The stick is for encouragement not necessarily punishment.
Two clinics come to mind - one 70’s Bruce Davidson and the use and timing of the stick, like in racing with the stride not against it. The other, more recent, Chris Ruysen a Belgian showjumper that also evented - the use of the stick while in the air over the fence vs at take-off to improve the horse jumping thru their body and taking off immediately upon landing vs stalling.
I made it a habit to always tap my stick on my boot or the horse’s shoulder leaving the start box. It was a head’s up we’re business now.
One major eyeopener was watching some Fox-Pitt videos. If there is a 3 part obstacle on xc I would see him tapping his horse on the shoulder after #2 - a head’s up pay attention there’s more move. It’s part of the trained communication.
(Or just be stupid like me and buy more horse than you need and learn to hang on) :lol:
On the opposite side of the spectrum, I often see riders whose “get it done” attitude surpasses its need and can end up spooking the horse, making him nervous, or running him past his distance. Then, the rider is frustrated why they had an awkward jump, and repeat with even more tenacity. So be careful that the toughness doesn’t evolve into bulldozing through fences and interrupting a good balance!
Perhaps, the two stops above could have been helped, rather than your riding “tougher” having your horse ride “lighter.” Don’t get me wrong, in the moment of competition and some schools, I’ll reinforce with a crop to keep my horse sharp and forward thinking, but from your description above, it doesn’t sound like the issues come from you being “nervous” or “scared.” I’m interpreting that your horse may have fallen behind your leg on the approach, and that was the moment you should have corrected before the stop.
When a horse falls behind the leg, this doesn’t mean a horse is going to slow. I can actually go fast but have my horse behind the leg. I tend to think that a horse in front of the leg feels like the horse takes me to the fences, I’m not pushing every step, and that once I press “go” the forward motion continues until I alter the pace.
You may can work on this without fences. Jan Bynny gave me this trick. “Cluck,” “Smack.” (This was for a very backwards thinking pony) after 2/3 sessions, the light cluck would send him bursting forward. In your warm-up and rides, check that you have your forward button, and that it’s not rusty. That’s the moment you can go to your crop if the light amount of leg doesn’t encourage him. You can do this in the middle of the course as well, ok is my horse in front of my leg, Ok, good. Then, when you approach the jump you have a fresh set of buttons to press should he need encouragement.
There is an excellent Mary Wanless Podcast, she talks in one episode about unlocking your brain. Basically, becoming focused and thus in turn become more aware and quicker to react. I feel like that is what the people with “grit” do. Focus and unlock their brain power to get the job done.
You cant set up arena exercises to practice these things. There are a lot of good videos on youtube, I recommend the British eventing channel and the British showjumping channel to start. “SpeedyBeet” beet pulp also has a good channel with lots of videos of exercised to do in the ring/schooling to help build this confidence and sharp thinking.
A few things have helped me, as a one horse ammie be sharper/react faster:
Counting out loud (under my breath) both on corners and on the approach into jumps – my brain is more easily able to translate that to rhythm and I notice and fix it faster. I do this on any horse with any type of jumping and poles.
When I first started eventing a friend gave me the tip of riding the fences like you’ve already had a stop at them – even the really easy rolltops. This helped me become a bit more determined and not taking it for granted.
When walking the course figuring out where my horse will need more help and being ready for that. My spooky jumper – I’ll think “add inside leg coming round this turn so he’s concentrating and not looking at the scary thing outside the ring.” Or “if he jumps in big then I’ll sit up and quietly ride forward for five, if he jumps in conservatively I’ll sit up and ask for a quiet six” (I always have to remind myself to sit up and not perch forward and it’s always a quiet ride on him :lol:). Having pre-planned what my options are likely to be helps me quickly choose one.
I think this is a really good point – especially with young horses I think it’s easy to get sucked into the mindset of “getting after them” – but you want them to figure out the questions and be confident to answer them.
I’ve only introduced 2 youngsters to jumping but both did much better when I changed my attitude about this and let them figure it out more. Both schooling and on course I’d do my best to set up for success for tricky fences – like coming back to trot (or even walk), supporting with leg, keeping them straight – but not over-riding. If they stop, they stop – it’s fine. It’s all training, we’re not trying to qualify for the Olympics.
My first youngster wasn’t keen on ditches or water – my trainer at the time had me get after her – kick, spur, stick – it was a lot. Sometimes she’d go and sometimes she wouldn’t. I ended up somewhat between trainers for a time and I remember cantering up to a water jump on course (a wee rail and small drop) and thinking to myself “maybe if I let her have the time to see the problem she’ll be more willing?” And amazingly, with just a little leg and opening rein when she wiggled a bit – she hesitated, looked, then popped right in.
It was a lightbulb moment for both of us – and the less I hassled her the more confident she became. She ended up being an absolute dream to ride xc – locked onto skinnies, powered over ditches, boldly jumped into water.
I think one of the things of first importance is making sure that you and your horse are really ready for the level of competition that you are engaging in.
A Lot of time spent at the lower levels prepares both of you fo most of the questions you are facing going upward. And if you expect to face something new and different, try to school it first with a really knowledgeable instructor.
I see a vast number of combinations going xc (250 just last Saturday) and the difference between professionals or good amateurs and the other riders is pace and rthymn. One can spot the difference a mile off. The best riders get into a forward rthymn and a balanced pace that sets up the horse to see the fence and jump easily out of it’s stride. It is not about ‘grit’ and ‘getting the job done’ (which brings to mind set teeth and tunnel vision) but rather *effective * practice and experience. Hours in the saddle, riding outside, not drilling for hours in an arena, training xc with a good instructor. At lower levels, riders habitually lack impulsion and the horse is generally behind the leg. Even the kindest horse can not get over a fence if there is absolutely no available ooomph. I think this is due to lack of rider confidence tied to lack of practice and experience.
My observation to my fellow judge last weekend was that more people need to get outside and just GALLOP their horse to feel and accept speed. The mind set, the energy, the balance are unique - and really good fun. Get comfortable with speed and then the canter becomes a lot easier to handle. Work on adjusting the canter to suit the terraine and the fence.
And remember, it is not about looking pretty because it isn’t a hunter show.
As an update, I went schooling today and my trainer had me jumping combinations that would MAKE me react and ride tougher. Little greenie did all the Training combinations and even some Prelim gallop jumps. Feeling more confident and scrappy now. Will definitely keep working on this, mentally.
Oh hooray - a thinking trainer!! I guess I took your request for grit seriously bc you already know how to ride, and I would never advise to run a horse outside of their comfort zone, but you’re needing more connection with your horse. You need some Ralph Hill in your life!
But I find that in XC I am just a little too slow to react or too quiet in my adjustments as I should be.
