I’ve decided to do a jumper derby this upcoming weekend, but it’s not set up where the xc jumps are in the stadium course, but more of eventing without the dressage. This is my horse and i’s first show together, and we’ve both never gone xc. I have taken several xc lessons and she’s comfortable with all of the jumps, she just gets really strong. I did decide it would be better to stick with just the 1’6" division so I can provide her with a good, relaxed experience rather than galloping up to bigger jumps. Any tips for keeping her controlled or just xc in general? thanks!
Straight, forward and stay in a rhythm. Nothing will get a strong horse stronger then someone fussing with them all the time or doing the slow down/speed up thing.
When I take a new horse out XC for the first few times, I let them settle into whatever pace is natural for them. That way they have a comfort level with what they are doing. Sometimes its a little faster than called for and sometimes its a little slow. Don’t worry about the time.
1’6"…and she gets strong for you? Then I would just come back to the trot after each fence. I wouldn’t MAKE her trot if she canters a step or two in front of the fence but just come back and trot. That way you can let her go forward to the fence but you will not feel out of control. Check the rules for your event to see if you are allowed to circle. If it was truly xc…you could until the last fence but since this is a derby, I suspect you may not be allowed to circle.
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HAVE FUN !
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At 1 foot 6 inches she should not be galloping up to any fences. Trot everything unless you have a quiet slow canter.
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I am in the trot chorus. I know that doesn’t sound like much fun but remember everything you do with your horse is teaching them, right or wrong.
Trotting to the fence helps establish and maintain straightness, balance and pace, and those are your training blocks.
Go volunteer and fence judge and you will see the canter, sucking back canter, oops sideways, then plop approaches.
Go in at a strong road trot and string those fences together.
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good stuff!!
Walk the course well ahead of time.
Go through the course in your head multiple times until you have memorized the course and can recite it at will:
Fence 1 is a simple log, Ours is the one on the left.
Then a right turn and slightly down hill so be sure to balance to a green bench.Ours is in the middle.
You can’t see fence 3 from there, but aim a little to the left of the big oak tree until you see it.
Fence 3 is a very vertical white gate set into the fence line, going into the woods. Ride carefully because of both the very vertical fence, and going from light to dark.
and so on
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Breathe, maintain your rhythm, make your mistakes going forward, and have fun 
While I agree and my hat’s off to those that have the mental capacity to memorize all of the fences and what appears to be the best line, best approach to each. I have never Evented just school over some courses.
Up until not long ago I was a licensed jump jock, Timber races only. 3-4 miles, 16-20+ fences of various construction and placement. No “gimmick” types, nor drop down etc. Other then the fact what it takes to win is getting from A to Z in the fastest time and we are not the only horse on course. The principle is somewhat the same.
When I walked the course I didn’t bother with the fences that were straight forward for both horse and rider. I just made metal notes of the tricky ones and where I wanted, hoped to be on approach. But with so many other horses in the race chances are my ideal place would most likely be taken by someone else. So I made note of where I didn’t want to be. If I should fine myself there what to be prepared for and how to get back in the race. If I stayed on, lol.
All of this is well a good when walking a course, easy enough. But in the heat of the battle, anxiety, stress can and does kick in. All those “mental notes” seem to disappear. IMO and experience this is pretty much always the case for the majority or riders regardless of discipline in the beginning. But the more miles, the more experience gives one much more confidence with both their skills and more so IMO the horse’s.
With Timber racing the courses aren’t always straight forward. They go over hill n dale. Some meets there are other parts of courses mixed in. So just staying on course and not cutting a beacon played a huge part. Checking the flag colors on the approach to the jumps while keeping an eye out for the others 10-15 horses around you.
There have been a number of races where the first 5+= horses finished but were disqualified for going off course. A clear case of the Blind leading the Blind.
All of our Timber horses have lots of “course” schooling. Pretty much from the get go they know their job. The unknown is how they will handle a bunch of horses around them that makes things tricky. We school in groups but not race size groups. In my first race all I was really concerned about was not looking like an idiot. I fell off on the way to the start, and fell off after the finish. For which I got a lot of stick.
But I pointed out that I didn’t fall off when it counted. Finished a close 3rd. If I hadn’t gone off course, followed the wrong line because I was on the lead on the second lap and had to make up many lengths to catch back up with the pack. I would have won for fun. I was pretty fit for my age (54), galloped lots of horse 7 days a week, 2 plus miles on each. But I was EXHAUSTED at the end of the longest 3 miles I had ever ridden. Seemed like 10
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Lots and lots of studies say that memorizing and visualizing an activity before you do it is extremely valuable when actually doing that activity. Yes, those mental notes seem to disappear, but they actually don’t–they are available to your subconscious and even to muscle memory. One study showed that those people who visualized a course of activity had only a slightly less advantage and performance than those that actually ran the course for practice.
My suggestion (other than trotting) would be to walk and memorize the course just like Janet suggested, then find a quiet place, close your eyes and visualize yourself riding the course fence by fence exactly as the plan you came up with to best ride it. Then let it all go, smile and go have some fun.
