Coming over to the dark side! I’m not able to rely on an eventing trainer, and am coming from h/j world,so need references that will help me introduce my 6 yo to cross-country safely and correctly. I’d hope to learn about the kinds of questions asked in beginner novice and novice especially, and ways to correctly school for them. Any thoughts much appreciated.
https://youtu.be/AQJYF8dk2VM
Here is a great Youtube video to get you started. Eventing is so much fun! Good luck!
Is there no way you can find a trainer to help you through this? Normally, I am all for learning by books – but it takes a combination of experience and education to appropriately apply that practical knowledge. I keep my horses at home and it was also difficult finding an eventing trainer whose program I fit into… so one or two times a month I go to an eventing farm for XC lessons with the resident trainer. That is how I have made not having an accessible trainer work for me. (I still go to shows and clinics by myself.)
XC is dangerous. There is no way around it - which is exactly why I would be nervous to encourage anyone green to XC to go it alone or introduce XC to a green horse without an expert eye watching.
I believe that Reiner Klimke’s book Training The Young Horse has a small part about introducing jumps, but I can’t remember. Either way it’s an excellent read for anyone: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/basic-training-of-the-young-horse_reiner-klimke/359860/item/18787623/
You can also consult the USEA rulebook, which will give you detailed information on what jumps are expected for the level.
Welcome to Eventing! I also was a H/J rider before I got hooked on eventing. :encouragement: It’s been some 20 odd years and I’ve never looked back!
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“Training the 3 day event horse and rider” by Jimmy Wofford is considered a classic. An older book (published in 1980 although I think there’s a revised version?), but one I really like is “Practical Eventing” by Sally O’Connor. I think it has some nice discussions of learning to ride your horse cross country, working over different obstacles, and conditioning.
One of the best ways to introduce a young horse to XC is on the lunge line. Especially with an inexperienced event rider. I highly suggest your first shcooling outing be on the lunge. It allows your horse to asses and read the question without the baggage of a rider on their face or back, influencing them negatively. This method is especially useful for banks, ditches, and water.
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About 6 years ago British Eventing produced a series of training videos dealling with e.g. learning how fast to go or how to jump banks. They are still available if you search on line. Lucinda Green has several training videos and her advice is generally very practical. Other riders are available. Watch the best riders and analyse what you see in combination with reading the books. And I second - or third - getting some actual live training with a good coach. Safe riding xc is not like setting up your horse in the arena: think a bit of improvisation rather than playing solely from the printed musical score.
BN and N are very straight forward. But in introducing a young horse, you need to be very clear, and take progressive steps. Having another horse as the fearless leader is critical IMO. So you if you don’t have a “trainer” you at least need an experienced friend on a calm and bold leader. You can have ditches, banks and water at both BN and N and how you introduce those is very important to not create a problem. A book can help a little…but really nothing better than experienced eyes. You can also check out YouTube videos. There is a good series on the US Event Horse Futurity. There are volgs for each year (its in its second year) and since they are all 4 year olds, some of the vlogs discuss introducing the youngsters to xc. Lots of different horses and different approaches.
100% agree you should seek out a lesson or clinic or experienced friend. It might also be helpful if you could take a lesson on a XC schoolmaster so that you can learn without also having to teach your green horse at the same time.
A few more books:
Training the Young Horse by Pippa Funnell
Lucinda Green’s Cross-Country Riding
Both have lots of photos and show introducing green horses to XC.
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Born Free, those Vlogs are great! I watched a bunch of them and they’re very informative. Gave me some excellent tips. Thanks for posting about them.
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Definitely think most anyone needs a trainer, but to answer the original question: Clarissa Strachan’s Young Event Horse.
Training the Event Horse - Ginny Leng
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Training-Event-Horse-Virginia-Leng/dp/009178218X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1599123578&sr=8-4
Eventing Explained (UK book) https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Eventing-Explained-Liza-Randall/dp/1905693478/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=eventing&qid=1599123645&sr=8-7
Training the Sports Horse -Chris Bartle https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Training-Sport-Horse-Christopher-Bartle/dp/0851318541/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chris+bartle&qid=1599123714&sr=8-1
Training the Young Horse - Pippa Funnell https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Training-Young-Horse-Schooling-Success/dp/0715312073/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1SFKIGDOX04JW&dchild=1&keywords=pippa+funnell+books&qid=1599123753&sprefix=pippa+fun%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-4
Schooling for Success - William Fox-Pitt https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Schooling-Success-William-Fox-Pitt-Photographs/dp/0715326678/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=william+fox+pitt&qid=1599123789&sr=8-2
Basic Training of the Young Horse - Ingrid Klimke https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Basic-Training-Young-Horse-Cross-Country/dp/1570767602/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=ingrid+klimke&qid=1599123846&sr=8-2
Training Sports Horses https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Sport-Horse-Soundness-Performance-scientists-ebook/dp/B076J14NVY/ref=sr_1_8dchild=1&keywords=training+sport+horses&qid=1599123968&sr=8-8
If you’re a visual learner then there are a few training DVDs by Pippa Funnell, Lucinda Green and Ginny Leng that contain really useful exercises. Riding Your New Horse by Pippa Funnell features taking horses XC training for the first time iirc and the others all have at home exercises for XC riding.
