Showing a horse the first fence on XC?

[leighbo009]

This similar to how I heard this. So wanted to look for more info!

I also heard in sweden that at the lower levels (maybe equal to BN & N), you could hack your horse around the XC course and even walk through the waters.

I would like the lower levels to have some of this freedom to make it more welcoming. But for now, I guess no showing the horse the first jump. (1 show I go to always has the same first jump and it is not very inviting for the young horses, would be nice if we could show the horse the jump - or if the course designer would have a more welcoming first jump and moving the not welcoming jump further into the course)

[pony_grandma]

“I always go to” … do you go home and replicate the problematic fence? I had a horse a long time ago who questioned a white panel - guess what we had at home within a week? Multiple old white junk yard doors with all hardware removed set as panels EVERYWHERE! He went numb.

I have also added ‘toys’ in the stall for familiarity. You don’t like artificial flowers guess what will be decorating your feeder. You don’t like the color purple - bingo - it will be hanging in your stall.

Regarding showing horses a fence the best tip is to walk along side it and show them with that side eye then turn around and walk past it with the ‘other’ eye’. vs facing it.

[Janet]

WRT to cross country fences, remember that, once you are on course, you are not penalized for a refusal unless you have “presented” to the fence.

I had a horse that was a bit “ditchy” and, before presenting her a ditch-related fence on course, I would sometimes ride next to, and parallel to, the ditch (at right angles to the actual approach) so she could get a look at it before I attempted to jump it. I paid a slight cost in time, but that was better than 20 penalty points.

[Willesdon]

And make certain the Fence Judge knows you aren’t going to present. We had one person contest a refusal recently, saying they had “circled in front of the fence” even though they had ground to a halt at the jump and had had “first refusal” shouted at them before they circled round behind our car and represented.

[leighbo009]

I’ve built something similar at home. But its a me problem - I have come off on the jump in the past with this horse, I know its a me problem, but I haven’t fully overcome it yet.
But I am not the only one who has issues with this fence. Over half the BN horses at 1 event I attended had at least a stop at this fence + 4 elemitied at this fence on course.

I don’t think a max BN fence with brush - 3ft (including brush) jump should be the first jump for a BN course. “The Beginner Novice level is designed to introduce green horses and riders to Horse Trials” - I don’t feel this fence is a good introduction for green horses, I think the first should be warm and inviting to get the horse some confidence, but I am not the course designer. But that’s not what this thread is about. Just my opinion though.

[Willesdon]

Have you ever discussed this with the Event organiser? A fence that causes that much trouble should be reassessed and possibly removed. That is what Eventing stats are all about.

[Janet]

@Willesdon

And make certain the Fence Judge knows you aren’t going to present. We had one person contest a refusal recently, saying they had “circled in front of the fence” even though they had ground to a halt at the jump and had had “first refusal” shouted at them before they circled round behind our car and represented.

Yes, that is why I go way off to one side, and ride a straight line past the jump, There is no way anyone could think I was presenting.

WRT circling, as a TD I had a rider whose horse (after clearly presenting) started to run out to the left, and she turned it into a circle. She then contested a refusal. The refusal stayed.

I also had one of our Olympic level riders, taking a green horse Beginner Novice (at a competition that had everything from BN to Advanced) have a refusal. The horse stopped, backed up, and reared- clearly related to the fence. It was the upper level rider’s word against the teen aged jump judge. Because it was a big event, there was videography of the whole course, The rider insisted that the GJ look at the video, which clearly showed that it was a refusal.

[Bonnie2]

You could speak to the rider rep or the TD. Or send the organizer a polite note.

[OverandOnward]

@leighbo009

someone said

The best source of information. Or … are they?

One thing that is allowed is to circle in front of the start box before the start signal. If your horse gets a bit of a look at where they are going, they haven’t actually been shown a fence.

This is going back a ways in the results, but if you watch Clayton Fredericks in some old videos of the KY 3D, he circles in front of the start box in a most instructive way.

[Rel6]

I was thinking about this thread this weekend, because I was at an event where you had to hack through the start of the cross country course to get to one of the dressage rings. The first fence was basically in your path walking across the field to the ring and pretty easy for a horse to get a look at.

[msghook]

ACMEeventing: the Event starts when the first horse goes down center line. By the time that someone gets to the xc startbox, the Event has been running for a while.