Tackling technical XC fences?

[BritishEquestrian]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone could help me about tackling technical XC fences like skinnies and corners? I have a pony who is an absolute machine out XC and has never blinked at ditches, steps etc. but being so keen we have problems with the more technical fences such as skinnies and corners? We have a tendency to run straight past them.

Obviously these fences play a massive part and I do have regular lessons but I now am thinking although it doesnt help the pony gets over excited it also doesn’t help that now in my mind I am negative about these fences.

As gathered by my username I am from England therefore currently have no access to XC schooling because of the typical English winter of consistent rain. However I do have an arena with full set of jumps… So I was wondering does anyone have any tips or exercises in which will help with these fences?

Many thanks!

[fooler]

Have your coach replicate the skinnies and corners using SJ fences. Leave the fences low so you work on pace and approach without worrying about the heights.
Gradually decrease the face of fence so you are both comfortable jumping a very narrow face fence.
Do the same for corners. Easy to do a corner with 3 standards and 2-3 poles. Use one standard to hold the ends of 2 poles, to be the corner - use the other standards to set the “width” of the corner. You can graduate to resting the “corner ends” of the rails on a barrel so you don’t have a standard to help keep you straight. Remember to change the corner so you are jumping a left and a right corner.
Again always start with low fences so you can concentrate on pace, straightness and overall control.
Good luck.

[BritishEquestrian]

[QUOTE=fooler;7951780]
Have your coach replicate the skinnies and corners using SJ fences. Leave the fences low so you work on pace and approach without worrying about the heights.
Gradually decrease the face of fence so you are both comfortable jumping a very narrow face fence.
Do the same for corners. Easy to do a corner with 3 standards and 2-3 poles. Use one standard to hold the ends of 2 poles, to be the corner - use the other standards to set the “width” of the corner. You can graduate to resting the “corner ends” of the rails on a barrel so you don’t have a standard to help keep you straight. Remember to change the corner so you are jumping a left and a right corner.
Again always start with low fences so you can concentrate on pace, straightness and overall control.
Good luck.[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much for your reply I will have a go replicating what you’ve said. Currently my coach hasn’t done so but that is because she is relatively new and we have worked on SJ however I will mention it…

[Highflyer]

Yep-- we school this stuff in sj long before the horses see it on xc. Angling fences/lines is another of my trainer’s favorites. Also widening your hands can help to channel the horse and of course being quicker to get your eye on where you are going.

[Sticky_Situation]

[QUOTE=fooler;7951780]
Have your coach replicate the skinnies and corners using SJ fences. Leave the fences low so you work on pace and approach without worrying about the heights.
Gradually decrease the face of fence so you are both comfortable jumping a very narrow face fence.
Do the same for corners. Easy to do a corner with 3 standards and 2-3 poles. Use one standard to hold the ends of 2 poles, to be the corner - use the other standards to set the “width” of the corner. You can graduate to resting the “corner ends” of the rails on a barrel so you don’t have a standard to help keep you straight. Remember to change the corner so you are jumping a left and a right corner.
Again always start with low fences so you can concentrate on pace, straightness and overall control.
Good luck.[/QUOTE]

This is what I do … We replicate the skinnies, corners, and the like using stadium jumps in the indoor arena over the winter, since I’m not one of the lucky ones that can just pick up and go south. We have a few broken poles that we use to make skinny fences … Just make sure to cut off any sharp ends first. I have set skinny corners by using two standards on one side and resting the other end of both poles on top of a barrel so that there isn’t a standard there to use as a crutch. You can also use poles to make wings on the really skinny fences until you and your pony get confident jumping them. Then, once he’s jumping them pretty consistently, start incorporating them into bending lines and angled fences for accuracy questions like the ones he will see on XC.

[fooler]

[QUOTE=BritishEquestrian;7951804]
Thank you so much for your reply I will have a go replicating what you’ve said. Currently my coach hasn’t done so but that is because she is relatively new and we have worked on SJ however I will mention it…[/QUOTE]

Upper Level riders and trainers have written articles and books plus created videos of these types of training options, not to mention gymnastics sessions. “Recent” books by Jim Wofford, Klimke’s daughter plus many others are available online. USEA currently interviews an ULR and provides documentation of their favorite gymnastic tools in the bi-monthly magazine. BHS Eventing and/or H&H may have the same sort of information.

[Nancy1]

Running by is an issue of straightness. Practice corners and skinnys in show jumping. Using a wing can help with straightness as well.

[ACMEeventing]

VTO saddlery also sells this handy little number:

corner jump cup

I’m fortunate that Mr ACME is quite handy. He made me a 3 foot standard for the point of the corner so there isn’t anything there to help hold the line (except straightness and canter quality).

[somanyhorses]

Look at youtube clips of Lucinda Green clinics, she focuses a lot on the use of skinnies in training. She is not for everyone, but I love her and have really benefitted from the 3 clinics I have done with her, as I also have a fiesty little horse who prefers galloping at large wide fences over listening to his rider and turning when told to. Most of the footage you will find of Lucinda clinics will be on XC courses where she uses portable skinnies, but she also does similar stuff when teaching show jumping at her clinics. The skinnies you use in schooling do not have to be tall, but using them on curved lines is really effective for testing your control. Good luck and enjoy

[Duramax]

Ditto the straightness. Set up poles on the ground and be sure you can go over them completely perpendicular. You can set up a simple grid with rails to act as chutes on the takeoff and landing.

[Wellspotted]

What about stadium jumps that don’t use standards? I don’t know if such jumps still exist, I am talking coops, gates, walls; could you build any of these as a corner or skinny?

[Highflyer]

[QUOTE=Wellspotted;7952572]
What about stadium jumps that don’t use standards? I don’t know if such jumps still exist, I am talking coops, gates, walls; could you build any of these as a corner or skinny?[/QUOTE]

Barrels make great skinnies too.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

As folks have said, this is an issue of straightness. Practice with stadium jumps. You can create a narrow by putting standards in front of the fence you are jumping if you do not have short rails. Just be slow how you bring them in and make sure there is space between the standards and jump so a rail cannot get stuck.

But it this is something you need to practice over every jump. Pick a spot over the jump and make sure you are keeping your horse on the line that you have chosen.

[FitToBeTied]

55 gallon barrels can be really helpful. Here is the states you can go to a local car wash and get them. I have four around here and set them in varying configurations. Laying one on its side makes for a nice skinny. You can also use two jump standards and barrel to make a corner.

The other thing I have is synthetic deck boards like Trex. I cut them down to about 5’ lengths and use them for skinny plank jumps.

Another good thing to have is some good black or blue heavy duty tarps. They are great for recreating water or ditch jumps.

Once you have some cheap resources like barrels and planks, you can do a lot. You don’t have to have expensive stuff to create some good tools at home.

[connemarafan]

Was also going to suggest barrels. Also just cantering over really narrow ground poles, it’s harder than it sounds and really makes you focus on sticking to your lines.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I also wouldn’t get too focused on needing barrels to make a corner. Again, the issue a corner tests is straightness and can you and your horse hold a line. Once you focus more on riding an accurate line and holding such a line…the width of a fence and corners will not be an issue.

[FitToBeTied]

One thing I like about using the barrel to hold up the point of the corner is that there is not standard there to hold the horse in. I have found that using three standards is pretty much the same in appearance as an oxer.

I am not disputing the need to be straight and holding a line but the test of a corner or a skinny is that it presents an out for the horse that is not apparent when using standards.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=FitToBeTied;7953351]
One thing I like about using the barrel to hold up the point of the corner is that there is not standard there to hold the horse in. I have found that using three standards is pretty much the same in appearance as an oxer.

I am not disputing the need to be straight and holding a line but the test of a corner or a skinny is that it presents an out for the horse that is not apparent when using standards.[/QUOTE]

I guess in my opinion, that is more of a rider issue. I really have not ever found that having a standard or not made a difference to the horse really. What makes riding corners hard for people is finding and holding the line. If you practice jumping fences on an angle, and can hold a line, generally jumping a corner is not a problem.

[Equisis]

OP, make sure you have a trainer/instructor who has experience riding the kind of fences with which you are having problems, so that he or she understands where the issues arise. You have received some great suggestions about constructing these kinds of jumps in the arena for practice, but you need to address how you are riding the fences as well. With a bold, excitable horse, you need to be able to collect and balance the canter to maintain accuracy, and you need to be able to use your leg in addition to your hand to channel the horse straight. Do you consistently reach a good take-off spot, or do you frequently get long/deep spots? Can you hold your straightness through a line, or does your horse tend to drift one way or the other? Can you bridge your reins and use your legs to hold your horse straight or does this make your horse too excited? Are the run outs primarily the same direction? All of these are indicators that you do not have a controlled canter or a horse that is responding properly to your aids- you must address these things in order to have a safe, accurate ride over fences that demand it.

[FoxyRoxy1507]

When I used to ride with Ralph Hill, to get horses used to skinnies and corners if they had issues was to add wings to the replicated jumps but set up as SJ fences, and then to deviate from that a little incorporate other materials than just standard rails/poles. This will help create a chute for the horse and teach them that this is the desired action.