Tips and Tricks for Memorizing a Course?

[Amy3996]

I’ve shown over fences a grand total of once in my life - at the end of last summer. The trainer who was working at our barn up and left a few weeks ago, so my friend and I are going to a local schooling show on our own on Saturday. I’m planning on doing a beginner division - low fences, nothing too tricky. I’m very fortunate that my horse is very much a “steady eddy” type. So I’m not worried about him. I’m just concerned about being able to navigate two courses from memory without the help of a trainer. Any suggestions/tips/tricks that might help?

Thanks!

[snaffle635]

The courses should be posted at the in-gate early in the morning. Take a picture of the course with your phone and refer to it periodically throughout the day.

More importantly, stand at the ring and imagine yourself riding the course. Make a plan for how you’re going to ride each section of the course.

Think of the jumps in terms of numbers, not a description of the jump. So, it’s just jump 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. Not green oxer, white vertical, brown oxer, etc.

A beginner division should have a very straightforward course consisting of outside lines and diagonal lines. Typically, those courses will make a standard pattern going up the outside line, down the diagonal (so you’re changing direction), up the other outside line, then down the other diagonal. Alternatively, they might be UP the diagonal and down the outside lines. (By UP, I mean away from the in-gate, DOWN is toward the in-gate).

Good luck and have fun!

[Training_Cupid]

The only thing that’s worked for me is switching to hunters :lol:

[Kottbulle]

You really have to figure out a system that works for you…my way is to get a photo of the course, WALK the course< this is must for me for the best memory retention, and try too only learn one course at a time. usually they have similar lines, and turns, so once you have some idea of how it flows, then it helps you remember. I do assign “names” to fence and try to use that the whole show for my brain. So the red white and blue fence is becomes the american flag, the yellow white and red, is mcdonalds, etc. whatever works for you. Then I can learn the course as fence 1-american flag to fence 2-mcdonalds, out and around to fence 3-pink flowers, etc. Then after I have walked the course i can keep going over the course that way in my head. as I’ve gotten older the hardest part has been the jump off. I school at just a local schooling level shows, so you always go right after your 1st round, so sometimes i just try to remember the JO as part of the first course, so I don’t forget. and it does help to have someone at the in gate if you can, to yell out that occasional fence if you suddenly look lost on course.

[greysfordays]

For trickier courses, when I first moved to the jumpers, I would sit somewhere quiet with my darkest sunglasses and visualize the entire course. Not as if I were watching a video of myself jumping it, but seeing it through my own eyes, with the horse’s neck and ears in my field of vision. I would go through the course, in real time, pausing at any moments I thought might be tricky, in this corner, I really need to balance for the double of verticals, up here I need to lighten my seat to get down this long line, etc. Doing this a couple times, you would be surprised how it makes the course feel familiar by the time you’re riding it.

[Daventry]

@snaffle635

Think of the jumps in terms of numbers, not a description of the jump. So, it’s just jump 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. Not green oxer, white vertical, brown oxer, etc.

Everyone is different and may have their own way of memorizing that works best for them. Many riders have a much easier time remembering courses by remembering visual things such as colors and build (e.g. coupe, oxer) rather than 1, 2 & 3.

[blondewithchrome]

If you’re doing hunters, also know that you should jump a jump the direction of the flower boxes: so if you’re cantering up to a jump and there’s no flowers/ brush and the flowers are on the other side…wrong way! That helps minimize your options when you land off your first fence or line. Typically, there’s only one option up next. Same thing with oxers. If you have two options: an oxer that’s backwards or a different jump, you know you can’t jump the oxer backwards, so that helps minimize your options.

Jumpers…can’t help you. LOL

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

I look for patterns and flow. So for example, short corner oxer to brown diagonal line, then roll back to white vertical and then stick to the whites up to the two stride. It might not make sense to anyone else but if I can find two or three “patterns” the I can put the components together. I would never be able to just remember the numbers on their own.

I second the visualizing piece. You need to review it in your head, as though you were riding it, until you can jump in and ‘correct’ components. That is my clue that I know it cold - I can start at the 5th or 8th fence and go forward or back with no hesitation.

[snaffle635]

@Daventry

Everyone is different and may have their own way of memorizing that works best for them. Many riders have a much easier time remembering courses by remembering visual things such as colors and build (e.g. coupe, oxer) rather than 1, 2 & 3.

Fair point. I suggested this because the course map lists numbers, not jump descriptions.

[oppsfelldown]

I like to memorize by lines/ colors - first jump - judges side/red, turn left blue diag, turn right outside line turn right yellow quarterline,

if its a jumper then its usually by color/ - red vert, left, blue vert/blue ox, right yellow wall, ect.

i completely fail on the call backs that are all - jump # 3, jump #6, 7 8, roll back to #2. I just still there with my brain melting going where the FK is jump #3???

I also highly recommend taking a photo of the course (or draw it out on a paper) and make notes.

[Kottbulle]

@oppsfelldown

I
i completely fail on the call backs that are all - jump # 3, jump #6, 7 8, roll back to #2. I just still there with my brain melting going where the FK is jump #3???

I also highly recommend taking a photo of the course (or draw it out on a paper) and make notes.

This is why i always try say the fence color/type with the number so that if I’m in a class that has a call back I have a slightly better chance of remembering where to go .Thankfully I have only ever shown in adult EQs and they seems to take mercy on us adults and don’t make things too complicated.

On a side note there was once a barn mate who thought all the jumper riders were so weird because we were always trying to come up with ways to remember the courses…
He said" how hard can it be they all have a number on them?!" lol one would think that would make things easier,but its not exactly like its in your line of sight when you are on course or even have the time to be looking for the next numbered fence…

and on the plus side learning a Jumper course is way easier than remembering your dressage test!! And even with a reader it is amazing how in a standard dressage ring the letters of the alphabet start to sound very similar if your reader doesn’t enunciate!!! B or C? C or E? So Im much better off with jumper courses!

[Mukluk]

I just look at the big picture, entire arena all jumps. I don’t pay attention to what the jump looks like, just the line from the 1st to last jump. I go through it in my head till I have it down.

[2DogsFarm]

@Amy3996 You are not alone.
When I first started showing Hunters I’d stand by the in-gate were the courses were posted & listen amazed as the Jrs rattled off the courses “Outside, Diagonal, Diagonal, Outside” thinking: “How the heck do they DO that?!?” :eek:
But as @snaffle635 explained, most Beginner Hunter courses are pretty straightforward.

For me, watching a couple rounds helped most - I am a visual learner, but somehow seeing the diagram did not help as much as watching someone ride the course.
Also helped me identify which fence(s) were most likely to make a horse booger as in:
“OMG! That fence is full of FLOWERS!!!”
So get yourself listed with the Gate to go in later in the class - never First! < at least not for Brainfart Me. :disillusionment:

And do not beat yourself up if you hear the dreaded “Off Course” announcement.
Happens at least once to everyone.
My Hunter was lent to a very talented Jr for Medals & she was in First going into the Jump-Off - that called for jumping the last fence then halting.
We all stood at the rail, watching her land. oh, so softly after that last fence,
Then continue cantering :grief:

[Amy3996]

Thank you all for the encouragement and support! We had a pretty successful show, and I remembered both of the courses. The tips and tricks I got here were really helpful! I found it worked best for me to try to remember the elements in pairs. That way it felt like there were fewer things to remember. :lol: