How to ride jumps

 

 

Teaching your horse to compete against the clock requires asking him to turn sharply, move forward to a big fence from a short approach, to jump fences on angles and sometimes jump from a fast canter taking out strides along the way. 

 

Before learning to compete against the clock, it is important to first assess the horse you are riding. With his behaviour patterns considered, you can then decide how fast you are going to ask him to go. Every horse is different and some will react by becoming over excited which means you may have to be careful how fast you go.  

 

You must not over pressurize your horse, if he is an honest jumper then you do not want to give him too much to think about when competing. 

 

 

When setting off, make sure you are riding your horse well up into the bridle. Let him stride along a bit but be sure to keep in a rhythm.

 

If the first fence is very easy and can be disregarded as a risky fence, you could save a second or two from the time you go through the timing heads to when you land over the first. 

 

Every horse is different so again you will need to examine your horse’s behaviour so you can pick out which fences you may struggle over and where you need to be cautious. 

 

Quite often your worst fence is everyone else’s too and it is often later in the course so you need to focus on saving time early so you can take a slightly wider turn to the harder fence. 

 

 

It is no bad plan to teach a horse in his early years to go the shortest way, but don’t encourage them to rush, sharp turns on an even stride are the best. 

 

This allows you to spend a little bit more time in getting from one fence to another in the best possible manner. 

 

Get into the habit of checking the time allowed before a competition and look at the course plan.  If there are a few horses before you, watch how they go and if you want to be really competitive, take a rough time check with a wrist watch that has a second hand. 

 

In BSJA competitions there is a time limit in the first round as well as in the jump-off which means you must maintain a consistent pace for the whole round and select the route which will allow you to finish without time faults. 

 

 

This is something that you need to practise at home over and over again. To turn short into a fence requires good balance and a bold attitude. 

 

If you set up a small fence and start jumping it in a circle, you can then reduce the size of the circle from 20 to 15 metres, then to 10 metres. 

 

Keep encouraging your horse to produce an athletic, rhythmic canter which is one gear up from the speed at which you normally ride. 

 

Eventually your horse will become used to approaching a fence on a curve and will learn to react quicker. 

 

It is also important to remember that once you have started to turn into a fence you must not take your eye off the fence you are about to jump.  If you do you will either over shoot or under shoot it. Once you have reached the jump it is then that you look ahead to where you are going next. 

 

Keep a strong hold of the rein and give him plenty of leg to let your horse know that you are confident and in control. 

 

Do not attempt to alter the shape of your curve as you approach the jump as this will make you lose your balance. 

 

 

Again, practice this at home with a small jump and a 20 metre circle. Change the rein as you jump, looking to the opposite rein as you take off. 

 

Once you have landed on the new rein, establish a balanced canter again and approach the fence with the intention of turning left on landing. Once again look to the left as you take off to encourage your horse to shift his weight onto his left side and to change lead from the right to the left. 

 

You can continue to do this exercise in a figure of eight until you and your horse are happy. 

 

 

Firstly, you must define your aims. Are you trying to win the competition, or are you trying to gain experience?

 

If it’s experience you want then you need to focus on increasing the level of activity in your horse and raising your own concentration. 

 

Again looking at your course and studying it will help you find some sensible short turns which will encourage you and your horse to move up a gear.

 

If you are out to win the competition you will need to study the course in even greater detail in order to see all of your possible options, such as where you can take your tight turns and where you can lengthen your stride. 

 

I always look for something that no one else is likely to see, and take that risk. This will give you the competitive edge. 

 

Before competing against the clock have a ride over to any really difficult turns on the course and have a close look at it before the bell goes off. This will help you to choose the line you are going to take. 

 

The line you choose should be as tight as you dare turn. If a difficult turn is back to a vertical, you can take a big chance, because the worst that can happen is that the horse will hit it in front or will stop. 

 

If there is a turn back to a big parallel or a combination involving spread fences, take much more care. A horse is much more likely to make a fault there, and if a turn is over done he may receive a bad fright as well. 

 

 

 

At the gallop, a bigger show jump is very difficult to clear, due to the long, flat stride.  Therefore do not gallop at the fence, but increase his stride after the jump. Then, three or four strides before the next fence shorten the stride remaining balanced for the next take-off.

 

Practise your strides at home, and work on closing your horse up. As you do this think about getting his hocks underneath him to create energy. 

 

To ride well against the clock, your horse will need firm hand and leg aids to begin with to instil in him the idea of instant obedience and quick changes. 

 

The sooner he understands what you want him to do, the sooner these aids can be refined. 

 

Keep practising and your horse will become more and more responsive, and ultimately he will be capable of changing pace quickly within one or two strides, helping you to beat the clock. 

 

Finally, remember to keep calm and enjoy it- if you think you can do it, so will your horse- it’s all about team work after all!

 

 

 

Ellen loves to wear the Exmoor show jacket not only when she is modelling for Caldene but also at competitions. With side vents and red in colour the black velvet collar and gold buttons adds an extremely stylish contrast to the jacket. 

 

Available in sizes 34” to 42” prices start at £184.50. 

 

Not afraid to get stuck in on the yard Ellen also likes to wear the NEW Balfour jodhpurs from Caldene.  Extremely comfortable made from 95% cotton and 5% spandex, these traditional stylish jodhpurs are ideal for around the yard. 

 

Balfour jodhpurs come in ladies sizes 24” – 34” Brown and Navy and are priced around £44.50.  

 

 

 For more information or your local stockist contact Caldene on 01274 711048 or visit www.caldene.co.uk