Sue Graham recommends this Course

Forward

In today’s world there is so much opportunity for individuals to learn new skills and develop existing skills in a variety of ways. As a coach/teacher or writer of teaching and learning material the challenge is to connect the learner in such a way that they are very aware of what they are learning and why.

I have known Jeanette for twenty years as one of her students in the United Kingdom, colleague and friend and have had many discussions about a person’s understandings or experience. Something of a challenge indeed! A starting point for some of our discussion has centered around my foray into triathlon’s as a complete novice five years ago and how this has built into serious competition level. It is quite challenging to put yourself into the shoes of a novice and then go about finding the necessary assistance and information you need during the continuing learning journey. There are clubs and coaches out there and various publications but it is not always that simple to find the basics written or coached in such a way that can be readily assimilated, understood and applied.

Jeanette has a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding things ‘equestrian’ and has also developed and extended her own coaching/teaching understandings to produce this learning material. I believe the material will encourage those who are novices in the sport to make connections as well as extending the understandings of others who bring a wider base of experience.

I am sure you will find ‘Focus on Show Jumping a valuable ‘learning tool’ for you to apply to yourself and your horse.

Sue Graham B.H.S.I.I., Masters – Education and Learning

Sue Competing her jumping mare Daffodil

Course walking skills

When you have designed and planed a show jump course to practise over with the fences and space you have available you will feel you know the course quite well. I still recommend that you practise your course walking skills.
Reasons:-
• It trains your mind to stay focused
• Practise at walking the line/track/route to make good approaches to fences
• It makes you double check related distances and combinations of fences
• To train your ‘eye’ for detail for example spot a top pole that is uneven, remove an empty jump cup left on a standard etc..
• To walk the course with a sense of feel to how your horse will perceive the fences and to plan for this. Visualise the speed and rhythm you want to achieve between the fences. Know your horse and ride appropriately when you practise not just for the competition
• It is just good safe practise

Use cones or flags to denote the start and finish lines. I wish I had practised this – I once jumped a great clear round on a lovely talented young horse only to discover I missed the finish flags and was eliminated!!
Some examples of knowing your horse – If your horse finds it more difficult to bend and work to the right (left) think about all the approach lines on the course which are from the right (left) plan to ride these approaches a little wider to help keep a forward flowing balance and rhythm.
Try This!
When you practise walking the course think or say out loud how many strides you will get between fences remember this and after you have ridden the course see if what you said you would ride did in fact happen or did you need to make a change from this for what ever reason.

Suggestion :-

When you have walked the course stand back and work out where on the course you could do a large circle to re balance your horse. This is a practise round and you want to help your horse to stay balanced and in a good rhythm. Circling away to regain the speed, balance and rhythm you want is a pro active way to improve. Riding around a course regardless of speed, balance and rhythm is not only unsafe but does nothing to improve performance. Use a circle or even a few circles if you really feel you need it.

Spooky jumps -
Try This - as you and your horse gain more trust in each other and to educate your horse to have confidence in jumping spooky fences – train for this at home. Build a small fence with a ground pole – at first jump the horse over this fence before placing a blanket, sack or similar item over the fence – ride towards the fence keeping your eyes up and looking beyond the fence and ride positively without over riding and hustling the horse, praise after landing, as confidence grows introduce more spooky fences and try jumping the spooky fence first – fun to do and a great confidence builder for you both.

Did you know that when the horse is approaching a fence with his head forwards and upwards he has no side vision, blurred vision to the base line and peripheral side vision.
Horses Vision on the approach to a fence

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