Getting the best out of every phase

DRESSAGE

• Judges are taught to judge according to the scales of training – and these apply at every level. The first two scales – rhythm and suppleness – are often the ones where event horses come unstuck. 
• The rhythm needs to be correct at all times – the walk four-beat, the trot two-beat and the canter three-beat.
• A horse that is not relaxed cannot show suppleness, and this is often an event horse’s undoing. The next scales – contact, impulsion, straightness and collection – can never be truly achieved if the horse is tense.

• Over- or under-shooting the centre line is common. Make sure you ride into the comer and look for your line early.
• Irregular circles are also common. Make sure you ride into the corner before you begin the circle and then into the corner when you finish. 
• Every horse is different, so you need to decide what you need to do to get him at the right place to produce his best in the ring: does he need lunging first? Is he better working for two short spells rather than one? How much time do you actually need so that you are not over- or under-cooking him? 
• If you suffer from nerves you should try to re-create a competition environment as many times as possible. Go to a dressage competition and enter three tests in a day – it doesn’t matter if they are the level below, the point is to ride in an arena in front of a judge. 
• To get eights, nines and l0s there has to be a higher degree of suppleness, expression and self-carriage.

SHOW JUMPING

• Show jumping course designers are testing control, adjustability, care and the horse’s ability to think for itself. 
• As you move up the grades there will be more turn-backs, changes of direction and a greater variety of open and closed distances.

• The majority of eventing show jumping arenas are on grass – often gently undulating and affected by the weather. This makes the challenge of riding a clear round even greater.
• When you go into the arena you should always have a plan. You will often be sent into the ring and told to turn left or right. Don’t wander around and then ride to the first fence on a straight line from a mile out; plan to approach it off a circle so the horse’s hocks are underneath him. 
• Body position is particularly important when you are jumping on a gradient. Stay in the middle of the horse at all times to allow him to balance himself and use his shoulders. 
• If the ring is muddy it is a good idea to make your turns are either a bit wider or a bit tighter to utilise the better ground. Similarly, jumping at the side of fences will mean you miss the deepest mud in the middle. 
• If your horse seems to rush in the last few strides, check first that you haven’t subconsciously triggered this by pushing with your seat. A good test is to canter over a small fence on a large circle standing out of the saddle. After several attempts you will normally feel the horse relax into a regular rhythm because you are not interfering with your seat.
• If you ride the horse at the right pace in the correct balance there is no need to aim for a single take-off spot as the horse is more than capable of coping with a slightly tight or a slightly long distance.

CROSS COUNTRY 

• Can you hold a line, adjust the pace, turn left and turn right? You will find corners, skinnies and combinations at every level; the difference is that as you move up the grades, the complexity and intensity of these questions increases and there are fewer let-up fences.

• Don’t train for perfection; train for speed of thought. As you move up the grades the questions on the cross country will come faster and require quicker reactions from both horse and rider.
• Build technical fences, like corners, arrowheads and challenging lines, and do not always approach off a perfect turn on a straight line.
• Both horse and rider should be extremely comfortable at the level they’re at before stepping up. 
• Often things go wrong because riders are too cautious and either over- or under-ride fences – both can be dangerous. A negative mindset doesn’t necessarily make you go too slowly – it can make you go too fast. Surround yourself with positive people who are going to give you the right advice at the right time.