One of the scariest things I have experienced in my competition career is seeing a course for the first time and knowing that I haven’t prepared my horse to face the challenges of that particular course. After many restless nights I learned how to make sure my horse was prepared for almost any course. Here is how to better prepare your horse for your next competition.
Always practice on small jumps. There is a saying in Ireland, “Horses can’t measure.” In other words, it is not the height of the fence (within reason) that scares the horse so much as the approach, the distance and the look of it. There is no use in over challenging your horse when you are trying to build his confidence in himself and his trust in you. So keep the obstacles small (under 2 feet high).
First give him a simple cross rail from both directions. Then change to a vertical. When he has done this three or four times well and confidently, change the angle of approach to be slightly off a direct approach. Try this with the cross rail first and then the vertical when he is jumping confidently. Do not proceed to the next exercise until he is jumping confidently. Confidence and trust is the objective: Not seeing what he can do.
Next, when you are jumping well, try to make him jump the fence exactly where you want him to jump it. To do this, use only a straight approach at the trot. When you have jumped a few times in one area of the fence, try a little to the right or to the left. Whenever he does it perfectly, praise him and pat him or as we Irish say, “Make much of him.”
Later, try practicing with cavaletti at different angles and different distances in combination. If he doesn’t do well, then switch to something he knows well and make much of him.
If you attend a horse show and see a different fence, try to incorporate that challenge (in a smaller version) into your work-out a few times. Try to look at the course and see what the designer is asking of the competitors. When you have the questions he or she is asking, all you have to do is develop the answer in your own arena. With a combination of observation, analysis, patience and effort, you and your horse will enter most show with more confidence.

Have a great ride!
Sue Foley
For more information on riding with Sue Foley in Ireland, call Cross Country International at 800-828-8768 or click on this link

I know what it is to be afraid to jump. When I was younger, I suddenly lost my confidence over fences. Even if the fence wasn’t very large, I imagined terrible things happening to me and my beloved horse. The more I tried to stop feeling that way, the more I felt that way.
I live in the countryside of Ireland where riding and horses are a way of life. I also dearly love to ride and love those noble animals. That is why I needed to get over my fear of jumping. The way I taught myself to have confidence is the way I teach other people.
The key to building confidence is to go slowly and to recognize that fear is a natural emotion. Do not fight it, accept it. There is nothing to be embarrassed about because you are afraid of a certain activity.
Assuming you are afraid of jumping all fences (as opposed to a certain type of fence), start by working something you are not afraid of doing. Let’s say trot around your practice arena. When you are comfortable, try cantering half way around, slow to a trot and see how you feel. If you would like to do it again, then do so. At most go around one full time. Then finish off with a nice trot and walk out your horse. You should walk away from your session feeling good about the canter and the courage you showed.
Remember courage is not the absence of fear; it is doing what you need to do in spite of your fear. The object here is not to eliminate your fear but to give you the ability to manage it.
As you feel more confident, you can try more. When you are confident at the canter, try a pole on the ground. When you are comfortable with that, try two poles, three poles etc. When you are fully confident with these poles, try a cross rail and then a small vertical. This all may take many sessions. The important thing is to always be confident. If you lose your confidence, go back to something you are confident about and start again. Do not force yourself to do something which scares you. That is not fun and it is not going to build your confidence; it will erode it.
For an experienced rider who has had a bad fall or some other event which caused the rider to lose confidence the process is the same. Go back to something you like to do. (I always like to do lateral work.) Keep doing that and work towards things which scare you.
Above all, go slowly. There is no reason to ride other than for pleasure so there is no reason to be afraid to ride. Be good to yourself and enjoy your horse.

Have a great ride!
Sue Foley

For more information on riding with Sue Foley in Ireland, call Cross Country International at 800-828-8768 or click on this Link

Walking a course properly is critical to success in jumping either a show jumping course or a cross country course. This is an opportunity to check the footing, look at the course and try to see it the way your horse is going to see it and, most importantly, to formulate your plan. Having a plan that is right for you and your horse is important whether you are jumping a course in a show or in your training arena. Walking the course starts with knowing your horse. The best way to do this is not in the show ring but in your training arena.
When you are training, your job is not just to improve your riding and your horse’s performance; you also need to observe your horse in different situations. Which is his stiff side? What distances are difficult for him? What is a tight turn for him? What types of jumps give him trouble? Every horse is an individual with his own strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your horse’s strengths and weaknesses gives you tremendous power to formulate the correct plan to attack the course. This can only be done when you pay careful attention to your horse in different situations during training. Try to get him out of the arena on a hack and, if possible, train him in a different training arena from time-to-time. This is good for him psychologically and it lets you observe him under circumstances unfamiliar to him.
When walking the course, look for the distances and angles which will be tough for your horse and try to minimize their effect. Can you make your turns wider on his stiff side? Can you shorten or lengthen distances which are tough for him? On which lead would he jump a certain fence better? Go around the course and make mental notes. Then walk the course and formulate your plan. The third time you walk the course, walk it the way you will ride it.
It is a lot of work to become a rider worthy of your horse but it is well worth it. A good ride is one of the greatest pleasures in life. All the hours of practice and getting to know your horse seem to come together in those perfect moments as you canter from one obstacle to another.

Enjoy your horse’s uniqueness!

Greg Best

Jumping without stirrups is an exercise I recommend for riders who are capable of it. First, it is a good idea to learn how to do it because you never know when you will lose a stirrup. Where I ride in the West of Ireland, losing an iron is not uncommon so, it really is a necessity for a rider who wants to carry on instead of stopping to get the iron back.
It is also a great thing to learn if you are competing in show jumping or eventing where the possibility of losing an iron increases. There is no use losing a competition because you can’t jump without stirrups.
Don’t try jumping without stirrups until you are experienced enough and are psychologically ready to do it.
Start off by riding on the flat without your stirrups. As you become more comfortable and are ready to jump without them, here is a great way to start.
Try riding a line of jumps with the stirrups. After the last fence, take your feet gently out of the irons. You will feel your leg lengthen and you should feel the motion of the horse more acutely. Your leg should stay gently at your horse’s side. Ride awhile until you have established your balance.
Either cross the stirrups or remove them completely (the latter is preferable). Try a small single fence. If that goes well then next time around, try two. Always keep the fences small at first. After the second fence, allow yourself sink into the saddle and to go with the motion of the horse.
This exercise is excellent for riders who sometimes over-release or find themselves too far forward over jumps, although it is good for every rider when they are ready to tackle it.

Have a great ride!
Sue Foley

For more information on riding with Sue Foley in Ireland, call Cross Country International at 800-828-8768 or click on this link