Going for a hack needn’t be a lob-about on a long rein – it’s a great time to work on your own position and fitness. Try this exercise in trot to boost your own strength – and see how much you improve each time you do it. If you prefer, you can also try this exercise in an arena or field.

Aims

• to improve your balance in the saddle
• to put your lower leg in the correct position with the weight in the heels
• to make your seat more secure
• to stretch and build up the necessary muscles

The setup

No setup required: you can do this in an arena or out hacking. Using a neck strap will help you balance without pulling the reins.

How to ride this exercise

• Put your stirrups at cross-country or galloping length.
• Go into an active trot, and slip two fingers under the neck strap in case you need to balance. Adopt a racing position (pictured above, left), tucked up with your bum out and your hands low. Push your weight through your heels, allowing the ankles and knees to absorb the horse’s movement. Do not rise to the trot. You should feel the burn!
• Sit up slightly as you move into a light seat as though you were preparing to jump a fence (pictured above, centre), with your bum lightly brushing the saddle but not full rising trot.
• If you can balance well in these two positions, try the extreme version which is to stand upright in the saddle (pictured above, right), with your legs straight (still no rising), absorbing the movement through your ankles, knees and core. Do not rely on your hands. Keep the weight in the heels, using the neck strap if you need to balance.

The more you practise these three positions, the more you will hone your balance, strengthen your muscles and develop a correct lower leg position.

Start with short intervals to avoid fatigue, gradually building up your stamina over several weeks.

Pitfalls to avoid

1. Leaning too far forward

This puts weight on your horse’s neck and forces your lower leg back. Instead, push your weight through the heels and slide your bum back to redress the centre of balance.

2. Gripping with knees

This causes the lower leg to slip backward and destabilises you. Keep the weight through the heels, using your calves to keep you in place.

3. Swinging legs

Try shortening the stirrups, so that you can hover more efficiently above the saddle allowing your horse to move underneath you without you interfering.

Want more ideas? Check out our full daily training inspiration library

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From Burghley’s precipitous Leaf Pit to Pau’s rollercoaster mounds (and everything in between) the principles of negotiating drops and fences where horses can’t immediately see the landing are the same – namely giving the horse time rather than speed. In this exclusive article for H&H subscribers, Badminton winner and British eventing performance coach Chris Bartle and five-star rider Tom Crisp share their top tips, and one useful exercise to practise

Horses are well-equipped to hop up and down steps and negotiate mounds, so long as we let them use the tools that nature has given them. Jumping cross-country drop fences or when the horse cannot see the landing requires certain techniques to help a horse develop trust in the rider to allow them to use their body effectively.

British eventing performance coach Chris Bartle encourages us to think about a horse’s biomechanics when training for eventing.

“The horse’s eyes are on the end of his neck and if we restrict the neck through our riding then the horse won’t be able to look forward and use his eyes to read the question,” he explains. “Horses can lose confidence when they are denied the freedom to use their necks.”

A fundamental skill to master for the safe and successful negotiation of drop fences is the ability to ride with longer reins to allow the horse to use his neck while maintaining a connection, similar to when riding down cross-country steps.

This training begins on the flat.

“When you allow the horse a longer rein you train him to reach forward to the contact and use his neck. It’s no different across country,” points out Chris. “This stretching down movement is even included in five-star dressage tests and is testing precisely this ability to maintain a connection on a longer rein.”

A typical question from novice level upwards is a drop followed a few strides later by an accuracy fence, such as a skinny or a corner. At the higher eventing levels this is likely to be on a bending line and possibly even off a blind turn. This means you have only a few seconds after the drop to re-establish your cross-country position and focus your horse on where he’s going.

“Sometimes, people get concerned that with longer reins they’re going to lose ‘control’,” says Chris. “It’s a delicate balance between achieving the line and the pace you want coming into fence yet at the same time giving the horse the possibility to use his neck and see what he’s doing.

“Ros Canter is a supreme example of somebody who has her horses really going to the contact, yet she rides with a long rein and is not restricting the horse or fighting for control. She uses her eyes to direct the horse rather than her reins. As she turns her neck and eyes to see where she’s going, her horses follow her. It’s something we have worked on together over the years, and even now when she comes to me for training she will say: ‘I need you to check on my eyes’.”

How to ride a drop fence

Five-star event rider Jesse Campbell explains how to approach a drop in a way that will give your horse confidence and prevent hesitation.

1. When introducing your horse to a drop for the first time, find an inviting, low step. Start by approaching at a walk on a long rein. Your horse should be straight and in front of your leg. He should stay relaxed and in a rhythm. Once this is established you can progress to larger steps, and approach in faster gaits but, until then, keep practising smaller steps to build your horse’s confidence and gain his trust.

2. Allow your horse to use his neck by slipping your reins so you don’t catch him in the mouth. This will give him the freedom to use himself. If this is something you’re not used to, practise letting the reins run through your fingers and collecting them back up.

3. As you progress to riding drops at canter, make sure your horse is listening, but still in front of your leg. You need to allow him time to take in the drop fence, and going too fast can hinder this. Establishing a strong, rhythmical canter is key.

4. A good rider position will instil confidence in your horse to come off the drop and encourage him to tackle this type of obstacle again. Remember to sit up, keep your shoulders back and your lower leg secure. Always keep your eyes up and don’t look down. This is also vital when you have another fence to jump after the drop — your eyes need to be focused on this. While jumping down, keep your hands wide and soft as this will help you to get the contact back more quickly.

If you ever have an issue with a drop, always go back to walking down an easy drop fence on a long rein – by re-establishing the basics, you can rebuild your horse’s confidence.

Foundation exercise for jumping cross-country drop fences

Chris Bartle uses an exercise he calls “the rollercoaster” to help riders rely less on the rein and to keep their balance and line through their body position.

Build five fences on a curve and alternate between small cavaletti and a taller upright fence (around 90-100cm). The jumps should be a bounce distance apart (roughly three yards apart on the inside line and four yards on the outside line).

Set your canter, look at a point in the distance beyond where you are going. Always look down the road rather than at the road itself. Use your peripheral vision to see the poles in front of you. Let the horse’s nose out to encourage him to really use his eyes and his neck.

Your job as a rider is simply to stay in balance and not look down, while the horse is responsible for the jump. By separating out these responsibilities the task becomes clearer – you are in charge of direction, while your horse’s job is to jump the fences.

Chris adds that sometimes it can be more challenging for a horse to lower himself down over a steep drop with a tiny fence on top than it is for him to jump something more substantial on the way to dropping down.

“This is because over a small fence a horse has to drop his neck and look where he’s going,” he explains. “A classic example of this is the top water at Badminton, which often has a small log straight in with a big drop. It usually catches out one or two horses who don’t have the confidence to drop their neck and look where they’re going.”

With any fence on a gradient it is important to make sure the horse has the confidence to understand that there will be a safe place to put his feet on the landing side.

“You need to support his decision-making by applying the right amount of aid and the right amount of encouragement,” says five-star rider Tom Crisp. “Our job is to teach the horse to believe that he can do it for itself, rather than making him. If he is already nervous and you are too dominant you will likely just fuel his anxiety.

“You absolutely don’t need to train over big fences,” he continues. “Quiet repetition is the key. When you go cross-country schooling you should be spending most of your time popping slowly off small steps and banks, concentrating on giving the horse a comfortable experience.”

Tom also emphasises the need to select the right gear for the type of obstacle.

“You will need a lower gear with plenty of power for fences such as banks and mounds, where the horse can’t see where he’s landing,” he says. “By creating a canter where every stride covers a shorter distance, you’re maximising the length of time that the horse has to assess the fence and the ground afterwards. Come in too quickly and he may not have time to read the question.

“From your forward, galloping position you should be able to bring your upper body back and have the horse follow you.”

Chris adds that on the approach it is important that the preparation happens in the right order.

“I always say that the rider’s position is the preparation, their body language is the action, supported by their seat and leg, and finally the rein,” he says.

Tips for jumping cross-country fences where the horse cannot see the landing

• Ride in a short, powerful canter so that you’re maximising the length of time the horse has to assess the fence and the ground afterwards.
• Be very decisive and clear in your preparation and in the quality of the canter and the gear you’ve selected.
• Look up and beyond the fence, never at the base.
• Support with your leg.
• Feed the rein out a little on the approach before take-off so the horse can stretch out his neck and use his eyes to read the landing.
• Stay secure in your position and go with the horse’s movement without unbalancing or restricting him.
• Avoid letting your horse launch himself off the top of a drop through lack of confidence – this can give him a fright and make jumping a related element much harder.
• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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While some horses find galloping easy, for many it is something that needs to be taught. Five-star winner Austin O’Connor, cross-country specialist Tom Crisp and Olympian turned coach Nicola Wilson share their tips in this exclusive article for H&H subscribers

We spend hours training our event horses to be soft and supple on the flat, and careful and accurate over a fence, but most of us spend far less time teaching them to stay balanced and controlled at the gallop. Is it a case of teaching a fish to swim or can we actually improve a horse’s gallop?

Cross-country maestros Austin O’Connor and Tom Crisp point out that despite this gait being such an integral and important part of an event horse’s armoury, it is the one that riders typically spend least time training.

“I generally don’t take my horses to the gallops until they’re competing at three-star level, but I do spend a lot of time before that laying good foundations,” reveals the 2023 Maryland five-star winner and reigning Burghley runner-up, Austin O’Connor, who explains that adjustability at a faster pace is something that needs to be worked on.

How to improve your horse’s gallop

“Younger horses and those competing at the lower levels of eventing don’t need to be going to the gallops, but they need to learn how to open up and come back in the canter, and I will work on this at home, mostly when out hacking,” adds Austin.

Tom Crisp starts sowing the seeds from an early age.

“All my five-year-olds do a bit of fast work,” he says. “I think it’s important that it becomes part of their work routine sooner rather than later so they learn how to gallop in balance before they start getting to the higher levels.

“Horses with a lot of thoroughbred blood in them will naturally find it easier to open out and cover the ground, but they might not find it as easy to compress the canter and keep the power.”

Train on varied terrain

How, where and when you do your fast work will depend on factors such as the horse’s type and temperament, and the facilities that are available to you.

Tom explains that his current stable-full of rides vary enormously in their stamp, which makes him “think outside of the box” when it comes to training them at speed.

“I ride everything, from nippy thoroughbreds to slow and deliberate warmbloods and they all need treating a bit differently,” he says. “When they move up the levels, the warmblood types might need fast work every three or four days, while more thoroughbred types might only need it once a week.

“I used to do almost all my gallop work up hills, but I’ve started varying it a lot more since a racehorse trainer pointed out that if you are always on a hill the horse is never learning to move his legs quickly [because the incline changes the mechanics of how the horse gallops]. I’ve taken this forward in the way I train some of mine.

“Hillwork is great for fitness and for making a horse work hard without putting extra mileage on his legs, but if you want to teach him to sprint and cover the ground more quickly you might also need to gallop on flatter ground.”

Strength, balance and control in the gallop

“To build strength you need to come and go in the gallop and not just keep going at one pace,” Tom continues. “I might do a couple of short, sharp gallops one week and one long one the next. It just depends on the horse’s natural core fitness and their temperament – which bits they find easy and which bits you need to work on.”

Austin adds: “You have to find a balance because if you do too much fast work too soon, when the horse isn’t strong enough, then you are at higher risk of them injuring themselves.”

Just as you teach a horse to be on your aids in walk, trot and canter, a horse must stay between your hand and leg at a gallop.

“The way a horse gallops is just as important as how much or how often he does it,” says Tom. “You should always be thinking about balance and control – don’t just let the horse steam off. He must allow himself to be balanced by accepting the rider’s leg aids.”

Adapt training for your horse

Top coach Nicola Wilson agrees that there is no one-system-fits-all.

“Every horse has its own strengths and weaknesses and you have to spend time improving the things they find most difficult,” she says.

“Modern warmblood types typically have more expression in their paces and tend to go up and down when you ask them to go forward, and have more explosive power, while thoroughbreds find it easier to lengthen out, flatten and cover the ground.

“Confidence plays a big role,” adds Nicola. “The more the horse is accustomed to working up and down the gears, the more they will naturally start to open up and flatten out in the gallop.”

Teaming up for training

Working upsides can be beneficial to improve a horse’s gallop, especially when a natural galloper is paired up with one who’s a little less confident.

“Working horses in company is a good way of making them more competitive without putting a gun to their head,” says Austin, who explains that his superstar grey, the 2025 Burghley runner-up Colorado Blue, benefits from this approach.

“‘Salty’ falls into the laid-back category and needs a bit of encouragement to work at home, so I always gallop him alongside another horse to keep him keen and interested,” he reveals. “On the other hand, a horse that gets too lit up may be better galloping on his own. It’s about knowing each individual.”

Nicola adds: “If you do gallop your horse alongside another, just be mindful that the lead horse doesn’t get too far ahead or it can have the opposite effect on the slower horse and leave him feeling a bit demoralised.”

Rules for fast work

1. Warm-up properly

Always start a fast work session with at least 10-15min of walk, trot and slow canter to warm up and switch on muscles, and help prevent injury.

2. Make use of the facilities you have

Not everybody is blessed with a gallop on their doorstep or fields suitable for galloping across within hacking distance of the yard.

“There is lots you can do in your day-to-day riding that will help your horse’s adjustability and balance in a faster pace,” says Nicola Wilson.

“In your normal canter work, whether that’s in the arena or out hacking, practise going from a more open canter to compressing the canter but keeping the horse connected and powerful – this is the foundation of cross-country riding.”

3. Be patient

It is important not to push too hard too soon. Some horses take longer to develop their strength and learn how to maintain their balance and stamina than others.

“Learning how to sustain a gallop is part of a horse’s natural development, so be patient and give it time,” says Nicola. “Quiet repetition is the key.”

4. Work on rider fitness and balance, too

You can’t expect your horse to gallop efficiently if you’re not balanced in your position. If your horse is strong, bridging the reins – looping your left rein into your right hand and your right rein into your left hand so each hand holds the rein twice – can help by giving you more security.

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Sooner or later every rider who ventures outside the arena will find themselves riding on wet ground and grappling with mud. The good news, says the 2021 European eventing champion Nicola Wilson, is that horses are surprisingly good all-terrain vehicles — if they are allowed to be – but there are a few caveats about riding your horse on wet ground.

“Horses often prefer sloshing along in the wet rather than running on hard ground, but they need to be prepared and confident, and this comes through exposure and experience,” Nicola says.

While withdrawing in particularly bad conditions is always an option, especially if you feel underprepared, Nicola points out that shying away from tackling trickier conditions in competition is a learning opportunity missed.

“If you get to a big event and your horse has never had to go on wet ground before then you have not set yourself up for success,” she says.

Tom Crisp points out that the mechanics of a horse’s stride can change in wet ground, and this can take a bit of getting used to.

“Horses use themselves slightly differently in the wet. They don’t always have the same adjustability as they do on dry ground,” he explains. “Every time the horse takes a step his foot slips a fraction, which can cause some to lose a little confidence in their jump and go a bit green.

“All this adds an extra layer of difficulty to cross-country riding, but the more you practise in wet conditions the more you will learn about how your horse reacts and how you might need to ride him differently.

“At Cornbury [in September 2025] we all had a bit of a shock when it rained and we had to jump out of mud for the first time since March. Most horses coped well, but it was a reminder that we need to prepare for these eventualities by laying good foundations and training in the wet when we have the chance.”

How to prepare for riding your horse on wet ground

Creative hacking

Training for riding in soft ground starts at home – yes, you’ll likely be riding in the rain.

“Although it is tempting to stay in the arena when conditions are bad, eventers need to be working in all weathers, in all elements,” says Nicola. “Hunting used to be – and probably still is – the best training ground for teaching horses and riders to gallop through mud and trot and pop over fences. For various reasons fewer event horses hunt these days, but the next best thing is to incorporate this sort of training into your everyday riding.

“Seek out different types of terrain and going when you’re out hacking and set yourself challenges. Look for lumps and bumps, undulations and muddy patches. Regularly exposing your horse to these, even just in walk, will help to condition his tendons and ligaments, reduce the risk of injury and make him more sure-footed.”

How to support your horse in wet conditions

Learning how to adapt your riding to help your horse jump in the mud is a skill that needs to be developed and honed.

“The horse gets its confidence from the rider, so if the rider is fearing the ground, why should the horse feel any different?” points out Nicola. “Horses can find it more difficult to travel through wet ground, so you need to support them with your lower leg to keep them up into the bridle.

“When jumping combinations and trickier fences in deep ground you need to use more leg and keep a supportive contact to create a short, bouncy canter with plenty of power. No horse should be off the bridle in wet conditions because that’s when injuries happen.”

Tom calls this feeling “hand holding”.

“Younger or less experienced horses usually need this more,” he explains. “Another way I describe it is ‘swaddling’ – giving the horse support and confidence through feel.”

Being well prepared also means having the right equipment, including using the correct sized studs for the going underfoot.

“I always had two studs in each shoe,” says Nicola. “Flat, rounded ones on the insides so they didn’t catch themselves, and bigger, pointier ones on the outside of their hinds so they don’t slip on turns.”

Course-walking in wet conditions

Course-walking in the wet requires an extra layer of consideration, when you know you will be riding your horse cross-country in the mud.

“Be mindful that the best route in testing conditions might not necessarily be the most direct one,” warns Nicola. “Look out for places where you have a choice of where to gallop – on a wide track, for example, you can seek out the less chewed up ground. Make a mental note of where it will be difficult to avoid the mud, for example at skinnies, so that you can ride accordingly to help your horse.

“When on course you need to train your eye to stay looking ahead and use your peripheral vision to check the ground so that you can stay in balance with your body and help your horse,” she adds.

Tom points out the distinction between wet ground and holding ground.

“The two types may look similar on top when you are walking the course, but they can be very different to ride in,” he says. “Sometimes ground that feels fine to us can be very soft for the horse because you’re talking half a ton of horse pounding down on a small surface area.

“Another thing to bear in mind is that in a class of 100 horses, the first 20 riders might encounter very different conditions to the last 20. Wet ground can dry out dramatically in a matter of hours if you have wind and sun, and that’s when it can get tacky and holding.”

Both Tom and Nicola agree that having a plan A, B and C is crucial.

“Your plan may change as the competition evolves and even after you have set off,” says Nicola. “You want to feel like you have a happy, fit horse at the end and that might mean switching to plan B and setting off at a slower pace, conserving your horse’s energy levels for the latter stages of the course.

“I can remember cross-country day at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy in 2014 where the awful weather put a completely different complexion on the competition,” she continues.

“I was riding a relatively inexperienced horse called Annie Clover and by the time I set off, plans A, B and C had gone out the window. Horses were finishing tired – if they were finishing at all – so my aim was just to support her and try and let her find her own rhythm. I ditched my stopwatch and rode what I felt underneath me. She finished well and had a good experience.”

Horses for courses?

In racing, trainers spend a lot of time speculating about how a horse’s conformation might affect its preference for soft or firm going. Bigger hooves can be deemed better on softer going, while a higher, more rounded action associated with sloping shoulder and pastern joints can make it easier to navigate softer ground.

This is unlikely to tell the whole story, though, points out Tom.

“I don’t think you can read too much into that side of things,” he cautions. “My top five-star mare, Liberty And Glory, had tiny little feet. She ran in some very heavy conditions and was very, very quick out of the mud and naturally adjustable.

“Conversely, I’ve found that heavier types – your typical Irish cruisers – can sometimes tire more quickly.”

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The best cross-country boots for horses are lightweight, fit well and offer excellent protection against impacts – whether it be from a fence or a strike from another leg. While the best brushing boots are sometimes seen on the cross-country course – usually when a rider does not take their horse cross-country regularly as they offer better protection than nothing – specifically designed cross-country boots offer a higher level of protection, and are often teamed with overreach boots where necessary.

Cross-country boots are an essential part of an eventer’s safety kit – in the same way that we kit ourselves out with the best riding hats and best body protectors, it’s important to offer as much protection as we can to our horses. We’ve rounded up a selection of the best cross-country boots on the market, and we’ve been testing them out, too.

Best cross-country boots: H&H’s quick guide

Best all-round cross country boots: Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact Sport

Best lightweight cross country boots: LeMieux MIMsafe XC

Best budget cross-country boots: WeatherBeeta Tough-Tec Eventing

Best flexible cross country boots: Veredus E-Vento

Best cross-country boots

Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact Sports Boots

Colours: Black, white, azure blue or hunter green

Sizes: XS–L

RRP: £74.99 (front), £79.99 (hind)

H&H Review: 9/10, H&H Approved

These boots from Equilibrium are independently tested in the same laboratory as hats and body protectors for full confidence that they will protect against the typical knocks and strikes horses may get out on the cross-country course. They are flexible, breathable, and lightweight, as well as easy to wash. They also come with a one-year guarantee.

Sophie Cheeseman put these boots to the test and found that they didn’t move, slip, rotate or rub in any way. The vinyl strike pad isn’t solid in the same way that many other boots are, but it feels like it would provide ample protection to the tendons, whilst being supple enough not to restrict movement. They are at the higher end of the market, but we think they are worth the money and live up to their price point.

Read H&H’s independent Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact Sports boots review.

LeMieux MIMsafe XC Boots

Colours: Black

Sizes: M or L

RRP: £94.95 (front), £99.95 (hind)

H&H Review: 9/10, H&H Approved

LeMieux and MIMsafe collaborated on innovative XC boots made with adaptive, high-density foam, featuring a strong TPU outer and air vents. These technical boots offer protection, shock absorption, and stability with a V-cut front for reduced friction and 360° leg protection. The lightweight, seamless, abrasion-resistant one-piece TPU shell has three straps, maximising flexibility and fit.

I tested these boots with a variety of disciplines. “They are really impressive boots with plenty of technical features and materials they gave me peace of mind weather I was jumping round XC jumps, paddling on the beach or during fast work on the gallops. They really did keep my horse’s legs cool and protected.”

Read H&H’s independent LeMieux MIMsafe XC Boots review.

WeatherBeeta Tough-Tec Eventing Boots

Colours: Black

Sizes: Medium or large

RRP: £49.99 (front), £49.99 (hind)

These boots have a flexible strike pad that contours to your horse’s leg. The soft lining is made of a breathable neoprene lining that doesn’t carry water, which keeps the boots lightweight. They feature a fully vented design that allows for constant airflow, keeping your horse’s tendons cool and reducing the risk of overheating.Fully vented with air vents that help keep the tendons and ligaments cool, and the adjustable touch-tape fastenings for a super-secure fit.

Veredus E-Vento XC boots

Colours: Black or brown

Sizes: M or L

RRP: £142 (front), £152 (hind)

H&H Review: 9/10, H&H Approved

These boots are described as lightweight for greater freedom of movement and flexibility, with waterproof, all-terrain robust protection. They have a flex shell, shock-absorbing strike plate and foam pads, tendon support, and are made with micro perforated neoprene that allows moisture and heat to escape. They are secured with a wide Velcro closure.

Event rider Sam Jennings tested these boots, and found them to be lightweight, extremely breathable, easy to get on and off, and didn’t slip. She said “They also didn’t collect any water, which would add extra weight, and offered great protection to the leg.”

Read H&H’s independent Veredus E-Vento XC boots review.

LeMieux Carbon Air XC Boots

Colours: Black

Sizes: S, M or L

RRP: £49.95 (front), £54.95 (hind)

H&H Review: 9/10, H&H Approved

These fully vented boots from LeMieux allow air to strategically flow through the boot to keep tendons cool. They feature shock absorption and tendon support with a flexible polycarbonate strike guard, which offers great protection while retaining a lightweight profile. The new perforated lining is soft and non-slip, while an elasticated central locking strap keeps the boot secure.

When Sophie tested these boots she found them easy to put on, particularly as the middle strap is elasticated. The price for a full set is mid-market and for the quality, protection and feel of the boots we think is a very reasonable price point. We’d recommend these boots for people wanting a smart set of XC boots, with a good level of protection and a sensible budget.

Read H&H’s independent LeMieux Carbon Air XC boots review.

QHP Q-Cross Technical Event Boots

Colours: 11 options

Sizes: XS–XL

RRP: £49.32 (front) £49.32 (hind)

H&H Review: 7/10

Made of an extremely sturdy 2520D fabric, these QHP boots have shock-absorbing, breathable mesh and strike plates to protect the tendons. The strong binding makes them particularly durable, while the elastic in the fasteners offers an easy and secure fit. They do not absorb water, are dirt repellent and machine washable. These boots are a good option if you’re looking for something bright in a range of colours.

Read H&H’s independent QHP Q-Cross Technical Event boots review.

Majyk Equipe Glide Cross Country boots

Colours: Black

Sizes: M or L

RRP: £104.95 (front), £114.95 (hind)

Combining Majyk Equipe’s award-winning materials with a modern design, these Glide XC boots feature an outer strike guard, enhanced ventilation, and a secure three-strap fit. The DRS Safety system’s chamfered guard “glides” over obstacles, reducing friction and contact. The flexible outer guard is lined with special impact protection, while the neoprene-free foam liner keeps horses cool. Covered TPU straps allow for easy adjustment.

Zandona Carbon Air X-Country

Colours: Black or brown

Sizes: S, M or L

RRP: £159.90 for a pair

These boots from Zandona offer an extremely high level of protection including a patent-pending 360° fetlock protection, carbon fibre and gel cushioning. They are lightweight and water repellent, and the lining is contoured to conform to your horse’s limb for excellent fit and protection. The unique double strap closure ensures security.

Stübben Hybrid XC Boots

Colours: Black

Sizes: M or L

RRP: £109 per pair

These ultra-light XC boots feature a three-layer design that absorbs up to 90% of impact force. They have perforated material that ensures air circulation and an additional middle Velcro fastener that provides stability, while the neoprene-free, non-slip interior prevents rubbing. The abrasion-resistant outer shell has a flexible cut-out and is designed to ensure durability, optimal fit and unrestricted movement.

Eskadron Flexisoft Cross-Country Boots

Colours: Black, white, dark brown or nightblue

Sizes: Pony (front only) or full

RRP: £73.95 (front), £81.95 (hind)

Made from a very strong and shock-absorbing material with a soft flexible zone below the knee, these boots are lined with a cushioning layer of neoprene to evenly distribute pressure and give a comfortable fit. The boots have a double (front) or triple (hind) Velcro fastening, made extra secure with a sturdy press stud.

Woof Wear iVent Event Boots

Colours: Brushed steel

Sizes: S, M or L

RRP: £64.99 (front), £64.99 (hind)

Crafted with Woof Wear’s iVent breathable technology, these boots offer 360° airflow via a durable TPU shell on breathable mesh, backed by impact-absorbing foam. A shatterproof tendon guard ensures superior protection. The wicking inner lining enhances cooling and comfort, while minimal water retention keeps the boot light. Secured with a double touch-tape fastening.

Premier Equine Carbon Tech Air Cooled Eventing Boots

Colours: Black, white, navy or brown

Sizes: S, M or L

RRP: £78 (front), £82 (hind)

These Premier Equine boots are designed so that air passes through the front vents, circulates and exits out of the side vents to keep the tendons cool. They are made of Carbon Tech Microfibre leather, which is stronger than real leather, stretches and moulds to the leg. It is also lighter and machine washable. The front boots have a strike guard that runs down the back of the boot protecting the tendons and ligaments from knocks and overreach injuries, while on the hind boots it runs down the front to protect from impact with fences.

How to choose the best XC boots

Fit is extremely important when it comes to choosing a new pair of cross-country boots as a boot that slips or twists while you’re on course could be a real problem – and you don’t want the boots to rub either. Secure fastenings are also essential for a good fit and to keep the boots in place. While you want the fastenings to be strong, they shouldn’t be difficult to remove in a hurry once you’ve completed the phase.

Some boots have a rigid strike pad, while others are more flexible but may offer less protection – this is something you’ll want to weigh up while selecting a pair. As an increase in tendon temperature in fast work can lead to fibre damage, breathability and airflow are also important features. It’s advantageous to have boots that do not absorb water, too, so as to not add unnecessary drag to your horse’s leg.

Find out more about how we test products.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo’s brilliant cross-country performance at Defender Burghley Horse Trials 2024 was an absolute masterclass and a must-watch for any fan of the sport. It’s made even more impressive when you realise that “Walter” jumped much of the way around Derek di Grazia’s challenging five-star track with just three shoes after losing one at fence nine, the big open oxer – the Pedigree Rails.

In a fascinating video of her round on Burghley’s facebook page, Ros analyses her riding and Walter’s performance over every fence around possibly the toughest track they’ve ever faced.

How Ros Canter rode the Burghley cross-country course

Ros says she was really happy with how she started the course: “I went out with with real confidence, and I got a really good, open, kind of galloping stride over the first log.”

This set the pair up for the first few straight forward galloping fences, before heading into the main arena, where Ros says she was very pleased that Walter stayed very straight as “my trainer Caroline Moore had given me strict instructions not to take a single flag at Burghley” after the unfortunate flag penalties the pair picked up at the Paris Olympics.

Ros’s earlier attempt at the Burghley 2024 cross-country course on Izilot DHI came to an end at the Defender Valley, when as Ros described it – “I had a bit of a whoopsie” – so between her rides she returned to the fence on foot to re-walk her line and confirm her plan. “It was all eyes on the red flag of the last part to make sure that I got my line on the way in, spot on. And then it was just a little bit of a steering exercise. And Walter flew through there.”

Having kept a tight line over the Trakehner at fence six, they headed up the hill to the Leaf Pit, which had been a real talking point among the riders before the cross-country got underway. Here was one of a number of times in the video when Ros shares her gratitude that Walter is such a polite horse to ride, while also having a lot of speed when galloping.

“When I came around the corner of the Leaf Pit, he came straight back to me and popped off [the big drop] with really lovely balance, and then rolled down to the two triple brushes. We saw a good shot for the first, and I was able just to steer him round for a second – a tick in the box with no flags.”

Ros’s return route through Discovery Valley also went without a hitch and then she “let Walter rip” and galloped on up the hill to fence 9.

“Walter really flew [the oxer at fence 9], but he drifted right, which is what he does if I’m not quite on my A game,” explains Ros. “So that was a good wake up call for me before the Tout Hatchery with the right-handed corner coming out.

“He was absolutely super through the Trout Hatchery. You know, he’s fast, but he waits. He’s polite, so it’s exactly the kind of question that he excels at.”

Ros adds that she didn’t realise Walter had lost a shoe at fence 9 and so she was able to carry on “without letting that interfere with my thoughts”.

With the next two straight forward galloping fences under her belt, Ros says she got a useful reminder that she needed to stay strong in her position when Walter flew over the big oxer going into Joules at the Maltings at fence 14.

“We got a great shot at the big oxer,” she says. “At Burghley every fence feels a bit like a drop fence and I felt like my body tipped forward a little bit so it as a good reminder to make sure I stayed strong for the rest of the course.”

The challenging bending line over the brush to the rails to the triple brush was the sort of “schooling exercise” at which Walter “excels, because he’s neat and he bounces and he comes around his corners as well”, so they wasted no time there before heading on the challenging Rolex Corners at fence 16.

“I think the riders probably slightly under estimated this fence in our course walk, but I’d watched what was unfolding during the day” explains Ros. “I was determined, I wanted the four strides. I wanted to be turning and waiting to the last corner because when people were chasing their horse [to make the distance] the horses weren’t having time to read it.”

Of course when it came to it, Ros’s ride through the fence 16 “all came off a bit like clockwork” and they were quickly heading off towards Winners’ Avenue, after negotiating Capabilities Cutting, another big table and the two gates on a turning line.

Having got the long pull up Winners’ Avenue out of the way, Walter “ate up” the impressive Cottesmore Leap, before tackling the two triple bar accuracy questions at Fairfax & Favor at Keepers (fence 21ab), which Ros says she rode “as smoothly as I could, so that I was still staying on my minute markers”.

It may be a surprise to learn that a rider of Ros’s experience ever gets “a little bit nervous” about a particular fence, but she describes the Defender Dairy Mound as “a little of a nemesis for me” having fallen there in 2023 and had problems with the late, great Allstar B on an earlier visit. While her ride through looked almost flawless to observers, ever the perfectionist, Ros says she “kind of nearly got it right” this time.

“I felt I’d put Lordships Graffalo in a touch close coming over the corner, but he’s so sharp in front and brave that he didn’t really notice. Then he was agile, like a cat, coming down over the log and two strides to the cabin with brush on top – that’s where he really excels.”

With the most challenging parts of the course behind them, Ros said this was the first time that she had to remind Walter to “keep plugging on”, when previously he’d been taking her along all the galloping stretches: “I started to chat to him a bit and say ‘Don’t worry mate, we’re nearly there. Let’s keep at it’.”

Having negotiated Capabilities Cutting for the second time, where Ros says she was “pleased with the way I rode” the road crossing and upright hare that followed, they headed down to the huge Slate Mine and the next water crossing at Fence 26abc – Boodles Raindance.

Ros explains: “That was the first time I felt Walter felt like he was getting a little bit weary and he didn’t jump into the water quite as cleanly as he normally does, so I was like ‘Come on Ros, pick him up, it’s time to get working!’”

From there onwards, Ros describes her round as “plain sailing” with a “good shot” at the house before the Lion Bridge, and “a really good line to the fish in the water, which always gives us riders the heebie-jeebies”.

Having got that out of the way, Ros says she got down on Walter’s neck and “he really responded. He is an incredible horse like that. He seems to be able to find that extra gear when other horses are getting tired”.

Having flown over the second last, Ros admits to feeling a little nervous before the last fence: “When Walter was six-years-old, he came across a jump with a hat on top. He stumbled and fell and I fell off. So ever since he’s been a bit wary of things over the top of him.”

But of course, he jumped the Defender Finale like the absolutely pro he is and Ros could relax in the knowledge that she’d “done a good job, and shown off a horse with such ability as Walter to be the best we could.”

• Watch the full video on Burghley’s facebook page
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Riders are allowed to wear a stopwatch for the cross-country phase at all levels in British Eventing (BE) competitions, but it is not compulsory to do so.

Whether you choose to pop on a stopwatch will be governed by your experience, your horse’s age and experience and your aims for the day – and personal preference. Some riders like to ride on feel alone at one-day events. Younger or inexperienced riders may be advised by a coach to focus on getting the jumping right first without the distraction of wearing a watch and trying to ride to time. And competitors on a young horse will probably want to prioritise his experience round the course over competitiveness, so may well not wear a watch.

Wearing a stopwatch: top rider and coach views

By Sue Polley

Jonathan Chapman: “No advantages to wearing a stopwatch”

“In my view there are no advantages to wearing a stopwatch at the lower levels,” says coach Jonathan Chapman, a British Horse Society Instructor (BHSI). “Riding is about feel and it is better to get a few time-penalties and gradually increase your speed – this will often happen naturally as the partnership becomes more confident rather than forcing it from the outset.”

Jeanette Brakewell: “Balance within the pace is more important”

Jeanette Brakewell is another coach and rider who stresses the importance of feel and balance within whatever pace a horse is travelling at, rather than pace for pace’s sake: “The correct pace is important but crucially the balance within the pace is more important,” she says.

“A stopwatch can be a good guide as to whether the rider is at the correct pace for the level they are at and then to identify safe ways to make up time at their next competition. Conversely it could encourage riders to slow down if they have been too fast. Wearing one at BE100 level would give riders a good gauge of where they are at if they are looking to step up to novice level.”

Jeanette never wears a stopwatch at all until a three-day event as she prefers to ride to how the horse feels.

The YES camp

Eventer and BE-accredited coach Mark Corbett feels it is appropriate to wear a stopwatch at any level with the proviso that the rider’s base level of jumping competence is good enough.

“I think stopwatches help riders understand the rhythm they need to be in, regardless of the level they are at,” says Mark.

“However, possible problems are that those using them may focus too much on time and not enough on their jumping. This can be addressed by practice and education though. Grassroots riders should definitely think about using them in training and on the gallops if they are contemplating using one at competitions. Even then, they should only do so when they know their jumping competence and training are good enough.”

Former British young rider team trainer Emma Fisher also acknowledges that stopwatches can actually be a good training aid, saying: “They can be useful to use on the gallops and to practise riding at a certain pace between two fixed points.”

Watches can also prove very handy to record the time if you get stopped on course and as a way of monitoring pace. However, the key to ultimately achieving the cross-country time, regardless of the level you are riding at, is to ride tight lines, move away from your fences quickly, get your horse in a consistent rhythm and interfere as little as possible – not by racing against a ticking watch.

Wearing a stop watch: a grassroots rider’s view

By H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome

I event at BE80 and BE90 level on a 15.1hh Connemara and I do wear a stopwatch. I absolutely agree that riders need to prioritise jumping the fences – for both safety and competitive reasons – before speed, but I also believe that to be consistently competitive at grassroots, you need to wear a stopwatch and learn to ride to time.

Of course a lot depends on your own horse and your natural speed as a partnership, but the way the time comes up on different courses varies a lot according to how tight the route has been measured and what the track is like in terms of fences and terrain. As such, if you want to ensure you’re within the 15-second penalty-free window, wearing a watch is necessary.

In general, I need to keep moving on to make the time at BE90 level – I’m riding a smaller horse, who is not naturally speedy, and wearing a watch and riding to minute markers means I have reminders to keep up to speed. I don’t always ride to make the time, of course. If I’m not in a competitive position, I will take things a little easier, but I actually need to ride at around that pace to give the right determination and flow to a round, so it’s still useful to wear a watch, even if I’m happy to accept a few time-faults.

I have, though, ridden the odd course where I can very comfortably make the time and have received too-fast time-faults once. Now that I have a little more experience of wearing a stopwatch and riding to minute markers, I like to think I could avoid this – while also avoiding the sanctions which can be given out for dramatically changing your pace at the end of a course to avoid too-fast faults.

I think riding with a stopwatch effectively is much easier now that pretty much every course is on CrossCountry App with minute markers. It’s unlikely anyone will wheel the course themselves at a grassroots one-day event – you really need to do a separate course-walk for that to the one you do to suss out the jumps, which there’s rarely time for. But you can find the minute markers on CrossCountry App and I make sure I note them as I walk the course and so generally have four checks on how I’m doing on time as I ride the course.

I’ll also think after walking the course about whether some minutes are likely to be slower – for example if they have a lot of jumping or combinations that I need to set up for in them – and take that into account as I ride, so I wouldn’t panic if those slower sections took a bit over 60 seconds. I’d plan to make up the time in the parts with more galloping stretches.

I use the watch in count down mode – I set it to 10 seconds over the optimum and press go when the starter gives me the 10-second prompt. If you’re riding to minute markers, you need to work those into your planning – so if the optimum time is 4min 45sec, you need to be at one minute at 3min 45sec, at two minutes at 2min 45sec and so on. In some ways, it’s easier to have your watch counting up – then the minute markers come up at one minute, two minutes etc, but I once got terribly confused about what the optimum time was on course, so count down does avoid this. Different methods will suit different people.

Beeper on or beeper off is something else to consider. I prefer to ride with the beeper off as I have occasionally found it distracting to have it sounding on the approach to a fence and I don’t struggle to look at the watch face, so I don’t need the audio prompt.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Riders have been reassured by eventing legend Lucinda Green that a new challenge giving participants the opportunity to win a share of a $10,000 (£7,794) prize pot is not a scam.

This week the Lucinda Green XC Academy launched the 28 Day See-a-Stride Challenge, to help riders of all levels “find a perfect stride (to even the most frightening cross-country fences)”. The challenge costs $97 (£75) to join, and gives participants access to a training plan, weekly live question and answer sessions, and membership of a private Facebook support group.

A $10,000 prize pot is on offer for the 10 riders who show “the most impressive transformation” over 28 days. This will be judged by a panel of world-renowned eventers, including Tim Price, Yasmin Ingham, Boyd Martin, William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell, Tom Crisp.

Riders need to submit a video of themselves jumping a small, simple fence at the beginning of the challenge, complete the training plan and exercises, then submit another video after 28 days to be judged by the panel. First prize is $5,000 (£3,897), second $2,500 (£1,943), third $1,250 (£972), fourth $500 (£389), fifth $250 (£194), and sixth to 10th will receive $100 (£78) each.

Since the launch of the challenge some social media users raised concerns that the challenge was a scam and that Lucinda’s page had been hacked – but Lucinda has confirmed this is not the case, and that the challenge is real.

“When we launched the 28 Day See-a-Stride Challenge we were inundated with questions. But we certainly didn’t expect the most common one to be, ‘is this a scam?’. It took us all by surprise,” she said.

Lucinda added that the team could understand why customers initially thought it might have been a scam owing to the joining fee and prize being in US dollars, but confirmed this is because the Academy’s audience is global.

“I really am giving away $10,000 to the 10 riders who make the biggest transformation in their ability to see a stride, in only 28 days,” she said.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Eric Smiley, a four-time Olympian for Ireland and a European medallist in eventing, on why keeping a horse’s record spotless shouldn’t be riders’ priority

I DIDN’T want the horse to pick up 20 penalties across country, but that’s what happened. On the drive home, I tried to consider the implications of the 20 penalties on his record.

After all, it was only a momentary lapse in his concentration – it wasn’t done out of badness. He was only seven years old and still learning. I felt he was going so well that I trusted him like an advanced horse. I probably could have got him over it to avoid the 20 if I had ridden him like a stopper, but that doesn’t really work long term.

Happy to be there

EVERY competition is divided into three groups – those who are satisfied just to be there, those who are there to complete and those who are there to compete.

Whichever group suits the mindset of the rider is probably where you will end up. The top third believe they can be competitive and are more than likely to be placed. The next group can be hit and miss, but tend not to interfere with group one.

It’s the group who are happy just to be there that causes the headaches. No matter what qualification restrictions are placed on entry to the next level, people seem to find a way around them.

“My son has ridden at Badminton, you know,” says the proud father. Don’t ask how he got on, because he fell at the first combination. The other 60 competitors probably knew something like that would happen because they wondered how he qualified. The truth was that he travelled the country to events that were just below par for the level and “hunted” round to gain an MER (minimum eligible requirement).

The course-designers know this now and try to get these riders out of the competition early before the horse gets tired or anything disastrous happens. It is a difficult situation to legislate for and the sport is continually looking at how combinations can be allowed to move up to the next level and be ready for it.

I knew with my horse because I listened to what he told me, which was, “I’m still learning, give me more runs and I’ll learn to do better.” But not everyone takes the same view on the education of young horses as I do.

Dominant riding

THERE is a commercial side to this subject. Horses’ track records are readily available. A perfectly clean record looks good and is easier to sell than my horse with its one stop. No matter how hard I try to talk it away, yes, he did run out.

Riders who ensure horses go clear are very often over-dominant in their riding. The horse is left with no doubt that they must get to the other side no matter what. In doing so, the horse’s education is so often overlooked – instead, it’s, “Do what I say because that’s what I say.” That’s not great for the partnership and eventually swings the influence too heavily towards the rider making decisions.

Good cross-country horses are those that enjoy the challenge, relish showing their training and take decisions when the rider slips up, which we all do. They can only do this if given responsibility through their training to learn what to do and are given appropriate challenges to learn the tools of their trade and demonstrate that they have achieved the level.

I’m often asked, “When should I move my horse up?” My answer is, “When the level you are at seems straightforward.”

Horses and riders need to expose themselves to training that allows both parties to learn their skills. Risk making mistakes and learn how to avoid them next time by more or better training or different riding. Only think of going to competitions when you have the mindset of the middle or top group.

Incidentally, I never did sell my horse. I could never convince anyone he’d one day be one of the best cross-country horses in the sport. Easily clear inside the time at Badminton on many occasions, two Olympic Games, two European medals and so…

• This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 9 June

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Andrew Nicholson shares his thoughts on Badminton’s cross-country action, and judges’ responsibilities...

THE way that some of the younger and less experienced riders dealt with Badminton’s cross-country course impressed me; they rolled up their sleeves and made it happen.

In particular, 20-year-old Alice Casburn did a superb job. She can ride, she knows her horse and they are quite a team. She was very cool, very positive and yet still connected in her riding, which was mature – she was doing everything at the right speed for each different fence.

The winner, Laura Collett, sat on her bottom and made it happen through the hard parts of the course; perhaps she benefited from her hold on course, but she kept going at the correct pace.

But I was quite surprised at the speed with which some riders approached the jumps which needed you to throttle back and come down through the gears. They just didn’t do that – and Tom McEwen, who fell with Toledo De Kerser, wasn’t the only one, although others got away with it.

Take responsibility

A FEW years ago, when ground juries made it clear to us that they were going to pull up riders on course on welfare grounds, I was handed the task of giving riders confidence that they’d make the right decisions – and I was all for it.

Badminton final scores

There are things that riders won’t see, such as a drip of blood coming out of a horse’s nose, but they are the ones who look bad if they come through the finish like that. The ground jury will see more and can pull a rider up, and that’s how it should be.

However, I cannot understand how Oliver Townend could be held for 25 minutes or so a few fences after surviving a sticky moment at fence four, be restarted, go all the way round the rest of a long track, finish and be given a time, and then eliminated. He was eventually reinstated, but whatever the finer points of the flag rules, the moment you have been held for that long and restarted, any earlier incident is history as far as I am concerned on welfare grounds – the horse shouldn’t have been allowed to continue if he was going to be eliminated.

And Maxime Livio, whose horse fell heavily at the last, should have been stopped before he came back into the main arena. If we can’t trust ground juries to make the right decisions in cases like these, perhaps it is time to revisit the idea of having separate judges for dressage, cross-country and showjumping.

On a roll

THE Swiss team, for whom I am the cross-country coach, did very well to win the competitive Nations Cup in Pratoni, which was also the test event for September’s eventing World Championships. Robin Godel was also first individually, with a lot of top riders behind him.

Watching the Swiss all week, I really noticed that they are becoming more secure and more confident; they trust their coaches, and believe in us and

in themselves.

The island fences on the cross-country were quite small, but that made the combinations, which were proper CCI4* questions, more difficult. There were quite a few frangible fences situated in good places so that the riders had to slow down and ride them properly, which is possibly why many of them struggled to make the time.

The Swiss did an impressive job; three out of four of them were a couple of seconds inside the time and the fourth finished exactly on it. None of them looked as though they were hurrying, and it was pleasing to watch.

Germany’s Ingrid Klimke was lying in second place going into the showjumping and had jumped clear out of order earlier in the class, so there was plenty of pressure on Robin. He’s a very good rider and demonstrated that this weekend.

The Swiss results have been good for a while now – don’t forget they were less than a penalty off the bronze medal at the Europeans last autumn. The Nations Cup series is a priority for us this year, increasing their experience in the environment of proper team competitions, and for them to do the best they can at the World Championships, we need to keep the momentum going.

● Who’s riding impressed you at Badminton? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com to let us know including your name, nearest town and county.

• This exclusive column can also be read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 19 May

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Andrew Nicholson reviews the strong cross-country track at Bicton and warns it may be time for riders to rethink their training and competition plans

HELEN WEST and her team did a good job at Bicton; the facilities were great, and it was lovely to have spectators. There seemed to be a big crowd – certainly when we’ve been used to no one for the past year and a half.

As far as the cross-country course was concerned, I can see where Helen and her course-adviser Mark Phillips were coming from. The tracks all season at the lower levels have been strong; there appears to be a concerted effort to make the cross-country more dominant again and make us ride better in that phase.

However, to me, Bicton’s four-star track was too much for the level. Yes, there were a lot of CCI5* horses there, and it was effectively a final trial for the British Olympic hopefuls. But I thought when I walked it that if you had a proper four-star horse doing its first CCI4*-L, the course was going to be full-on for it, and it proved to be so.

On my first walk of the course, I couldn’t feel what the designer wanted. I think a good course is like reading a book – you want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next, and it has a beginning, a middle and an end.

The fences were big, and the terrain had been used to the maximum – and Bicton is a hilly place. The terrain between the fences was such that I thought there could have been more let-up fences for the new four-star rider or horse to allow them to take a breath and get themselves back together.

I had a horse doing its first long-format four-star there and when I first walked the track, I planned to take the long route at fence 10, a double of angled brushes out of the water (pictured top), because I thought it was a CCI5* question.

But then, two fences later, there was another difficult combination, and I asked myself, where do I draw the line? I’ve got to take the direct route somewhere. I’m not worried if a four-star first-timer makes a mistake somewhere, but it’s not part of their education to take long route after long route, and if you start taking alternatives early on, you end up losing the rhythm you want them to settle into.

So I thought, I’ll take the straight route at fence 10, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll turn around, pop it, put my hand up and walk home. And that’s exactly what happened.

Swallow Springs made the CCI4*-S course feel easy, but he’s a hardened CCI5* horse – and there were some of them that made it look like hard work.

‘Change is always painful’

On the positive side, the riders were all talking about the cross-country, and that gets you focused and riding properly, rather than taking it for granted. Riders need to be able to ride hills, to be able to feel what they’ve got underneath them towards the end of a course and adjust and ride accordingly – but that’s a big change from what we’ve had in recent years.

The way courses have been designed and built this season seem to be pointing in the direction of a serious change, which will require riders to realise that they need to train and campaign differently. For example, I often do little with my five-year-olds before they step up to novice, but if this trend continues, next season they are more likely to spend a whole season at BE100 level.

It’s ultimately good for the sport; cross-country has started to lose its influence and become too predictable. However, change is always painful – none of us enjoy it while we’re going through it – and a lot of riders will have to have a rethink and a reboot.

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Andrew’s exclusive column will also be available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine, on sale 17 June

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Early riders react as they finish Bicton cross-country course: ‘There’s a lot to ask out of them’ *H&H Plus*

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Event rider Flora Harris (pictured) competes at five-star level and is a regular member of British Nations Cup teams. In 2015, she was shortlisted for the Blair Castle European Championships with Bayano. She runs a string of seven horses from her Marlborough base.

Flora Harris offers some useful advice on how to nail your cross-country warm-up for horse and rider…

Training the stars

On the cross-country course, my top horse Bayano can be rather polite, so my aim in the warm-up is to get him taking me forward and reacting to my leg.

Equally, I’ve had horses that can get over-excited, so the key is not to do too much with those. I negotiate three to five jumps to try and settle those into a rhythm and reduce their freshness slightly.

The exercise: how to warm-up for cross-country

It is important to have your horse responsive to the aids and listening to you in the warm-up. Once you set off on course, you need to be able to change between your gears quickly and efficiently. I like to walk quietly to the warm-up area and then prepare for about 10 minutes.

1. Work in trot for a couple of minutes, then, once you are in canter, lengthen and shorten your horse’s stride on each rein. Ensure that he moves easily away from your leg and ride some square turns with a little outside flexion to check you have good control of his outside shoulder. Make sure you have an effective half-halt with your upper body, too.

2. Once you have warmed up on the flat, it’s time to tackle a few fences — three to five should be plenty — beginning with a small, easy one. Approach in a positive canter, sitting up straight and in balance with your horse. You can use a variety of fences, depending on what’s available, but make sure you are positive and use each jump to give you both confidence.

3. Vary your approach —ride some in more of an open canter and others in a “coffin-type” canter. It’s also often helpful to jump a fence on an angle if this is something you have practised at home.

4. Allow your horse to walk around and catch his breath before heading to the start box, but keep him awake and in front of your leg.

Article continues below…

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Things to consider during your cross-country warm-up

• Arrive at the warm-up with time to spare. Whatever happens, avoid becoming flustered.
• Avoid doing what many riders do, haring around the warm-up and winding up their horses. Aim to ride positively and confidently, but in a way that keeps your horse focused and in control.
• The warm-up is the place to practise things you are familiar with; it is not the time to try a new challenge.
• All horses are different, so gear your warm-up to each individual.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how you can use this exercise to sharpen up both you and your horse before competition

This is an exercise I use regularly before a competition. It’s made using four oxers in a row set at 11 yards (or just over 10m).

It’s a useful tool to develop the rider’s reactions and to also get the horse jumping through his back and getting very clean and careful.

Aims of the exercise:

• Develop scope and athleticism in the jump
• Develop rider’s eye for holding a line
• To improve horse’s suppleness
• To develop the partnership between horse and rider

As a warm-up riders should pick the odd fence within the line and jump them on a slight angle. This is really good as it starts to develop a partnership between horse and rider so that the horse follows where the rider wants to go. It’s quite tricky because as a rider, you really have to hold a line with your eyesight and not allow your horse to deviate. You also have to react quickly and this exercise doesn’t allow you two or three strides on landing to collapse — you always have to look to the new direction.

By jumping every other fence, it encourages the horse to stay upright through the curving line.

As a rider you need to hold with your new inside leg each time to prevent the horse from drifting to the new direction. This will help your horse land onto the correct canter lead and in good balance.

Even with cross-country fences that you can jump out of a rhythm over, it is massively important that you still hold a line — be very disciplined and don’t allow your horse to drift.

With a set of flags, the exercise encourages a rider to hold an inside line, to stop the horse drifting away from the turn and makes their withers work hard in the jump.

Positional points to be aware of:

• Legs losing contact with the horse’s sides
• Symmetry
• Eyesight focused

There’s a lot of challenges for the rider in this exercise. On top of the points above, you need to remain consistent in your aids, try to also keep some rein contact all of the time so that you can maintain your steering aids in the air.

By adding a little fence on a turn at the end of the exercise, the rider is encouraged to follow their eye after the last oxer. It’s important to think about how your flatwork will improve your next line of jumping, never letting a horse be sloppy on the turn.

Points to be aware of:

• A square turn and ability to hold the line
• Rider sighting the next fence
• Maintaining rhythm throughout the turn
• Quick reactions
• Praise and reward for the horse

More expert training advice from Caroline:

Watch Lordships Graffalo cross-country schooling as a six-year-old under Ros Canter

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Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how you can use this exercise to begin to teach your horse how to turn to and over a fence

The aims of the exercise are to:

• Warm up the horse’s muscles before jumping
• Improve hoof/brain co-ordination
• Aid correct muscle build-up and develop the horse’s core
• To teach the horse a rider’s directional aids
• To improve the horse’s eye
• Encourage the horse to be physically and mentally careful

I have three variations on this exercise — I have raised poles, dressage boards and blocks of square poles. All of these obstacles cannot be easily moved, so they encourage the horse to draw back, use its shoulder and develop its core.

To begin with, go in a straight line and use a focal point to help you keep straight. This also helps the horse use its own balance and to develop its rhythm.

You can then add a turn into this exercise which helps the horse learn about their rider’s directional aids. Ask your horse to think about the beginning of their turn at the start of the first set of poles — the horse will then know where they’re going by the time the actual turn comes around. This is the first building block for teaching a horse about turning over a fence. Your turning aids are:

• Eyes
• Weight into inside heel
• Left rein closing towards right rein
• Inside shoulder staying forward

With this exercise, it’s really important to set up early, else you risk your horse falling out through their outside shoulder.

Points to be aware of:

• Maintaining balance and rhythm
• Eye level
• Energy levels and fatigue
• Praise and reward

More expert training advice from Caroline:

The ultimate exercise to get you and your horse on the ball before going eventing

Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how you can use

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Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how to tackle shoulder brushes across country

For this exercise I have set up a right-handed corner on a very subtle curving line, 20 yard (18m), to two angled brushes on a one non-jumping stride distance (8 yards/7.4m), set on a slight left-handed angle.

The important thing to remember when riding a line like this is having a good quality canter, that you have made a good, square turn and that you maintain your rhythm.

It doesn’t always go to plan in training. You might have a good jump into the exercise, but if the horse doesn’t automatically sight the move onto the next line, you have to always keep riding straight, giving the horse confidence by trying to make him forget the mistake he’s just made, and carry on riding forward. If this happens, ride through the line again to ensure he is confident, always giving a very strong inside leg aid, just to back up if he has a little wobble.

On a slightly different line through the exercise, there is a change of direction, so you have to make sure that you catch your horse’s shoulder to hold the line to the new direction.

I often put a few fences like this together in the school as it’s really good for the rider, making them more competitive. It will certainly also improve your reaction times by moving from one exercise to another. All of these exercises require balance and coordination.

The main points to be aware of are:

• Making a good turn in — this is effectively your horse’s eyesight through the line. It’s really important that you follow this good turn through, riding with a focal point.
• Make sure you always think about turning your horse’s withers and shoulders before his nose, then you will be turning your whole horse through the line, not just his head and neck.
• Always give your horse lots of praise and reward for this — your horse will really appreciate it and want to work for you.

More expert training advice from Caroline:

Holding a straight line across country — the difference between success and failure

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Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how to teach a horse and rider to turn onto a new line over a fence

Aims of the exercise:

• Develop balance and confidence with a fence on a turning line
• Develop rider strength through inside heel
• To improve horse’s suppleness

This is a really important exercise to do a lot in training. You are always going to get what I call a turning fence in competition, where your horse has to follow your steering aids, either through a serpentine, a change of direction or just holding your line over a fence.

This exercise looks to develop a horse’s balance, confidence and safety when turning over a fence. The most important thing is that the rider needs to use a really good, strong weight down the inside heel and keep the inside shoulder forward so they keep themselves in balance and so that the horse can then stay in balance going to the new direction. It’s really important to use a guiding aid rather than a turning aid — this keeps the instruction to turn very subtle and it is very useful for the horse so that he doesn’t react against it and lose his shoulder.

You don’t have to use cavaletti — you can use any type of jump. I like to use them because it makes the hind leg work really hard and it also makes the horse careful.

To start with, I just go round the outside of the middle fence so that you can just practice doing a nice little turn on a gentle curve.

Use a small middle fence, but get the horse landing to the new direction. The rider really needs to look to the new direction and put their body on the line over the middle fence, putting a new inside heel down.

You can build this up so that you ride a full serpentine through the exercise. It’s really important to work hard to try and stay on the inside of centre, as this then makes the horse work hard with the inside front leg, which is a great part of this exercise. This brings the inside front leg higher than the outside one and encourages the horse to become more athletic.

You will see I then put a flag near the centre of the middle fence to encourage the rider to stay on the inside line.

Common mistakes for this exercise include:

• The rider’s weight slipping to the outside
• Their inside hip collapses
• The rider’s inside knee comes up

As a rider you have got to look to the new direction, control the horse’s shoulder and then start thinking about the new direction again, so you really improve the horse’s suppleness and ability to follow the rider’s eye and hand.

Points to be aware of:

• Keeping strength and balance to the inside
• Rider sighting the next fence
• Maintaining horse’s outside shoulder
• Praise and reward

More expert training advice from Caroline:

Holding a straight line across country — the difference between success and failure

Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how to teach a

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, explains how to teach a horse to hold a line over and in between fences

Turning onto and holding a straight line is one of the most important things you need to do with your event horse at any level in dressage, showjumping and cross-country.

This exercise will show you how to learn to hold a line to jump an angled and skinny rail on the floor.

Aims of the exercise:

• Teach a horse to jump across an angle
• Take-off and land in the corresponding spot
• Develop confidence with angles and corners

To start, we have two narrow poles (90cm in length) on the floor. Horses naturally find these easier to go around rather than over, so this is where, if the horse goes to wobble, the rider creates a wall either side of the horse with their legs. This should be giving the feeling of leg to rein, creating a channel. As the horse gets used to trotting over the poles, the exercise becomes easier, so the rider can reduce the pressure a little bit. It’s a great exercise to help align the aids from the beginning.

The most important thing for me here is that the rider continues riding straight after going over the poles.

Then we can move on to using poles on an angle on the floor, which is more technical. Most horses will want to follow the angle of the pole or fence across, rather than slicing over the angle to remain straight. Riders have to be very, very reactive to prevent the horse from wobbling in the first place.

As a rider you need to look straight ahead and react quickly to what is happening underneath you. The same applies when you move up to do this exercise in canter — stay straight no matter what is happening under you.

Once your horse is confident, you can raise the poles into small jumps. As your horse should be happy with the poles on the floor, moving up to small jumps shouldn’t bother them, but always keep yourself in a good posture with good contact to help make sure they stay straight. Don’t allow the horse to drift across the line of the fence.

If the horse is wobbling, I like to use flags in between the poles or jumps to help keep them straight — this gives the horse something to aim for and it is important to teach them to go through flags at an early age.

If you find that you are having problems with this exercise, zig zag poles on the floor can help secure the horse’s straightness on a line.

Points to be aware of:

• Being reactive
• Rider sighting next fence
• Loss of rider balance
• Horse falling onto shoulder in between fences
• Praise and reward

More expert training advice from Caroline:

Caroline Moore: How to train your horse to jump an angled skinny fence

Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, we learn how to teach

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Caroline Moore, former five-star eventer and British Eventing national under-18 coach and junior team coach, we learn how to teach a horse how to jump this technical cross-country question

Developing the horse and rider’s eye to stay straight across an angled skinny is a crucial part of the training when moving up through the grades. This is how Caroline trains this particular skill in an arena before moving onto grass.

Aims of the exercise

• Develop confidence to jump across an angle
• Take-off and land in the corresponding spot
• To advance the horse’s eyesight to pick up a line

Start with two narrow fences on a straight line on a 24 yard distance (approximately 22 metres). Your horse should jump through these very squarely and straight with confidence.

Once you have achieved this, you can start putting a small amount of angle on the second skinny fence. The horse will probably hardly notice it to start with, but it’s important for you to maintain your focal point. Keep riding straight, all the while giving the horse confidence.

Then you can add some more angle onto the second skinny fence to make it more of a significant question. On the last couple of strides before take-off, the horse might question what you are asking him to do. As a rider you have to work very hard to make sure the horse stays straight.

If you are working with a younger horse, always go back to the building blocks of their education by using poles on the ground for example, to help hold them in to the narrow fences. This will help them to gain confidence and to learn to stay straight.

Developing this exercise further, I have built a skinny fence to a corner. It is important that you give a horse a good stride pattern to a corner in a combination to start with to give them confidence. I have then tested horse and rider more with this combination by placing another skinny after the corner as a third element. This way horse and rider always have something to focus on. It’s important that the rider keeps their eyes looking through the flags.

Another exercise I use a lot, is a flatwork one. It is all about focal point. I place two narrow poles on the ground on a related distance. This is all about developing a rider’s inside and outside aids so the horse sits between the leg and rein. Using shoulder-in or travers between the two poles is important because it makes the rider really look where they are going. Make sure that you don’t take your eye or body off the line. Straighten your horse up coming out over the second pole and you will find your horse will learn to go where your eyes go.

Continued below…

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Points to be aware of:

• Being reactive
• Rider sighting the next fence
• Maintaining rider balance
• Making sure the horse doesn’t fall onto his shoulder in-between fences
• Always praise and reward your horse

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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Event rider Sam Ecroyd (pictured) was leading under-21 British rider in 2016 and 2017. He has finished second, third and sixth in the under-25 British championship and he hasn’t finished out of the top three at a national championship since he was 14. He runs a string of event horses from his base on the Cheshire/Flintshire border.

Training the stars

Many other people had ridden Arco BB before I took him on at three-star level. He had been very strong across country, but I used this exercise often with him. Once he learned to go on a loose rein, he understood my aids.

Michael Jung taught me this exercise when I trained with him in Germany. I took a horse called Opera House who was strong across country and it transformed him. I use it in the school on all of my horses. Its beauty is in its simplicity and it translates so well from the school to a cross-country schooling course and then on to a competition.

Tackling the issue

1. Warm up in walk, trot and canter. During the canter, work on a loose contact and keep the reins close to your body — maintain the same rein length as if you would if you were doing dressage. At the same time, ensure that your horse’s neck is fully elongated.

2. Canter around the corner to the long side of the arena and, if your horse is relaxed, put your hand on his neck, lean forward and use your leg to make him accelerate. You should still have only the lightest rein contact.

3. When you are ready to slow down (before you reach the turn) sit back with your body, sit down in to the saddle and pull lightly and evenly on both reins. Avoid yanking on one and then the other. If you struggle to regain control, ride a small circle.

4. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times. Vary how soon you push your horse on and stop him so that he doesn’t anticipate it — he should wait for you to drop your hand. If he doesn’t, continue in a normal canter until he is listening to you. If he gets strong or stressy, return to walk, trot or normal canter and attempt the exercise again when he is calm.

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Things to consider…

• It takes two to pull — your horse won’t pull if you don’t.
• Help him to relax by riding with a light contact.
• If you keep your horse on a tight rein and then ask him to slow down, his mouth will lack the sensitivity to respond.
• Use whatever bit suits your horse but, if it’s a pelham, don’t do the curb chain up so tight that when you pull he feels it’s a punishment.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Have you always dreamt of riding round the iconic five-star cross-country course at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials? Well, now you can thanks to this incredible video, on the day when we should have been at the great event on cross-country day, if it hadn’t been for its cancellation owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

This great footage by SAP Sports was taken from a hat camera attached to 2018’s winning Burghley combination, Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy.

The pair were drawn as number 96, so they were later to go on cross-country day (1 September). This also means that on the video you can see the hoofprints of the competitors that went before him, giving a great idea of where Tim saved time on the 11min11sec course over the 6374m track.

The optimum speed Tim and Ringwood Sky Boy were required to travel at in order to reach the optimum time was 570m/m (or 21.25mph), with the course incorporating 30 fences and 52 jumping efforts.

On this video, you can really get a sense of the speed, distance and terrain horses must travel over at Burghley. And not only that, but also the volume of the crowd and how quickly some of the fences come up.

Tim and Ringwood Sky Boy started on course in second place after the dressage phase. Tim and ‘Ozzie’ were behind first-placed Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody, but the latter pair fell at the seemingly innocuous Gurkha Kukri at fence 10.

This left the door wide open for fellow New Zealander Tim, and he made the most of it, motoring round with Ozzie to finish just one second over the optimum time.

Continues below…

Tim Price wins his first British four-star title at Burghley: ‘It’s beyond my wildest dreams’

New Zealand rider Tim Price showjumped clear to take the Burghley Horse Trials 2018 title

Which of these would you like to jump? Take a walk around the 2018 Burghley cross-country course

Take a look at what the cross-country course has in store for horses and riders this year

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Only four combinations actually made the optimum time — Oliver Townend (Ballaghmor Class), Andrew Nicholson (Swallow Springs), Elizabeth Power (Soladun) and Tina Cook (Star Witness).

Tim and Ozzie went on to showjump clear on the final day of competition, to win with over four faults in hand over second-placed Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class.

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Australian event rider Sam Griffiths, who has been based in the UK for two decades, won Badminton in 2014 with Paulank Brockagh. A member of several championship teams, Sam’s best individual placing was fourth at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Training the stars

In the early 2000s, I was competing an advanced horse called In The Groove. He ran out at a skinny fence approached off a turn. I knew that he was totally honest, so I had to find a way to alter the way he looked at a skinny when there was only a few seconds before he was to jump it. It was then I devised this exercise.

With consistent training at home it is possible to solve this issue.

You can even use this exercise to prepare for specific designers’ tracks as you go up the grades. For example, if I’m heading to a French event with a Pierre Michelet cross-country course I’ll build a three-star sized skinny in my arena with the oxer three strides away.

Tackling the problem

1. Build a small skinny fence (approximately 4-5ft wide) across the diagonal. Use

jump wings to prevent a run-out initially and only begin to remove these when your horse is feeling confident and jumping consistently.

2. Approach the single fence on a straight line in a rhythmical canter.

3. Build a fairly imposing oxer four strides in front of the skinny on a 45-60° angle. Place an object, such as a large pot or a jump wing, halfway along the bending line.

4. Jump the oxer in a forward canter, curve around the pot/wing and jump the skinny (still with wings initially), to which your horse will only have locked on a couple of strides out. Approach half a dozen times from each rein, although if your horse is weaker in one direction, jump up to eight times off the weaker rein.

5. Speed up around the turn as your horse gains confidence and experience.

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Consider this…

• This is a training exercise, not a test, so avoid making the skinny too big or so narrow that it encourages your horse to run out.
• Only make the angle tighter or the skinny higher or narrower when your horse is feeling confident.
• If he runs out, go back a step and reinstall the wings on the skinny.
• Put your weight into your heels and focus on having a strong lower-leg position — avoid gripping with your knees. This will make you more secure and less likely to be unseated by the sharp turn.

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Ahead of the start of the season this weekend, if you are going eventing, you will need to ride across country at a certain speed in order to achieve the optimum time. But how do you do it? How can you ensure you and your horse are travelling neither too slow nor too fast?

Here’s some helpful pointers from New Zealand international event rider, Jesse Campbell (pictured), who has several four- and five-star completions to his name:

1. Keep a good rhythm, being smooth on your approaches and riding tight lines is the foundation of achieving the time cross-country.

2. Walking your course effectively is key. Make sure you know where the more intense areas are, so you know whether you need to look to make up time elsewhere on the course.

3. Always know the optimum speed (metres per minute, mpm) of the level of competition you are doing — this will tell you the speed you should be aiming for.

4. Where you can, make sure you wheel the course and take note of where your minute markers are.

5. Wearing a stopwatch can be a helpful tool, but you need to know the rhythm you need to be in first. With our working pupils we practice wearing a watch at home and getting an idea of the pace they need to be at over a set distance.

6. Having good feel and interfering with your horse as little as possible fundamentally allows for the correct balance and rhythm when tackling a cross-country course. If you can achieve this within the correct pace, these are all the key ingredients for getting within the optimum time.

Now you’ve got that advice in mind, take a look at these eventing competitions available to enter where you can put this advice into practice…

One-day event

Date: 22 March

Venue: Tumpy Green Equestrian Centre, Cam

Details: “This event starts at 20-30cm and goes up to a maximum height of 85cm.”

Enter now

Unaffiliated and NSEA one-day event

Date: 5 April

Venue: Moreton Equestrian Centre, Dorchester

Details: “This competition has classes from 60cm to 80cm.”

Enter now

One-day event

Date: 12 April

Venue: Foresterseat Cross Country, Perth

Details: “This event has classes ranging from 50cm to 1.10m with qualifiers for the Connemara Eventing series too.”

Enter now

Unaffiliated one-day event

Date: 10 May

Venue: Forgadenny, Perth

Details: “This open Pony Club event has classes from 80-85cm to 1.10-1.15m.”

Enter now

One-day event

Date: 14 June

Venue: Gloucester Lodge Farm, Blyth

Details: “This open event features classes ranging from 60cm up to 90cm with a hunter trial too.”

Enter now

Mini one-day event

Date: 28 June

Venue: Rein and Shine Equestrian Centre, Wiltshire

Details: “This event has classes ranging between 60cm up to 90cm.”

Enter now

Unaffiliated one-day event

Date: 2 August

Venue: Urchinwood Manor Riding and Event Centre, Bristol

Details: “This event features classes from 50cm to 90cm.”

Enter now

Visit equo.co.uk for full competition and training listings

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The event rider provides his exercise for keeping your horse on a dead-straight line on the cross-country course

Event rider Alex Bragg was long-listed for the 2017 Europeans and 2018 World Equestrian Games with Zagreb, with whom he won the Event Riders Masters at Jardy, France, last season (pictured). He runs a string of 20 horses from his base in Bridgwater, Somerset.

Alex explains: “This exercise teaches a horse not to deviate from a line. Your job is to present your horse in the right rhythm and balance — he does the rest. Horses pick it up quickly, plus, as it’s in the school with multiple options, a glance-off here doesn’t stick in their mind as a run-out on a cross-country course.”

Training the stars

“Shannondale Percy had been known to run out, so when I took him on in 2018 I tried this exercise. It has not only stopped him rushing, but it has taught him to stay on a straight line and place his front feet exactly where I want them in front of a jump.

“I started using this exercise on the eight-year-old Bonmahon Blue Mist when he was four. As a youngster he was hot, sharp and not naturally gifted, but he now has an incredible cross-country record, which I believe is the result of this exercise.”

Tackling the issue

1. Build three upright fences with seven yards between each, and with the middle one offset by four to five feet. Approach in a jumping canter and ride a square, balanced turn, lining your horse up so that you both can see to the end of the grid. Horses are flight animals and always look for a way out, so the fact that you are looking to the end of the grid and beyond will keep him on the correct line.

2. Negotiate element one and three, bypassing element two (route one). Attempt it a few times. If your horse is inexperienced, use poles on the ground instead, raising them to cavaletti height and finally jump height — to a maximum of 1.20m — when he is ready to move on.

3. Jump from element three to two or two to one (route two) on a diagonal line.

4. Provided your horse is looking ahead and picking up, tackle the most difficult line, jumping all three elements (route three). Element two can be moved inwards to make it wider for youngsters. Make the fence narrower as your horse gains confidence.

Continued below…

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Consider this…

• Ensure your horse is established in this exercise at least two months before taking him cross-country schooling.
• If you have a horse who is struggling or trying to run out, try guide rails temporarily on routes one and three.
• Soften your hands forward and sit as still as possible, but be ready to react if your horse backs off. Avoid throwing your body forward up his neck.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Here’s some helpful pointers from five-star international event rider, Kate Honey (pictured), about how you can make the most of a cross-country schooling session in an arena

With the recent lack of rain, creating cross-country questions in an arena can be a great solution for practising on good going. To get the most out of your session, remember to work with the arena you have and at the level your horse is comfortable at. I will try to always have someone on the ground to help me, so we can build up obstacles as required.

1. Incorporate gear changes into your warm-up

This is a really easy thing to practice in an arena and something you always need out on a cross-country course. Use the long side to open up your canter and then bring the canter back before the corner, so you are in balance when you turn.

2. Use a more forward rhythm

When warming up over fences, replicate a cross-country warm-up where you would be jumping out of a more forward rhythm.

3. Build up confidence

Depending on the level of your horse, remember to always introduce questions in a straightforward way so they are not over-faced. For example, if practising a skinny obstacle, you can start with poles on either side to make the question more obvious and then take these guide rails away or make the fence narrower as and when you are ready.

4. Create cross-country questions

For example, a rail-ditch-rail combination can be created by using two uprights and a water tray in the middle. This is also a good time to practice your ‘coffin’ canter. If this is a new question for your horse, remember you can start with one element and then add in more.

5. Be creative

You can create brush fences with garden cuttings and use barrels to make different obstacles.

6. Link obstacles together

A good way to finish off the session is to link the different fences together. Remembering to come off both reins and practising effective turns. This is also a good time to use your different cross-country canters. For example, you could you could create a coffin canter and then take the brush fence on a more forward rhythm.

Now you’ve got that advice in mind, take a look at these eventing competitions available to enter where you can put this advice into practice…

Indoor eventer trial

Date: 27 April

Venue: Forest Edge Arena, Swaffham

Details: “This competition has classes from clear round and 50cm to 1m.”

Enter now

One-day event

Date: 27 April

Venue: Brechin Castle Showground, Scotland

Details: “Brechin Castle Equestrian Centre Ltd is hosting its first one day event with classes ranging from 45cm to 90cm.”

Enter now

Unaffiliated one-day event

Date: 6 May

Venue: Taunton District Riding Club, Pontispool

Details: “This event is open to everyone with classes ranging between 70 and 90cm.”

Enter now

Unaffiliated one-day event

Date: 19 May

Venue: Tenantry Farm, Fordingbridge

Details: “This event is open to everyone and features 80, 90 and 100cm classes.”

Enter now

H&H Festival of Eventing: unaffiliated three-day event

Date: 25-27 May

Venue: Keysoe, Bedfordshire

Details: “This competition is an absolute must for anyone keen on eventing. There are classes to suit all, from 70cm up to 1m with some fabulous prizes on offer.”

Enter now

Arena eventing

Date: 9 June

Venue: Bramham International Horse Trials, Wetherby

Details: “This competition on the Sunday afternoon of this international horse trials has two classes; 90cm and 1m.”

Enter now

Visit equo.co.uk for full competition and training listings

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Improve your cross-country skills with advice from the six-time Badminton winner — from being flexible with bits to making sure your horse sees the fence

1. A strong contact is difficult for the horse because he takes his head and neck through up to 180 degrees in order to focus on the fence in that last couple of strides and if he’s rooted by the contact, he gets taken out of that really good balance and position for jumping.

Across country you need to slip your reins a tremendous amount and the more difficult the course, the more you’re slipping your reins and having to ride from element to element on turns on a long rein — you have to pick up a contact, so you have to open your hand (make your hands wider to keep a contact with long reins) and find a way to that fence.

2. Make sure your horse sees the fence. Use your eyes, legs and hands as a triangle to channel him — think of your legs going to his eyeballs.

3. Remember the three “fs” — fun, focus and footwork. Those three things are what I want to train for.

I want to train for my horse to look what he’s doing, to take me to that fence and be clever in front of it. I’m not fussed if he’s wrong or right in terms of stride, his job is to get me to the other side of the fence, mine to stay in balance.

4. Horses need a framework of discipline. Within that framework, they become the artist they want to be. They jump how they want to, but I will make sure they don’t run out, that they keep the quality of pace they need, because I know what the fence looks like.

Continued below…

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5. I rarely do an exercise twice, because the horse knows what’s going to happen, but I’ll try to build a similar exercise elsewhere.

6. A lot of people say if you ride a horse properly, you don’t need to change the bit, but in my experience of teaching if the horse is 12-years-old you want to go out and do something, so you have to find a way to ride it, a way to help you find a balance. If the horse is comfy in their mouth and respectful enough, and not really hating the bit, you have half a chance, so I’m very flexible with what I use in terms of bits.

7. When doing cross-country exercises, halt in a straight line after the final fence.

8. Cross-country doesn’t always go as planned, so if someone walks across a fence in training or a dog turns up in the field, keep going. There’s always a dog, or a fence judge’s car or a shadow over a fence when you’re competing. Your reaction should be that you’ve got to work it out, not that this isn’t fair. 


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Official description: Veredus E-vento XC event boots

These cross-country boots aim to combine maximum protection with comfort for horses going cross-country. They are made in microperforated neoprene AEROX, together with 3D mesh ducted fabric to guarantee double ventilation. Being fully waterproof, the boots don’t absorb or retain water, meaning they stay dry regardless of the weather or going conditions. And, although they offer robust protection, the boots are lightweight – allowing greater freedom of movement and flexibility. They also boast protective pads in polyurethane foam, which help reduce the shock felt during high impact.

View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk or equus.co.uk

First impressions

Looked like a smart pair of good quality boots, although they did look a little small.

Overview of performance

These were a really good pair of lightweight cross-country boots that didn’t slip, were extremely breathable, very easy to get on and off, plus they looked as good as new after they had been washed. They also did not collect any water and gave great protection to the leg.

Likes and dislikes

I like how breathable they are and that they didn’t slip at all while going cross-country, plus I was confident my horse’s legs were well protected. I did, however, find they came up a bit small, but only marginally.

Verdict

Although these are expensive, I feel they are worth the money if you are able to spend that much.

Who tested these boots?

Sam Jennings is a professional event rider who started her eventing career in 1999 as a young rider and was shortlisted for the British team that year. Based at her friendly and professional yard in Kent, Sam regularly competes a range of horses from intro to four-star level, as well as providing clinics and training.

Find out more about how Horse & Hound tests products

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12 pairs of boots ready to go out on the cross-country course

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Welcome to our independent group test of cross-county boots. All of the boots in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings and her team. Find out what they thought below.

Official description

The Premier Equine Original Air-Cooled Eventing Boots are made from a combination of 2520D ballistic nylon and microfibre leather. The strong yet supple microfibre leather covers the important parts of the boot, including around the fetlock, straps and strike guard. The boots include vents to allow air to pass through to help keep the leg as cool as possible.

First impressions

A very smart set of boots with a simple design and I liked the ventilation they had.

Overview of performance

I liked these boots as they gave good protection while being lightweight and breathable. They didn’t rub my horse’s legs at all, but also didn’t slip. They looked very smart and the material inside did not pick up any water. I did feel that the hind boots came up a little big on a lightweight eventer.

Likes and dislikes

I love how much ventilation that have and therefore kept my horses’ legs cool. I would have liked the strike pad to be a little more flexible, but it does offer good protection.

Verdict

These boots are good value, easy to use and do the job.

Welcome to our independent group test of cross-county boots. All of the boots in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings and her team. Find out what they thought below.

Official description

The WeatherBeeta Eventing Boots are shaped to the leg and mould around the fetlock area without restraining the natural action of the horses’ movement, offering comfort and protection. The tough strike pad protects the tendon from any impact from the rear hooves.

View at viovet.co.uk

First impressions

These looked very simple and I was interested to see how the lower strap, which is elasticated, would work. I also felt that they weren’t as well ventilated as some of the other boots on test.

Overview of performance

These boots had a thick lining which absorbed water and they weren’t as breathable as the some of the others on test. I thought that the bottom elastic strap worked well as they didn’t slip and were flexible while giving good pressure all-round. I felt these boots offered good protection without restricting my horse’s movement.

Likes and dislikes

I like how flexible these boots were and how they moulded to my horse’s legs while giving good protection. But they do get quite heavy when they get wet.

Verdict

Good boots for an amateur looking for an easy, multi-purpose boot with good protection without spending loads.

Welcome to our independent group test of cross-county boots. All of the boots in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings and her team. Find out what they thought below.

Official description

Representing the cutting edge of cross-country protection and design, the new LeMieux Shoc Air boots combine the latest developments in material and fabric advancement. Optimum strike protection is provided by the new impact responsive smart layer between the tendon and the outer boot composed of dilettante material that remains supple and flexible until the point of impact when free-form molecules articulate and lock together forming a hard protective shock-absorbing barrier – only returning to a flexible state when pressure is released. Vented EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) mould technology gives pliable strength and air flow to the outer shell. The boots are lightweight with deflective hexagonal moulding detail and minimal water retention.

View at equus.co.uk

First impressions

These boots were not very lightweight to hold in your hand and I was interested to see how the straps would perform as the middle one was elasticated while the top and bottom ones were not.

Overview of performance

I found the inside of the boot to be very thick, which made them heavy; more so once the boot had picked up water. However, they did protect the legs well without a strike pad, which makes them really flexible. I didn’t find them true to size. I would recommend going up a size from normal.

Likes and dislikes

I don’t like the way the thick lining retained so much water and I found it difficult to get even pressure down the leg due to the middle strap being elasticated. But I liked that they didn’t slip and how flexible and durable they are.

Verdict

These would suit someone who is keen to buy a brushing boot that will also be good for going cross-country in.

Welcome to our independent group test of cross-county boots. All of the boots in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings and her team. Find out what they thought below.

Official description

The Michael Jung Event Boots for front legs offer perfect protection during eventing competitions. They are lightweight but extremely hard-wearing boots, suitable for the toughest conditions. The outer material is tear-resistant nylon with leather reinforcements at the front and strike protection at the back for maximum protection of the tendons. They are lined with shock-absorbing and waterproof EVA foam.

The Michael Jung event boots for the hind legs come with large, additional leather reinforcements on the inside and a flexible fetlock protection, which doesn’t affect the horse’s mobility. They have strike protection at the front and two wide velcro fasteners for excellent hold.

First impressions

A simple looking pair of boots, which felt very lightweight and I was interested to see how the strike protection at the back would fair.

Overview of performance

These were very lightweight and extremely easy to take on and off. They didn’t absorb water and remained very light on my horse’s legs throughout. However they were not as flexible as some of the others on test and I felt that they worked best on my more heavy-boned horses.

Likes and dislikes

I like that the neoprene inside was hardwearing, didn’t rub and molded around the leg. I also liked that they remained lightweight. I tended to use them on the same horse each time as I think they are most beneficial to mold to particular horse’s legs over a period time.

Verdict

Best suited for use on a single horse with good bone.

Welcome to our independent group test of cross-county boots. All of the boots in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings and her team. Find out what they thought below.

Official description

The Majyk Equipe Color Elite X Country Boots for front legs have an ARTi-LAGE barrier at the front to protect the canon bone from bruising and a Flexible Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) shield in the back of the boot to protect the rear of the leg from potential damage caused by an overreach. The hind boots have a double barrier shield of ARTi-LAGE and Flexible TPU in front of the boot, providing unsurpassed protection for the canon bone.

View at viovet.co.uk

First impressions

These boots felt quite heavy in my hand and I wasn’t a fan of their appearance as I prefer a more simple design.

Overview of performance

These boots proved to be flexible on the horses’ legs, were true to size and fitted well. They did protect all the vital areas of my horse’s legs, but they did absorb water and got heavy. They were not particularly breathable.

Likes and dislikes

I really liked how flexible they are and that the lining didn’t rub at all. I think some of the other boots offered more protection and I dislike how much they absorbed and retained water.

Verdict

Overall, I thought they were quite expensive and I wouldn’t choose them myself.

Welcome to our independent group test of cross-county boots. All of the boots in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings and her team. Find out what they thought below.

Official description

Made from really tough TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) for excellent protection, Eskadron’s Flexisoft cross-country boots have a flexible soft zone at the back to ensure movement is not impaired. With neoprene padding and a double Velcro fastening plus a press stud for extra security, these boots give unbeatable protection and fit while being worn on every terrain.

View at ebay.co.uk

First impressions

I thought these looked rather dated in design. I used a very similar boot nearly 10 years ago.

Overview of performance

These boots were very tough and hard wearing. They were very secure on my horse’s legs and didn’t slip at all. However, my horse’s legs did feel quite hot after going cross-country, plus they are quite rigid and didn’t allow much flexibility. They are also quite generously sized.

Likes and dislikes

I liked how robust they are and how they do give good all-round protection. However I would prefer them to be more flexible, plus I worry that the elastic straps may go baggy over time.

Verdict

These boots look rather old-fashioned, although their protective element will last a long time.

If you are going eventing, you will encounter a cross-country start box. It’s an area with a real buzz of excitement about it, both for horse and rider. So how can you help keep a lid on your nerves and your horse’s excitement?

Here’s some helpful pointers from New Zealand international event rider, Jesse Campbell (pictured), who has several three- and four-star completions to his name:

1. It’s so important to keep yourself relaxed. Try asking the starter how their day is going or make a joke with them. Horses pick up on how you’re feeling.

2. Keep a longer rein. Allowing the horse to have its head will help them stay relaxed.

3. Walk backwards and forwards through the start box so the horse gets used to being around the box and that it’s no big deal when you enter to start your round.

4. Enter the start box from the front. This will stop the horse rushing through and getting upset.

5. Get used to how long it takes to turn your horse around in the box. Five seconds is a long time and horses can get tense if they have to stop while being counted down.

6. Keep a slow pace to the first fence. If you come out of the box like a bullet, the horse will learn this and it will be very difficult to get them to settle.

Now you’ve got that advice in mind, take a look at these eventing competitions available to enter where you can put this advice into practice…

Pony Club one-day event

Date: 8 July

Venue: Portman Hunt Pony Club, Chisel Farm, Blandford Forum

Details: “This fun and friendly one-day event is in a beautiful farmland setting. It is open to Pony Club members and non-members with classes ranging from 60cm to 1m.”

Enter now

Pony Club one-day event

Date: 8 July

Venue: South Shropshire Hunt Branch of the Pony Club, Berriewood Farm, Shrewsbury

Details: “This competition has classes from 70cm to 90cm and is run over a modified British Eventing course. It is open to Pony Club members and non-members.”

Enter now

The Hannah Francis one-day event

Date: 15 July

Venue: Mendip Plains, Radstock

Details: “We look forward to welcoming you to this event, which is being held to recognise Hannah’s courage, determination and inspiration in her battle with bone cancer, and to celebrate her love of horses, and eventing in particular. This event will be run aid of Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony charity. The showjumping will be on an artificial surface and there are 70, 80 and 90cm classes.”

Enter now

Mini one-day event and fun eventing

Date: 22 July

Venue: Stantons Wood, Derbyshire

Details: “This event offers classes ranging from 30 to 80cm. The fun eventing consists of one course of approximately 14 jumps — half showjumps and half working hunter style jumps — and is one continuous course. The mini one-day event includes the jumps as above and a dressage phase too.”

Enter now

Showjumping training with Jesse Campbell

Date: 23 July

Venue: Lyneham Heath Equestrian, Oxfordshire

Details: “Jesse is a New Zealand Eventing High Performance squad rider, and Nations Cup team member based in the UK. Whether you are wanting a quick brush up on your pole work, or looking to take your jumping to the next level, Jesse will give you all the tools needed to reach your goals and make sure you enjoy every second of it. Group lessons are available for showjumping on the all weather arena at Lyneham Heath Equestrian. All abilities are welcome — book as a group or an individual and we will place you in a group according to your ability. Maximum of four per group.”

Enter now

Unaffiliated one-day event

Date: 5 August

Venue: Tumpy Green Equestrian Centre, Cam

Details: “This is an open event, where a warm welcome awaits you. Classes range from lead-rein and mini assisted and mini adults with fence heights between 20-30cm, up to 85cm with junior and senior sections.”

Enter now

One-day event

Date: 12 July

Venue: Mullacott Event Centre, Illfracombe

Details: “This will be our first one-day event at Mullacott and classes will range between 60cm and 90cm.”

Enter now

Visit equo.co.uk for full competition and training listings

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Even at lower levels of eventing, getting your timing wrong can scupper your hopes of success. We asked the experts for their tips on achieving the optimum time going cross-country

1. Know your rhythm

“Rhythm is the key to riding inside the time,” says Francis Whittington. “Choose a rhythm, stick to it and practise consistently. Be aware of your rhythm on the course, check your time-faults and practise again next time out.” Francis explains that the top riders work on “rhythm, balance and control”. “Repetition at events allows them to engage their inner clock and this helps them to ride to the time,” he says.

2. Look over your shoulder

Have you ever walked a cross-country course backwards? The 1964 Olympian James Templar maintained it was the way to find the quickest route. His Pony Club pupil, six-times Badminton winner Lucinda Green, passes this on to her own students. “I advise riders to look behind them constantly while walking the course, to detect the most direct route,” she says. “It’s fascinating how you can’t always see this just by looking forwards.”

3. Practise changing gear at home

Harry Meade says that his experience of pace was garnered in the hunting field. “I have hunted all my life and learnt to ride as sympathetically as possible, because a horse that is ridden in a rhythm, in balance and on efficient lines stays fresh and can cover more ground during a day,” he says. “In fittening work at home, I use the full range of speeds and incorporate many changes of gear to make the horse more responsive. At four-star, you spend a lot of time travelling faster than 600 metres per minute, but also have to travel at walking pace — for something like Burghley’s Leaf Pit.”

4. Find the right note

Amateur rider Vicky Franklin taught herself rhythm using measured distances. “I used Ordnance Survey maps to measure a distance and time myself,” she says. “I learnt how fast a hand canter was and sang a song to keep the tempo, then a full canter — with a song to match — and finally a steady gallop. All 3 songs kept me and my horse within a good rhythm throughout, leaving me to concentrate on riding the fences.”

5. Start as you hope to continue

British Eventing trainer Sally Billing, who has ridden up to three-star level, likes to jump off strongly, so that if complications ensue towards the end of the course, she has seconds in hand.

6. Don’t hang around on landing

Sally Billing also rarely encourages inexperienced competitors to ride for the time, but still advises them not to hang around on landing. “Many riders jump the fence and waste four strides thinking about how that went,” she says. “It’s better to gallop away positively than head into a fence too fast.”

7. Don’t dwell on every fence

“Unless you have a very hot horse, start kicking in the air, urging the horse to land running,” says Lucinda Green. “Land, go, pat — rather than land, pat, go.”

8. Save those seconds

“If you can save half a second after every fence on a 30-fence course, that can make a big difference,” Harry Meade points out. He believes too much time is wasted setting horses up for single fences. “You need to be able to set a horse up at a gallop,” he says. “You should not have to slow down to prepare for a non- combination fence, such as an upright table.”

Continued below…

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Four-star event rider Coral Keen provides one H&H

9. Make use of your turns

Four-star rider Lauren Shannon advises using “turns to set you up, rather than wasting time fighting on a straight stretch”. “The most common reasons for not making the time are setting up too early, killing the canter before you get to the fence and then not moving off afterwards,” she says.

10. Spot the rhythm

Finally, an insider’s-tip from Frances Whittington. “Every course-designer has a rhythm, it’s about finding that rhythm each time.”

For all the latest news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound, out every Thursday

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Four-star event rider and multi junior and young rider European eventing medallist Georgie Spence provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to make the optimum time across country

Q: “Is there any way to make the optimum time across country on a chunky Irish Draught? We’re not really eventers but have been dabbling. I know my horse is built for comfort and not speed and he wont go faster than I ask (I’m also a wuss!). Is there a way we can work on improving our speed at home? At a recent competition the optimum pace was 450m per minute. We managed 354m per minute on average. I can’t put a weaker bit in as we go round in an eggbutt snaffle, cavesson noseband and Irish martingale.”

Georgie says: “There are always ways to improve your speed. Even if your horse is naturally slow, the one thing you don’t want to do is waste time. So if you can save a quarter of a second on the approach and landing of every fence, with a 20 fence course, that is five seconds, or two BE time-faults saved.

“You need to walk the ‘racing line’ when you walk the course. Look at how F1 drivers drive the track — its not always the shortest line that is the quickest. Take one less pull coming in to fence, and make sure you land and kick away — don’t wait a stride after the fence before you ask your horse to move forward.

Continued below…

Related articles:

• H&H forum: find out what H&H readers suggested
• 10 tips to improve your cross-country timing
• Should you wear a stopwatch to go eventing?

“So the main thing is to teach your horse to go forward. You need to be able to squeeze with you legs and they react and go forward. Think how sensitive horses are when a fly lands on them and aim for getting that sort of reaction from them when you put your leg on. It’s just a case of teaching them what the leg means. You need to follow up a soft squeeze/kick with a harder one, until they react, in training a tap with the whip can help.

“Another thing to try is to get someone to time you, so you can practise the speed. Find a place you horse is most happy to move forward, for example, following another horse having a canter in a field. Practise things that make him want to choose to go forward, but try not to exhaust him. Do short sharp spells so then he will enjoy it, rather than thinking going forwards is tiring.”

Visit Georgie’s website or follow her on Facebook

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Current British eventing team performance coach, Chris Bartle, believes that the rider’s position is key to successful cross-country, as only when the rider is in balance, can the horse perform to their best.

During a masterclass organised by the British Eventing Charitable Foundation at Keysoe in Bedfordshire recently he shared these useful tips that every event rider can benefit from.

Perfect your cross-country position

The rider’s position is key. Riders need to move as little as possible over a jump so they don’t affect the horse’s balance or concentration.

The rider should always be looking up and ahead. When jumping a combination look towards the second element before you jump the first. This helps the horse understand the question.

Riders should not need to look down. “Humans have huge lateral vision. You need to train your lateral vision so you don’t need to look down to see the fence/ground poles. Always look ahead ‘down the road’,” explains Chris.

By keeping their eyes focussed ahead, this helps the rider keep their head up which in turns helps prevent the upper body from tipping forward. If the rider gets ahead of the horse’s bascule on the approach/take off stride this can cause the horse to have front rails off oxers in the showjumping.

The rider must have the weight down through the knee into the heel on the landing so they don’t tip forwards. This is key in combination fences as if the rider ‘dips’ on landing they may lose the line or affect the horse’s balance. The rider’s eyes need to keep looking ‘down the road’ to the next jump or the route away from the fence.

The rider’s hands should stay down around the horse’s wither – many riders need to learn to be comfortable jumping with longer reins, which allows the horse to use its neck over the fence to develop greater scope and also prevents the horse from pulling the rider forward on landing.

The rider should use their body language/position to help control the horse’s speed, instead of always using the rein to slow down. Bring the upper body more upright and hold through the core to steady to the horse without giving them a reason to fight the hand. Use half halts within the horse’s natural rhythm of the pace.

Riders should practise the “what if” position. This puts the rider slightly behind the horse’s sense of gravity so they are positioned to support the horse if something goes wrong like the horse spooks at a fence or catches a front leg.

Chris shared these tips during a masterclass organised by the British Eventing Charitable Foundation at Keysoe in Bedfordshire (21 November). Chris will be running another masterclass at Kingston Maurward College in Dorset during the evening of Monday 4 December.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you’re going eventing next season, then who could possibly be better to learn from than the current British eventing team performance coach, Chris Bartle?

He has helped transform top riders to become competitive at the very highest echelons of the sport, but his key training ideas are relevant to horses and riders at all levels, as he demonstrated during a recent masterclass at Keysoe with horses and riders competing from BE100 to advanced level.

“Cross-country in the modern sport of eventing is about turning lines, jumping fences on extreme angles, and the lines you have to hold between the fences,” explains Chris. “In this way you have to bring your dressage training into the cross-country phase.

“Of course you still need a horse that’s bold enough to take on the ditches and water, but it must have a partnership with the rider and both must be disciplined to be successful. How we communicate the question to the horse and how the rider guides the horse is key.”

Chris’ top tips: warming-up

A rider cannot force a horse to relax and if the horse is tense it cannot perform to its best. Quietly work the horse as you would at home and give it as much time as it needs to settle before asking it to perform. This will take as long as it takes.

Taking young horses out and about to experience ‘life’ without competing so they learn to relax in the competition environment is an important part of their education.

Chris prefers all training to be done without a martingale. “In cross-country at the highest level the martingale is more of a hindrance than a help,” he says. “Also horses that come behind the vertical can be made worse by a martingale.”

If a horse feels tight and tense, lengthen the rein and allow the neck out. Let the horse stick its head in the air if it want to. It’s only important that the horse goes in the direction asked – not that it’s in an outline.

If the horse is tense, hold and support with the inside leg and control the line with the outside rein. Allow the horse to look to the outside. The inside rein should be the horse’s friend, the outside rein is the discipline rein and brings the shoulder into line. Avoid pressure on both sides of the horse’s mouth at the same time. The horse must accept and respond to the rider’s inside leg.

Encourage the horse to take the nose forward and stretch the neck. Once he is relaxed, let him stretch and then he’s ready to start work.

A useful training exercise for all levels

A training exercise that Chris uses frequently is a ground pole to an oxer to a ground pole, with three and bit human strides between each element. The pole on the landing side encourages the horse to look down on landing. The oxer should be square. All the groups worked through this exercise at an appropriate level.

Once the horse is jumping the exercise confidently, pull both sides of the oxer out to make it wider but don’t move the ground poles. This encourages the horse to jump higher and make a better bascule with a sharper take off and steeper landing, which helps to develop the horse’s scope without making the fence any higher.

It is key that the rider gives the horse freedom to use its neck to the maximum to achieve the more extravagant bascule, while not getting in front of the movement on take off, staying in balance through the air and not tipping forward on landing.

Chris Bartle’s top takeways

• Balance and impulsion give you options in front of a fence
• The rider’s position is key to successful cross-country
• Always aim for the slight inside line (inside the midline) in a turning combination – it saves time and distance
• Use slight outside flexion to control the horse’s outside shoulder on the approach
• Find the fence, find the line, be aware of the distance, but don’t focus your eyes on the jump, look beyond it
• Allow the horse to work/jump underneath you while you stay balanced and look ahead.
• “Land in your feet” from every jump to avoid tipping forward
• If your horse is keen to a fence, keep the outside flexion slightly longer on the approach
• Use your seat, core and body position to encourage a horse to steady if they are onward bound
• If your horse is tense or buzzy, continue with the exercise until the horse relaxes, only then move on
• The length and freedom of the horse’s neck is core to all of Chris’s training

Christopher shared these and more helpful tips during a masterclass organised by the British Eventing Charitable Foundation at Keysoe in Bedfordshire (21 November). Chris will be hosting another masterclass at Kingston Maurward College in Dorset during the evening of Monday 4 December.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Q: “Problems with water: Do you have any suggestions for a horse having problems with going into water? My horse jumps everything else confidently but will not go through water. We eventually get through but it’s disheartening. We’ve just done some local one-day events but hope to do a BE80(T) soon. We are going to hire a place a to practice. Is it better to walk through trot through, give him plenty of space or maybe a long run up?”

A: Horses need to learn that the water you are asking them to go through isn’t deep and won’t be a danger to them.

When a horse is reluctant to go into water, it is because he is acting upon his natural instincts — in the wild it might be very deep, and he might drown if he jumps in!

Patience in massive doses is the key to helping him overcome his fear. It may take a young horse several hours to go into the water but you have to take your time and allow him to build his confidence and trust in you.

Continued below…

Related articles:

• H&H forum: find out what H&H readers suggested
• Read more helpful training advice
• Training young event horses to jump safely and confidently

Ask a friend to give you a lead so that he can see it’s not deep, and so that he can follow. As soon as you horse does step forward make sure you praise him, and let it be a bit of fun because you want him to associate water with good times and not something that is stressful for him.

I would definitely stay in walk, on a long rein, so that he can sniff the water and check it out. Keep it really relaxed, and when he is confident try trotting but stay very relaxed and patient.

Go to the same water regularly so that his confidence builds and he has fun splashing through making sure the water is very shallow so that he doesn’t get frightened. Go as often as you can, and once he his confident going in this water, take him to as many different places as you can. It will be expensive but he has to learn he isn’t going to drown and there’s nothing to be scared of and it will be worth it when he happily jumps into water while you are riding cross country.

Then across country he will trust you and happily go into water.

You must avoid confrontation because he’s just frightened and doesn’t understand, but he will come right and he will change, if you build his trust in you and take your time.

The worst thing you can do is to go at it really fast, because your horse will end up scared because he hasn’t had time to read the question. He’ll learn how to slam the brakes on and sorting out this problem will take even longer.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Training your horse to jump up and down steps should come at a time when you feel your horse is accomplished enough in his education thus far to face such a question on a cross-country course. Here are some things you should consider before tackling steps.

1. Start small

First and foremost walk your horse up and then down small steps until they aren’t backing off or rushing. You are looking for them to maintain their walk rhythm despite the step or drop. Approach straight so you are on line and your horse can prepare. Be ready to react if your young or inexperienced horse takes a giant leap up or down the steps or when jumping a drop fence — this is one of the reasons why you shouldn’t jump down too high a step to start with as you run the risk of your horse losing trust.

2. Position

Don’t let your legs swing back. Your horse will stretch his neck forward and down so that he can use it to balance with going down a step. Even with long reins, the rider should maintain a light contact with the horse’s mouth. In no circumstances should the reins be too short. For the less experienced rider, it is always better to use a neck strap or hold the mane than to pull the horse in the mouth. Sit up if you are going down a step and think a little towards a jumping position if you are going up a step.

3. Canter

The key to jumping steps in an upwards direction is the quality of the canter. Collect your horse’s stride so he’s like a bouncing ball, with power, balance and energy — the canter needs to be strong so that he can bounce up the steps. Don’t confuse an energetic canter with a fast canter — really sit him back on his hocks. Keep a bouncy rhythm throughout the obstacle and try to avoid building up speed.

• Enjoyed reading this? For more expert training advice from top riders and coaches, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Whether your horse is young or spooky with water there are several things you should bear in mind when practising water jumps.

Before you start, think about what the particular water jump you are training with looks like. Is the water murky? How deep is it? Horses can’t see where the ground is in a water jump so they have to learn to trust you implicitly in order to successfully negotiate such obstacles.

1. Slow and straight

Start in walk on a very straight approach where it is very clear to the horse that you want them to go into the water. Keep your reins wide so that you can channel your horse in a straight line into and through the water and your body sitting up so that you are in a secure position. Be ready to react to your horse’s behaviour with the water. If they are thinking backwards, keep your leg on to encourage them forwards, without hassling them too much — you need to give your horse time to read the question. Equally if your horse is trying to rush into the water without really thinking what they are doing or where they are putting their legs, try to steady them to a walk. You want their time with water to be a good experience so that you can build trust and reliability.

2. Start small

To begin with walk into the water via a ramp as opposed to a step. It’s not fair to expect a horse to understand a drop and water in these early stages. Once in the water walk around in circles if possible to get the horse used to the feeling of moving around in it. Then walk out of the water again. Immediately turn around and walk back in again and repeat this process until your horse is happy, confident and not rushing or backing off from the task in hand. Remember to give your horse plenty of praise when they do as you ask. Once your horse is established at walking through water, introduce trot and canter under the same principles as walk.

3. Be patient

If your horse is taking a little longer than you would like to understand going into water, be patient. Try not to make a big issue out of it so that your horse doesn’t link water with being panicked and rushed. Don’t let your horse spook and turn away from the water — keep them in a straight line, with your leg on. The penny should eventually drop!

4. Introducing obstacles

Once your horse is happily going in and out of the water via a ramp, you can introduce a small step. Be warned your horse is likely to react to this new question, and you should therefore be ready for them to back off and/or launch into the water. Start by walking up a small step. Once your horse is happily doing this without rushing or launching you can go down the same step. As your horse grows in confidence you can introduce other steps and jumps in and around water.

You might also like:

85 cross-country courses and schooling venues for hire across the country

Teach your horse to jump water trays with tips from top showjumpers

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Corners require accurate riding and can be daunting for both horse and rider. There are several ingredients that make up a good jump over a corner. Here we list the things you need to check off before you take off.

Speed and control

Firstly make sure you don’t approach the corner too fast. Keep it controlled and show the corner some respect as they are often upright, unforgiving fences. The canter needs to be active and have quality without being fast.

Continued below…

Looking to hone your skills with some schooling? How about these?

• Training with four-star event rider Caroline Moore in Shropshire
• Train with prolific eventer Jeanette Brakewell
• Attend a Tim Cheffings clinic in Devon
• Train in Essex over a cross-country course

Find your line

Focus on the centre of the back of the corner right in the middle of the flags. It’s very important that you don’t try to jump the widest part of the corner as this can make the fence almost impossible as you move up the levels. So when training in the early stages, train yourself and your horse to jump near to the flag on the narrowest part of the corner. This means that your horse will be used to jumping the tricky narrow part when faced with a corner fence at competition. Whichever line you pick, stay on it and don’t allow your horse to drift. Keep your shoulders square onto the fence (and the horse’s too.).

Balance

Ensure your horse is between your leg and hand. Think of creating a funnel between your two reins to channel your horse on exactly the line you want to jump the corner on.

Continued below…

Want to put your schooling to the test? How about these competitions?

• Hunter trial in Lincolnshire
• Horse trials in Northumberland
• Go unaffiliated eventing in Dorset
• Try a mini one-day event in Norfolk
• Eventing in Somerset
• Go to a one-day event in Shropshire

Start small

Once horses learn to run out it’s very hard to stop them from doing it in the future. Even genuine horses will run out if they can’t see their way through. So in order to build up confidence and to help minimise the chances of your horse learning to run out, start training over small corners. You can easily build your own corner to train over at home, using plastic blocks or small barrels with poles. You can use a guide pole at the side of the fence to help keep your horse on his line if you find him struggling with the question. Don’t build it too wide to begin with – you can open it up later when you gain confidence and know your line.

For more events and clinics visit Equo, Horse & Hound‘s online entry system

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Ditches can be the problem area for many horses on a cross-country course. Here we try to break down how to train your horse to jump a ditch without any ifs or buts.

1. Slow it down

Whether your horse has never encountered a ditch or is a seasoned eventer, it is always a good idea to approach a ditch in you schooling session in walk. This gives your horse time to read the question and to think about where he is putting his feet. If you canter straight to a ditch they are likely to balloon it and not think about what they are actually doing. This can prove detrimental further down the line when there might be a fence following the ditch and you find yourself on a bad line or stride as a result of a bad jump at the ditch.

So approach the schooling ditch steadily but with your leg ready to support the horse if he tries to stop or avoid it. If your horse wants to have a good look at the ditch that is fine but don’t let him turn around. Always keep him facing towards the ditch and be soft with your rein. If he goes to rush, try to slow it down. Aim to get your horse walking calmly across the ditch every time.

2. Ride straight

In these early stages ride the ditch on a straight line to avoid any confusion. Horses find it difficult to judge where to put their feet when you ride a ditch on an angle. You increase the chances of your horse dropping a leg into the ditch if you ride it on an angle. Although this is not a big problem and they will learn from their mistake, if you have a green or inexperienced horse, it is best to keep things simple at this stage.

Continued below…

Looking to hone your skills with some schooling? How about these?

• Cross-country clinic at Keysoe
• Training with four-star event rider Caroline Moore in Shropshire
• Train with prolific eventer Jeanette Brakewell
• Attend a Tim Cheffings clinic in Devon

3. Don’t panic

If your horse decides he doesn’t like the look of the ditch don’t panic. It is important to keep things calm. Keep things simple and ask the question in the clearest way possible. If your horse won’t go over the ditch, keep him facing towards it and reassure him with your leg. Speed is not the answer here.

4. Repetition

Repetition is key. Walk across the ditch turn around and do it again and again until your horse is happy and confident and is maintaining the same walk pace throughout the exercise.

Continued below…

Want to put your schooling to the test? How about these competitions?

• Novice one-day event in Cambridgeshire
• Hunter trial in Lincolnshire
• Horse trials in Northumberland
• Go unaffiliated eventing in Dorset
• Try a mini one-day event in Norfolk

5. Moving on up

Then you can move onto the next step, whether that be trotting across the ditch or introducing different elements such as a rail before or after the ditch.

For more events and clinics visit Equo, Horse & Hound‘s online entry system

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Super keen event riders will have been out and about at the weekend attending British Eventing’s (BE) first one-day events of the 2016 season. But whether you’re one of them, or are waiting a little while before you make your seasonal debut, you won’t want to miss our quiz. It’s designed to test your knowledge of what lines between combination fences will help you towards a clear round and which will see you pick up an annoying 20 penalties.

In this first example the course builder has provided you with a two-part combination fence (marked A and B in the illustrations below) with both parts designed to be jumped on the angle in a straight line as the most direct route. However, there are other options available to you as a rider that will leave you penalty-free, so put your thinking caps on and see which routes you think would earn you a clear round.

So how did you get on? If you’re confused about what is and is not allowed, below are the extracts from the BE 2016 rule book to refresh your memory.

6.3.9.7 Circle

6.3.9.7.1 At separately numbered obstacles, a competitor may circle between or around them without penalty provided that he has not presented his horse at the second or subsequent obstacles.

6.3.9.7.2 At an obstacle composed of several elements (A, B, C, etc), a horse will be penalised if it passes around the back of the subsequent element or circles between subsequent elements.

It’s also worth noting this rule in case things don’t go according to plan…

6.3.9.7.3 After being penalised for a refusal, run-out or circle, a competitor, in order to make another attempt, is permitted to circle one or more times without penalty, until he presents his horse at the obstacle.

So now you’ve got that clear, you’ll be able to confidently compete knowing which routes are and are not allowed when faced with a straight-forward combination fence of this nature.

The illustrations used in the quiz can be found in Annex 4 of the BE rules and members’ handbook 2016 and have been reproduced with BE’s permission.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through how to ride sunken road fences while going cross-country, with the help of four-star event rider, Laura Collett.

It’s a good idea when introducing sunken roads, if you can, walk down a sloped side of the combination so that the horse can have a look at where he is going to be jumping in and out of, before actually involving a step in. After he has had a look at the bottom of the road, jump out by going up one side of the combination.

Then, if possible, jump down just one side, so the horse gets used to jumping into the sunken road without worrying about the other elements.

Once the horse is happy with jumping the steps in and out of the sunken road together, then move on to start jumping through all of the elements involved with the combination, such as rails before and after.

If possible, start with the latter part of the line. i.e jump just the sunken road plus the rail out first.

Once you have mastered all of the elements, this is where being able to put the horse into the correct gears comes into play.

Jumping the first rail requires the horse to have time to see what he has to do. But don’t come so steadily that the horse hesitates and stops.

To avoid this, get the horse back to a short, bouncy canter with plenty of power in the pace a few strides away from the fence. The rider needs to sit up and keep the leg on and forward.

Look out for more expert advice on cross-country riding from Yogi Breisner, brought to you in association with NAF, on the Horse & Hound website during the next few weeks.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through how to ride ditch combinations while going cross-country, with the help of four-star event rider, Laura Collett.

Once you have introduced your horse to a ditch on its own, you can then begin to tackle a combination, such as a rail, ditch, rail.

You need to start out in a gentle way by jumping the ditch on its own at an angle. Follow this up by jumping the ditch and the rail out.

The biggest problem with these types of fences is that as the horse approaches the first rail, his eye is suddenly caught by the ditch. It is difficult for him to concentrate on both jumping the rail and worrying about the ditch.

Upon the approach, you will need to get the horse back into a short, bouncy canter stride, with plenty of energy in the stride, giving him time to see what is there, time to figure out what to do about it and then time to go and do it.

Be careful not to approach with too little pace as the horse is likely to stop as he is looking too much at the ditch.

The rider must keep their lower leg forward, sit up and get used to having the feel of having two thirds of the horse in front of them before the jump. This will help to react quickly to push the horse forward if they start backing off.

As soon as the horse lands over the first element, it is important that the rider is in balance, in case the horse spooks at the ditch.

To begin with, it’s nice to tackle a combination situated on flat ground, but eventually you will need to introduce a combination where the ditch is in a hollow from the first and second rails mostly if you are looking to ride at two-star level.

Look out for more expert advice on cross-country riding from Yogi Breisner, brought to you in association with NAF, on the Horse & Hound website during the next few weeks.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through how to ride ditches while going cross-country, with the help of four-star event rider, Laura Collett.

Ditches are a natural obstacle that are difficult to practice in an arena. Water trays are a helpful tool if you are in an arena, though, to get the horses used to something that looks like a hole in the ground.

Much like jumping water, horses have a natural adversity to jumping ditches as they don’t know what could be in them.

Ditches must be introduced in a slow way. Often people make the mistake of galloping to them flat out, meaning horses jump it without even looking at it. This means that as they progress up the grades, when the ditch gets bigger, the horse will suddenly realise it is there and scare itself. You would then have to go right back to the beginning and teach them from scratch.

Start with a small ditch at a slow pace – ideally trot but perhaps even walk. This gives them time to look into the ditch and get used to playing with his feet in front of it, before popping over it.

Build this up by jumping lots of different types of ditches, getting bigger as you go along, until your horse has no problem with them at all.

If you are jumping a big, open ditch, you need to ride forward to it, but gently set up and balance before you get there. You want the strongest push on the last stride before jumping a hefty ditch. Apply this approach if you are also jumping a trakehner or fence with a ditch in front of it.

Look out for more expert advice on cross-country riding from Yogi Breisner, brought to you in association with NAF, on the Horse & Hound website during the next few weeks.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through how to ride a water jump while going cross-country, with the help of four-star event rider, Laura Collett.

The water jump often attracts a lot of spectators for both the spectacle and the possibility of seeing a rider get wet!

The cross-country course designer often puts a lot of different kind of fences in connection with the water jump.

From an education point of view, it is a type of fence that you need to spend a great deal of time on with your horse.

Horses by nature can be a little reluctant to go into water as they don’t know how deep it is or whether there are crocodiles lurking in there! Therefore it the rider’s job to build their confidence by repeatedly and gently taking them into and out of the water at a walk. This will help them get used to the splash and confidence in the knowledge that there are no big holes for the to suddenly disappear into.

Once the horse has got the confidence to walk around in the water, you can then begin to introduce jumping.

You need to ride a water fence in the same kind of way you would a sunken road, rails to ditches and drops so that you can give your horse time to see what they have to do.

It is important to remember not to ride so fast into the water that the drag makes the horse stumble.

Approach in a short, controlled canter with plenty of energy in the stride to keep it punchy without going too fast.

Look out for more expert advice on cross-country riding from Yogi Breisner, brought to you in association with NAF, on the Horse & Hound website during the next few weeks.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through how to ride effective turns while going cross-country, with the help of four-star event rider, Laura Collett.

Cross-country riding isn’t just about galloping in straight line — you also have to make turns.

You will often find on a course that after a long, straight galloping stretch, you are then required to turn into either a single fence, but more frequently, a combination or line of fences.

As a rider, you can use the corner to set your horse up to create the right speed and canter in order to jump the fence well.

The rider is responsible for the direction, the balance of the horse and for the pace (speed and rhythm) that you are traveling within.

The horse’s job is to look at the fence, measure it and then jump it.

If a rider is galloping up a straight towards a combination, they should look towards the fence nice and early.

When riding round a turn it can be helpful for the rider to bend the horse’s neck to the outside. You can use this as a preparation tool to steady the horse enough to ride them in balance through the turn. This bend also helps to control the outside shoulder.

When you come around the turn you must be on the correct line for the fence within a suitable pace. As you have looked after the outside shoulder, the horse will also be in the correct balance to take the combination fence on.

Look out for more expert advice on cross-country riding from Yogi Breisner, brought to you in association with NAF, on the Horse & Hound website during the next few weeks.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through how to use your horse’s canter gears while going cross-country, with the help of four-star event rider, Laura Collett.

Cross-country riding lessons with Yogi Breisner: canter gears

Riding cross-country is a bit like driving a car in that you need to be in the correct gear for what is ahead of you.

If you are tackling a straightforward, large fence, you want the horse to continue to gallop and jump out of his stride, with the rider in a light, forward position but with security in the lower leg so that you don’t waste too much time or energy of the horse by making a lot of adjustments.

If you are approaching a more tricky fence, you need to change down the gears. The gear you switch down to depends on the severity of the line or combination ahead of you.

Don’t forget that once you have changed gear, to ride forward in that rhythm, not backwards so that you are best placed to jump what is ahead of you.

Cross-country riding is eesentially split into three sections:

• The time in between fences where you treat your horse a little like a racehorse and make use of gallop
• Preparation for the jump
• The jump itself

The rider’s responsibility is to put the horse in balance, establish the correct speed, going in the correct direction.

Look out for more expert advice on cross-country riding from Yogi Breisner, brought to you in association with NAF, on the Horse & Hound website during the next few weeks.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The British eventing squad’s chef d’equipe, Yogi Breisner talks us through what we need to know ahead of going cross-country, with the help of Laura Collett.

Cross-country riding is split into three sections:

– The time in between fences where you treat your horse a little like a racehorse and make use of gallop

– Preparation for the jump

– The jump itself

The rider’s responsibility is to put the horse in balance, establish the correct speed, going in the correct direction.

How to ride cross-country: the correct rider position

Galloping position

It is important that when galloping between fences on the cross-country course, the rider’s stirrups must be at the correct length (there must be a nice angle at the knee and in a place where the lower leg can remain secure.). You can test the length by standing up in the stirrups where there must still be an angle at the knee so that they can absorb shock as you ride around the course.

Hands must be in line with the rider’s head while stood in the stirrups as should be the shoulder and the knee.

Approach to the fence

The position of the rider on the approach to the fence will depend on what type of fence lies ahead.

If it is a straightforward fence then the rider can remain a little out of the saddle, just bringing their shoulders back. This allows the horse to re-balance but still jump the fence out of its stride.

If it is a more difficult fence, the rider will sit in the saddle and bring their shoulders back, while keeping their lower leg in the same, forward, secure position.

If the horse is spooking or thinking about stopping, the rider will need to bring their shoulders even further back, sitting deeper in the saddle, so that they are in a stronger position to push the horse forward.

You do not need to be on a cross-country course to practise your cross-country positions. This can be done in an arena or while out hacking.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now