In this exclusive article for H&H subscribers, top trainers share their tips and advice for cross-country schooling
We all know we need to get out and practise cross-country before the eventing season starts, but are you really making the most of your schooling sessions? We asked some top experts for their cross-country schooling tips to help you up your performance.
Whether you’re aiming for your first unaffiliated event or lining up for your 20th season, there’s bound to be something here you can take away and put into practice when you next head out cross-country schooling.
Cross-country schooling tips
1. Choose your venue
Work out what you want to achieve and choose a cross-country schooling venue accordingly. “If you need to rebuild confidence over ditches, go somewhere with plenty of tiny ditches. If you want to practise skinnies, choose a venue with lots of flagged narrow fences that have wings and guide rails to help you,” says British eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood.
Don’t steer clear of mud. “Cross-country schooling is as much about training horses’ reactions and footwork as it is jumping tricky fences,” says Italian Olympic event rider Vittoria Panizzon. “There’s no point in getting to your first event and moaning about the mud if you haven’t trained on wet ground.”
Avoid only schooling on a surface. “[If cross-country schooling] on a surface, you will naturally jump off a shorter stride because you are riding at a more condensed pace. This can be counter-productive,” says top Irish coach Eric Smiley.
2. Know what you want to achieve
According to Eric Smiley, there are usually three reasons to go cross-country schooling:
to remind the rider or horse of the necessary skills
to introduce something new
to fix a problem
“Before you set off, you need to have plan,” says Eric. “Ask yourself, ‘What do I want to achieve from the session?’ It is too much to try and mix all three in the short time frame you have, plus the horse only has so many jumps in him.”
3. How to warm-up for cross-country schooling
In terms of cross-country schooling advice for the warm-up, Dickie Waygood advises starting with a recce of the venue.
“See how the fences are set up so you can make a plan,” he says.
Don’t start jumping until the horse is settled and focused on you .
“Too many people start jumping before the horse is listening. If he’s too hot, he will not be trainable,” says Dickie. The horse needs to be on the aids – if the rider gives the horse a nudge with the legs, the horse has to react. The rider has to have control of speed, line and balance before jumping.
Begin over a small log or similar – horses will generally jump solid fences more easily.
Start as you mean to go on. “Often when a horse hits a fence, the rider will start protecting him, even if it was the horse’s fault. The rider needs to hand responsibility for the jumping to the horse, who then has to work out how to get to the other side safely. You need to keep this in mind all the time,” says Eric.
If you want to focus on a particular type of fence, do it early in the session while you are both feeling fresh.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
4. Structure your session
Once horses and riders are warmed up, start stringing fences together.
“Aim to establish a good rhythm and spend two or three minutes, depending on your horse’s fitness, putting together 10 or 15 fences,” says Dickie.
Work on technical fences sooner rather than later. If you want to focus on a particular type of fence, do it early on while you and your horse are physically and mentally fresh. Tackling water fences requires a lot of energy and co-ordination, particularly going up and down steps in and out, so avoid doing this on a horse who is already tired.
5. Train, don’t test
One of the most important cross-country schooling tips is that you don’t have to jump fast over big fences – horses can learn the most when they go steadily and are given time to think.
Riders who are newer to their eventing level may need to practise riding at the required speed – towards the end of a session, measure out a short course of 10 to 15 fences and time yourself over it to get a feel of the pace you should be riding to make the time.
If you want to practise skinnies, ensure you can hold a line over a straightforward fence first.
(Image credit: Jess Photography)
6. Problem solving
If you want to tackle a specific issue during your session, make sure you have the necessary tools for the job, says Eric Smiley. It’s all about setting yourself up for success.
“You need to stage manage what you’re trying to achieve,” he says. “Have everything you might need readily available, such as a lead horse and an experienced pair of eyes on the ground, so that you have the best chance of leaving with a positive outcome.”
Before you start tackling a problem, make sure your horse is 100% focused, with as many ticks in boxes as possible. Eric adds: “If you are practising skinnies, check that you can hold a line over a straightforward fence and never jump skinnies without a right and left flag pole. If the horse is landing and bucking, or veering left or right, then he’s not ready to move on.”
7. Know when to stop
Tailor your session. “How much you do will depend on the fitness of the horse and his stage of training,” says Dickie.
Avoid the “one more fence” trap. “Often you will end up trying too hard to get it right and that’s when it goes wrong,” warns Eric.
Always finish when your horse still gives the feeling of having a quarter of a tank of fuel left – and remember problems are rarely fixed in one session.
Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
