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Top event riders share their tips for training horses to tackle drops with confidence


  • 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.

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