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Finding Distance to Oxers

 Do you have trouble finding the correct distance to large, square oxers?    Here is a great exercise.  Set up a series of low jumps approximately 2 strides apart from one another. Make the first jump a cross rail and all the rest oxers with cross rails in front. These can be tiny jumps. The point is for you and your horse to develop your eyes together for takeoff spots. Start with a single cross rail and slowly add each additional jump...first as a cross rail and then with the oxer rail behind the cross rail.  Have a good ground person there, and learn how to wait, for your horse to jump. Don't jump ahead of him and stay on a looping rein...let the oxers come to you. 

    Q.  What is the correct position to be in when you land a jump? 

    A.   Always be looking ahead at where you are going next, especially when you have a short turn coming up, as it is here in this photo. By looking in the direction I am going it has shifted my shoulders also that direction. My right leg is back & my left hand taking a feel indicating to my horse that we are going to go left after we finish the jump...notice I said after we finish the jump. If you try to turn in the air you risk having the rail. If the turn was super tight (maybe in a jump off)I could have indicated this to him over the jump by using an open left rein & right leg over the jump, not to interfear with him but just let him know whats next.  This particular photo was an inside turn in the first round of a table 2A class which time allowed was tight. So we needed to make the inside turn but we didn't need to hussle.
    Landing off the jump in your thigh is also important so that you allow your horse to finish their jump with out your seat getting in the way. Here I have planted my right hand into my horses neck & deep I am in my left heal, helping me to stay off his back until he finishes.

Thanks to Niasmith photography

 Julie Winkel -

 Q.  What do riders need to know to be a top Medal Competitor at the different levels?

 A.  Judges look for different things at different levels.  In the more novice classes they want to see a really correct position and basic horsemanship being put in place.  As the competition progresses and the courses become more technically challenging, the winners must be able to produce and be effective above all.  

In other words "pretty is as pretty does".  A pretty rider with a good postiion isn't going to place over an effective rider that perhaps has a flaw in leg position but finds the jumps and produces a smooth and flawless round. 

However, at the top level the rider must have great basics, position, style, feel, finess and confidence.  They must really know their horse and be able to ride a solid round as a team. 

When I judge, I always watch riders hands and connection of the mouth, as well as engagement produced from the hindquarters by the effectiveness of the rider's leg.  The very best are the riders that look like nothing is happening!Invisible aids!

 Susan Hutchinson -

  Q.  How can I teach my riders to go to their 1st jump, at the proper rate of speed?   

  A.  At my clinics I have the arena measured, on the rail 360 yards. Then the riders gallop around the ring. I start timing them at a given marked point and stop the time at the second marker of the 360 yards. If they are galloping at 12 M.P.H. they should gallop this distance in one minute. It helps them learn to get a clock in their head for the speed they need to establish in their circle, before the 1st fence. 

Trainers West Coast - Northern CA

Beverly Jovais - trains out of Beaumont Farm in Petaluma, CA and has produced numerous Norcal Medal Final Champions, CPHA Medal Champions and  AA show level champions. 

Hope and Ned Glynn train out of Sonoma Valley Stables and Willowbrook Stables in Petaluma CA where they have numerous champion Hunter and Jumpers for sale. 

Julie Winkel trains from Maplewood Stables in Reno Nevada and from her southern facility at Indio.  She has judged at national events such as the Maclay Finals.  She offers a full AA program and numerous top quality sale horses. 

Want to be featured?  click here and send us a question and your answer along with your trainer bio.

IMPROVE YOUR HUNTER AND EQUITATION RIDING

By  Edee Weigel

A few things can make all the difference when showing over fences. Just remember: ‘’PACE - PATH - POSITION.

The ‘PACE’ should be a nice open 12 foot cantering stride that maintains a consistent rhythm . Test your horses stride length by riding over set distances between jumps. Horses showing in the hunter classes will need to maintain 12 foot strides plus take a 6 foot take off and landing over the jumps . So you should be able to get five strides cantering between two jumps set at 72 feet apart and two strides in a 36 foot combination. If you need to gallop on a bit to make the distances, practice this until it feels smooth.

If you find you need to gallop too fast to make those distances , you will ruin the nice relaxed hunter look and it can also be dangerous! So if your horse does not have a big enough stride, you can still show him to his best advantage by slowing down and adding one stride in each longer line of jumps. Remember, you must still make the correct number of strides in the combinations.

Then remember ‘PATH ‘. The Path will be the lines you take while riding to the jumps and around the corners of the arena. The more you plan this part of your course the better everything else will work out ! A horse that is ridden correctly around the corners in rhythm , will have a better chance of approaching the fences straight and jumping in balance. This is the core of a well ridden hunter and equitation course! Plan to ride out a bit farther on your PATH than you would think is necessary. A galloping horse has the tendency to lean in on the turns, and this will cut the corners too short and can make mistakes happen at the next jump. A horse that will steer nicely out to the corners, is also a horse that is listening to the rider, so that will present a nicer picture too!

Have a nice round opening and ending circle as you begin and end your course. Remember every stride is an important part of the performance! Be sure to ride an arrow straight PATH right to the middle of the jumps and on the lines between them. This is best accomplished by looking up and finding focal points ahead of you in the arena.

Look for this focal point before you begin the ride around the corners to the next line of fences. Keeping your eyes and head up is also part of the last reminder:

‘ POSTITON’ . A hunter rider who stays in a quiet position does a better job of showing off their horse ! Try to maintain a nice 2 point position, with eyes up , hands low and a tight leg position with heels down. This will draw attention to the horses jumping efforts and not to the movement of the rider. Have Fun and see you at the next show!

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