Much of what happens in the show ring is a direct result of factors that occur long before you walk through the in-gate. These include the hours of homework you and your horse complete at home, your mental and physical state at the time of performance, and of course, your preparation at the Horse Show that day, as well as the moments in the warm up ring before your class. Part of creating winning rounds is coming up with a plan for both the warm up, and the execution of the actual course that takes into account the challenges presented, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of you and your horse. To do this effectively you must know yourselves as a team, be knowledgeable about the questions the course designer is asking, and be observant to outside factors. A well thought-out plan will give you and your horse security, and allow you to refocus immediately if an error is made. In this article, Part 1 of 2 parts, we'll help you prepare such a plan.

Know thyself

Although you will most likely be walking a course with your trainer, it is wise to know both your own, and your horse's strengths and weaknesses, and not have to rely on your trainer to point them out to you where they may come into play. It is important to have a good grasp of your horse's stride length, and what kind of a canter you need to carry on course. Other things to consider are whether your horse typically drifts to one side or the other, (either at the jumps, or between the jumps), and whether or not he falls out or cuts in on the turns off each lead. These will be important things to pay attention to in bending lines and short turns!

Keep in mind your horse's braveness, too! Is he spooky by nature? Does he have issues with certain types of jumps, such as liverpools, water jumps, or aqueduct walls? Does he tend to "hang up" and back off at combinations? What kind of scope does your horse have? Will you need to add a little pace to cross the wider jumping efforts? What about his jumping style? Can you get right up to the base of a vertical, or are you going to have to be extra careful with your upper body, and try to leave him a little room with his front end? Know your rideability! Some horses build as they go around the course, while others run out of gas. You may need to pinpoint some places on the course where you can re-group with a strong half halt, or rev the engine again to maintain enough energy. How well does your horse shorten his step? How many strides will it take you to open or shorten his stride? This will dictate the possibility of adding a step in a line to create a more careful effort, or possibly leaving one out in the jump-off for a faster time. The idea of walking the course is not just to memorize the sequence of jumps, but to come up with a plan you can execute that translates into a smooth track and gives your horse the best chance at a clear round, and thrifty jump off.

The Basics

Make sure you walk early enough that you can analyze the course thoroughly without feeling rushed. It's best to memorize the track before the course is set so that when you go out for the walk you are doing more than just figuring out where the next jump is. Be ready to walk as soon as the course is open to do so. If you go early in the jump order, it is wise to already have started your warm up before walking the course. Don't forget to memorize the jump off as well, as you will want to walk that track too.

As soon as the course is open, get out there and survey where you are going to spend your 45 seconds before the buzzer rings. If the ring is big, and the first jump is clear at the other end, you are going to need to use your time efficiently. We like to plan on cantering forward immediately upon entering the ring so that we have set a positive tone for the course to follow.

If there is an area that we have pinpointed as particularly spooky, or a tricky turn we are planning in the jump off, this is our opportunity to give our horse a "heads up"! We will canter by a very spooky area to give a green horse a first look and positive reinforcement before he meets it on course. On a more seasoned horse, we will practice a tough turn we are planning by cantering the track we plan, next to the jumps involved. With a very strong, heavy, or keen horse, we will usually find a place that we can halt from the canter, and back a few steps. This serves as a reminder to get off their front end, and that rideability will be enforced throughout the ride. Once you have determined your pre-course track, you need to address the course itself.

The course designer's job is to create a pattern using a series of jumping efforts of varying styles, and related by various striding, and turns. It is up to the rider to determine the questions that the designer is asking, and execute them in a manner that leaves the jumps up within the time allowed. To get an idea of the track that will keep you within the allotted time, watch the course designer when he wheels the course, and be sure to ride a canter that is well in front of your leg.

There are two basic jump styles. Upright or vertical efforts ask for a careful jump with elevation, whereas spread jumps, or oxers, ask for an effort that not only has elevation, but width as well. These types of efforts are arranged in a manner that will ask for scope, adjustability, cleverness, and straightness. To help determine which questions are being asked, make sure you are able to "walk" properly.

The basis that we use when walking is that the horse has an average stride length of 12', and needs 6' for take off and 6' for landing. Therefore we learn to walk a 3' step. To train yourself to the 3' step, mark off increments of 3' in your hallway at home, and practice walking them so that you have developed a sense for it. Of course, that is only a starting point... a bigger show ring will mean a more open stride, and not all horses will have a perfect 12' stride. This is where knowing your horse comes in to play. After walking the related distances, you should have an idea of some of the questions you are being asked to answer. Determine which lines are set on a more galloping stride, and which ones are set short.

The hardest adjustments are the ones that are part of shorter combinations of jumps. If a combination is set on course that is oxer, one shorter stride to another oxer, and two longer strides to a vertical, then you will need a horse that has enough scope to jump across the second oxer off a shortened stride, and then stretch to make the vertical without getting flat and knocking it down. It is your job as the rider to ride a canter, and a distance into this sort of combination, and have enough rideability in between to get this done.

Other examples of rideability questions would be a water jump, and then five quiet strides to a vertical. The water would promote you to stretch your horse's canter out and ride hard across the effort, but would then leave you very little time to regroup for the careful effort at the vertical. Bending tracks can also be tricky. The striding will work comfortably on a certain track, and unless you are able to keep your horse straight and guide him on the correct track, the distance can get very long, or very deep at the second effort. Look for visual landmarks that will help you ride the correct track throughout the course.

The last thing to take into account when walking is the terrain, and how that may affect your performance. Look at the surface to determine whether there could be areas on course that may be slick, and require a very balanced ride. Look at the slope. A downhill slope will carry the horse, and get him to the second jump of a related distance faster, and possibly on his forehand... be sure to remind yourself of keeping your weight back here! An uphill slope will do the opposite, and may require a stronger ride from your leg. If you are jumping on grass, you will want to look closely at the condition of the ring to determine which caulks will give your horse the best traction.

Next month we'll discuss different types of jumps and give you pointers on how to ride them!