Horse&Rider Magazine – June 2019

In this feature. . .

➤ Introduce

your horse to skinny fences

As told to Bethany Searby. Photos: Adam Fanthorpe.

Mind the gap Minimising the challenge of skinnies will help you manage your horse’s reaction to them, avoid costly run-outs and gain confidence as a partnership, says Ros Canter

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kinnies are up there as one of the most common bogey fences, but by building them from the ground up in training, you’ll soon learn that they don’t require any special treatment.

Going back to basics isn’t necessarily just for younger horses.

Many older horses have limited experience with skinny fences,

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too. They tend to be somewhat forgotten in training and horses are often only confronted with them in competition, where the high-pressure setting can cause problems. When riding a new horse, it’s a good idea to treat skinny fences as a brand new lesson because it’s likely you won’t know how often he’s encountered them in the past.

➤

In the saddle

➤ Keep

him straight and accurate ➤ Practise your cross-country skills Our model

10-year-old Pencos Crown Jewel (Jas) was sired by Jumbo and is owned by Kate James and Annie Makin. The 16.2hh mare made the step-up to CCI4* last year, finishing in the top 25 at Millstreet in an impressive debut.

Our expert

Ros Canter has made a name for herself on the eventing scene. As well as her team and individual eventing golds at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, she’s also racked up several top-five completions at CCI5* in recent years.

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In this feature. . .

Our expert

Spencer Wilton was part of the British team that won silver at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, with his top horse Super Nova II. This was followed by team bronze at the World Equestrian Games in 2018.

As told to Rachel Dyke. Photos: Jon Stroud

Our model

Darren Hicks is an eventer-turned-dressage rider. He’s riding Zaire LH, who’s owned by Alex and Marcia Mouradain and is competing at Novice level.

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➤ Teach

your horse to stretch into the contact

In the saddle

➤ Get

his focus back on you ➤ Develop your lateral work

Take it easy Is your horse prone to being spooky, tense or nervous?

Spencer Wilton explains how to get him relaxed and focused

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ust like people, some horses are naturally Safety zone more highly strung than others, and If your horse isn’t paying attention to you, the best there are those who always seem to find thing to do is to work on a 20m circle. The continuity monsters and other horse-eating of working in a small area will build his hazards lurking nearby. This confidence far more than facing the whole spooky, tense behaviour can make arena, with all its potential hazards, at TOP TIP schooling difficult and a relaxed, once. A nervous horse is constantly Keep changing what rhythmical dressage test can seem out distracted by his surroundings, so the you’re doing so your of the question. key to helping him relax is directing horse can’t switch off and However, if you know how to get his focus towards what you’re asking. go back to looking for their attention, these horses are just as What makes this happen will vary monsters. capable of producing tension-free work from horse to horse and rider to rider, as any other. All you need is some patience, but anything that keeps him focused will plus a few handy tools and tips in your arsenal. help. Include lots of transitions and some basic lateral work to help establish a connection and encourage him to listen and respond.

Once this connection is in place, you can move DID YOU KNOW? to a different part of the arena. If your horse is The trials and tribulations of riding a nervous connected from your leg to hand, while he might horse are something that I’m very familiar still look at things, hopefully he’ll have enough with – my top horse, Super Nova II (Neville), confidence in you to go past what’s spooking him. is a notoriously sensitive character.

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Footloose Loose jumping might seem labour intensive to begin with, but there are many benefits for your horse. Fizz Marshall helps you get started

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llowing young horses to jump free of a rider requires them to operate independently, look at what’s in front of them and work the problem out for themselves. For older horses, loose jumping gives an additional option for gymnastic exercise and offers variety to their workload. It can also provide a means of building your horse’s confidence if he’s worried about a particular type of fence or filler.

In all cases, being able to watch your horse jumping allows you to look objectively at his technique and relate this to whatever you feel under saddle. Doing this means you can plan how to improve on any of his weaknesses.

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Photos: Jon Stroud

Our expert

Fizz Marshall worked with all types of horse in her six years as Centre Manager at the Equine Therapy Centre at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. More recently she’s worked for racehorse trainer Jonjo O’Neill and as Yard Manager for Carl Hester.

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In the saddle

Watching your horse jumping allows you to look objectively at his technique and relate this to what you feel under saddle

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