Horse&Rider Magazine – March 2021

In this feature. . .

➤ Create

an effective warm-up checklist

Straighten up with Jay Halim

While there’s no single quality that’ll guarantee you a clear round, there’s one that’s sure to increase your odds.

Its name? Straightness, of course As told to Rebecca Philpot. Photos: Jon Stroud

I

f the formula for consistent clear rounds could be bottled and sold, the maker would be a multi-millionaire. However, while it’s often clear by the end of a course at exactly what point the wheels started falling off, other times you might watch a seemingly flawless round and come away scratching your head as to why the poles rolled more easily for this combination than the rest. The most likely diagnosis? A lack of straightness.

Even a slight hint of unevenness can translate into more faults than you can add up on both hands.

What’s more, straightness is important no matter your discipline. While the tiniest lapses can be difficult to detect, by going back to basics every rider can make great improvements – all you need is a handful of poles.

Our expert

Jay Halim is a top British showjumper and much-loved equestrian personality. He balances producing his string of horses with teaching and coaching from his Cotswold base, as well as breeding sports horses under his JTH prefix.

Our model

➤

Duke is a five-year-old, Irish-bred gelding owned

by Claire and Raffaella Cook. He came to Jay’s yard for two weeks of schooling bootcamp.

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In the saddle

➤ Make

time-saving turns ➤ Use polework for straightness

A slight hint of unevenness can translate into more faults than you can count on both hands

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In this feature. . .

➤ Strengthen

and supple with shoulder-in

Maximising your movements part three

With winter well underway, why not challenge yourself to some higher level movements? Make sure you get it right with a helping hand from Alice Oppenheimer

Our expert

Alice Oppenheimer is an International Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer who produces and breeds dressage horses from her base, Headmore Stud.

W

hatever level you compete at, it’s always worth working beyond that when you’re in the comfort of your home arena. This not only takes the pressure off on show day, as you’ll already be more than confident with what’s asked of you in a test, but also boosts your marks because your horse’s way of going will have advanced beyond what’s required for your level of competition. So, why not give some thought to incorporating more advanced exercises – perhaps shoulder-in and walk pirouettes – into your sessions?

As told to Megan Hurley. Photos: Jon Stroud

Our model TOP TIP

Don’t rule out practising walk pirouettes and shoulder-in on a hack or in your jumping warm-up, too. They’ll have your horse supple and responsive, which will make a big difference to his way of going in all spheres.

Headmore Bella Ruby, or Bella, is an eight-year-old mare by Belissimo M out of Rubinsteena. She’s owned

by Sarah Oppenheimer.

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In the saddle

➤ Improve

the walk with pirouettes ➤ Train new movements

It’s essential that you maintain this relaxed, soft way of going

Ready to rumble

Even if moving on to more complicated movements is well within your grasp, you’ll still need to prepare your horse effectively with a suitable warm-up to make the most of your session. The two exercises I’m covering here – shoulder-in and walk pirouettes – both require suppleness aplenty and a good degree of impulsion, so it’s worth using the first few minutes to get your horse in the groove.

Always begin on a longer rein, working your horse forward and over his back to help him swing his quarters and cover the ground. Incorporate shapes and transitions to help supple him, very gradually working him up into the bridle and shortening his frame. It’s essential that you maintain this relaxed, soft way of going and forward-thinking movement when you begin asking for more collection.

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PERFORM WELL PART 1:

&

think well move well

Ever wondered how top riders maintain their mental wellbeing and how it might help you? Leonie Lightfoot and Jane Holden, from British Equestrian’s Perform Well programme, reveal all

Photos: Jon Stroud, FunKey Factory/Shutterstock.com. With thanks to British Equestrian for their help with this feature, visit britishequestrian.org.uk

Our experts

Leonie Lightfoot is a BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) accredited sport scientist and has a Masters degree in sports psychology. She’s been helping athletes on British Equestrian’s World Class Programme since 2016.

J

ust like your physical health, your mental health changes over time. If it starts to dip, it can affect your ability to cope with the normal stresses of daily life – running late for work, your horse ripping his new rug, or not having enough milk for that much-needed cup of tea. Sometimes the need to invest some time and energy in your wellbeing only becomes obvious when you overreact to one of those small incidents.

Taking measures to maintain your mental wellbeing – with a contingency plan if you find you’re struggling – will have a huge impact on your ability to perform, whether you’re riding at home or competing at the Olympic Games. Here are a few simple techniques designed to help calm a busy mind, nip negativity in the bud and keep you happy in the saddle and other areas of your life, too.

The best you can be Jane Holden is Performance Lifestyle Coach for the World Class Programme and is currently completing a PhD researching athlete lifestyle. She previously worked with England Hockey as a physiologist and is also a trained yoga instructor.

British Equestrian’s Perform Well programme was developed to support everyone from grooms and top riders to support staff and the wider equestrian community. Each month, we’ll offer practical tips to help you take responsibility for your mental wellbeing and perform at your best, whatever level you ride at.

This three-part series will focus on the key building blocks that make up Perform Well, starting with...

• part one Think Well and Move Well • part two Recover Well and Eat Well • part three Live Well and Connect Well

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Mind matters

By building 5-10 minutes of contemplation into the start of your day, you can plan ahead and decide how you wish to act

Question time

Thinking systems

Our brains have two independent thinking systems, with often clashing agendas...

• a primitive, survival-focused system, incorporating the amygdala and orbito-frontal cortex, which enables emotional thinking – often leading to irrational thoughts and impulsive behaviours • a logical, rational system, based in the frontal lobe, which works with facts and evidence and helps us to be the best version of ourselves The survival-focused system uses the fight, flight or freeze response, which is helpful in dangerous situations, but often

less than convenient in day-to-day life – for example, it’s this response that might make your mind go blank before your dressage test. This system seeks instant gratification – it considers no long-term consequences, meaning it can disrupt the plans and intentions that you’ve rationally thought out.

You do have influence over which brain system to listen to, though, and this starts with being able to recognise unhelpful and unwanted thinking. Ask yourself if this is how you want to feel or behave – if the answer’s no, then your primitive, emotional system is likely in control.

One way to help free yourself from the survival-focused thinking system is to use daily contemplation time to identify your ideal mindset for the course of the day ahead. Ask yourself…

• how do I want to think, feel and behave today?

• what personal qualities and values do I want to demonstrate?

• is there anything in my day that might stop me from being the person I want to be?

• what plans do I have in place to manage this?

By building 5–10 minutes of contemplation into the start of your day, you’re able to plan ahead and decide how you wish to act, rather than impulsively reacting to situations.

Make this a habit by allocating it a specific point in your routine, such as during breakfast.

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