Horse&Rider Magazine – February 2016

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Photos: Bob Atkins and Trevor Meeks

In the saddle

Winter

PART TWO

Stuck for ideas when schooling on winter evenings?

Horse&Rider comes to the rescue with four fun, quick exercises from top trainers – one for each week – to improve your horse’s way of going and your riding, too

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This month’s experts

International Grand Prix dressage rider Anna Ross shows you how to change the way you apply aids to help your horse become more responsive

Eventer Lucinda Fredericks explains how to use a tiny jump in schooling sessions to keep your horse’s focus on his work and improve his body awareness

Dressage trainer Tania Grantham shares an exercise to help improve your accuracy and your horse’s balance, and develop his simple changes, too

Dressage rider Dan Greenwood has a great exercise to encourage your horse to stay in front of your leg, as well as improving his contact on the outside rein

he Horse&Rider team knows only too well how demotivating the long, dark nights can be, but there are plenty of fun ways to make the time fly by and improve your horse’s way of going at the same time. Here are four new ways to challenge yourself and your horse.

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As told to Louise Kittle. Photos: Louise Siggers-Solheim. With thanks to Petplan Equine for their help with this feature, petplanequine.co.uk

PART THREE In this feature. . .

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➤ How to jump ditches with confidence

In the saddle

➤ Improve your cross-country riding technique ➤ Riding balanced turns Our expert

With 13 medals at the Olympics, World and European Championships, plus six Badminton wins, Lucinda Green is an eventing legend.

There’s not much she doesn’t know about cross-country, and her clinics help riders of all levels make the most of their horse and have a safe and fun trip across country.

Cross-country PART 3: DITCHES

the safe way with Lucinda Green

A safe cross-country round is a successful one, but all too often nerves or lack of experience can get in the way of a good time. Lucinda Green demystifies the trickiest jumps you’ll find out on course

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hink about the big three-day events – where do the crowds gather? Burghley’s Leaf Pit, Badminton’s Lake and the infamous Burghley Cottesmore Leap.

Steps, water and ditches are where things often come unstuck. But follow my simple techniques for building your horse’s confidence – and your own – and you’ll be sailing around courses in no time. This month, I help you tackle ditches.

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With thanks to the Animal Health Trust for their help with this feature, aht.org.uk

Ask a vet

Our expert

Laura Jones BVSc MRCVS is a Junior Clinician at the Animal Health Trust. She works in all areas of lameness and poor performance evaluation, and has a particular interest in radiography and MRI.

motion Poetry in

As you watch your horse gallop around his field, it’s difficult to imagine all the muscles, tendons and ligaments in his body that work hard to enable this to happen. Vet Laura Jones from the Animal Health Trust explains what goes on behind the scenes

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orses are so beautiful to watch – powerful yet graceful, fast yet agile.

But under your horse’s skin, his muscles, tendons and ligaments – collectively called his musculoskeletal system – are hard at work creating this seemingly effortless athleticism. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of poor performance in horses, so understanding the components of your horse’s musculoskeletal system is the first step to keeping him comfortable and working well.

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FIT TO

RIDE It can be hard to find the time to keep yourself fit, especially when you’re riding less during winter.

Follow our three-part exercise series to maximise your strength and condition in as little as 30 minutes

Photos: Bob Atkins

Always warm up and cool down properly to avoid injury. Go to bit.ly/fit-to-ride-extra for our complete guide.

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Management know-how

WORKOUT ONE

This is the entry level workout. Over the next two issues, the exercises will become progressively harder. If you struggle with any of the exercises, taper them down to suit you.

Press-ups on your knees

Bodyweight squats

Step one

Step one

10 reps

Keeping your elbows into your sides, lower your chest to the ground, keeping your head in line with your body.

CIRCUIT ONE

10 reps

Keep your chest up, your knees over your feet and don’t lift your heels. Imagine you’re sitting down in a chair. Your knees should end at right angles.

Perform each exercise one after another. Repeat the circuit three times with no rest between each set.

Technique

This circuit is designed to get your heart, lungs and muscles working, and focus the effort on your large muscle groups. Keep a regular rhythm and try to keep your speed up, too.

Step two

Pull your tummy muscles in and don’t allow your back to arch. You should pivot on your knees with a straight back.

Walking step-ups 10 reps (each leg) Step one

Step two

Start with your right leg, step up, then bring your left leg onto the step and step off with the right.

To stand up again, squeeze your bottom and push your feet into the ground hard.

Coaching points

Push your hips forward so that your shoulders are over your hands, and your knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line.

Coaching points

Step two

Imagine you’re running onto the box and then back off as quickly as you can. Keep your speed up and pump your arms, too.

Stand with your feet directly below your hips and parallel with each other. Keep the weight in your heels and the balls of you feet. Lift your toes into the top of your shoe to prevent you from falling forwards.

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