HORSE AND RIDER
PHOTOGRAPHY: MERLYNN TRICHARDT
READY FOR TAKE OFF
GET YOUR DISTANCES RIGHT
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howjumpers commonly talk about ‘seeing’ distances when jumping. The problem with this approach is that it only deals with what happens in the immediate vicinity of the jump, and if you struggle to ‘see’ the distance you can find yourself in a flat panic on top of the fence. Much more important than the take-off stride itself is actually the strides that come before it, through the corner and from the landing of the previous jump. After all, as many have said before, jumping is just flatwork with some obstacles in the way. There are two key elements that affect the take-off spot and thus the ‘seeing of distances’. These are the quality of the gait with which you approach the fence, and secondly, the track that you take to the fence. Here we examine both and give you an exercise to work on, which will help make ‘seeing your distances’ much less nerve-wracking.
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QUALITY GAITS
The quality of the canter is defined by two main components: rhythm and balance. Balance is created through the use of half-halts, regardless of the speed of the canter. Horses naturally carry 60% of their weight on their forehand and 40% on the hind end. It is our job as riders to shift the additional 20% on the front legs towards the hindlegs to try and reverse this balance. The way we do this is predominantly through the use of well-timed half-halts. A half-halt serves as a check, rebalancing the weight of the horse and in effect, tipping the weight back where it needs to be. Balance of the canter also, of course, has an effect on the rhythm of the canter: a horse that has more weight on the forehand will gain momentum and become faster and faster through no fault of his own. However, the two components
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