Galop 5In the saddle
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02How the horse learnsKnowledge
- 03Pied, spotted, additionsKnowledge
- 04The skeletonKnowledge
- 05The musclesKnowledge
- 06DigestionKnowledge
- 07SIRE, microchip and registersKnowledge
- 08Presenting in handOn foot
- 09Lunging and long-reiningOn foot
- 10Loading and stable bandagesOn foot
- 11The riding basicsIn the saddle
- 12TransitionsKnowledge
- 13The leg-yieldIn the saddle
- 14The dressage partIn the saddle
- 15Snaffle bitsKnowledge
- 16The jumping partIn the saddle
- 17The cross-country partIn the saddle
- 18RevisionRevision
Show-jumping fences and the jumping part
In the jumping part, clearing fences one at a time is no longer enough: you have to link them, in an even rhythm and on a track you have chosen. And, first of all, know what they are called.
In the exam programme
- Name the main show-jumping fences.Specific part
- Be steady and supple at the canter, through varied grids of about 90 cm and through sequences of fences.Show jumping
- Canter with the right cadence and speed through a 75 cm course.Show jumping
- Control the canter through sequences of fences and combinations.Show jumping
- Change gait between fences.Show jumping
- Steer on an exact track, in an even cadence, through a sequence of fences.Show jumping
- Ride a Club 3 show-jumping or Hunter round, or the equivalent Pony class, fluently.Show jumping
The main show-jumping fences
Cross-pole
Two poles in an X guide to the middle.
Upright
Poles in a single plane.
Planks
Painted planks on flat cups.
Gate
An open panel of slats.
Wall
A solid upright of light blocks.
Square oxer
Two planes at the same height.
Ascending oxer
The back plane higher than the front.
Triple bar
Three planes, each higher than the last.
Water jump
Water to clear in width, with no pole.
Upright over a Liverpool
A tray of water under the fence.
Double
Two elements one or two strides apart: 5a, 5b.
- The cross-pole
- Two poles crossed in an X, which guide the horse to the middle; mainly a schooling fence.
- The upright
- One or more poles in the same vertical plane. Also called a vertical.
- The planks
- An upright made of painted planks resting on flat cups: they fall at the slightest touch.
- The gate
- An upright made of an open, slatted panel.
- The wall
- A solid upright, built of light blocks that fall if the horse touches them.
- The oxer
- Two sets of poles, one behind the other: a spread fence. Square if both are the same height, ascending if the back one is higher.
- The triple bar
- Three sets of poles of increasing height: a wide fence, jumped in the direction it rises.
- The water jump
- A stretch of water to be cleared in width, with no pole above it.
- The Liverpool
- A water tray or blue sheet placed under or in front of a fence: it looks far worse than it is.
- Combinations
- Two fences (a double) or three (a treble) one or two strides apart; they carry the same number followed by a letter: 5a, 5b, 5c.
Remember
The red flag goes on the right, the white flag on the left, in the direction of jumping. An upright or a wall can be jumped either way; an ascending oxer or a triple bar, only in the direction they rise.
What you show
- Steady and supple at the canter and through grids of about 90 cm: you go with the horse’s movement without getting in its way or losing your own balance.
- The right rhythm and speed on a 75 cm course: a regular canter, neither rushed nor flat.
- A controlled canter through related fences and combinations.
- Changes of gait between fences, for example a spell of trot, then canter picked up again in time for the next approach.
- An accurate track in an even rhythm, then a Club 3 show-jumping or Hunter round ridden fluently.
Riding a course
- Walk the courseBefore the class, walk the course: numbers, flags, straight lines, curves, where to turn after each fence. Choose your track and your markers.
- Set up the canterFrom the start, find your course canter: active, regular, balanced. That is what will give you good approaches.
- Look aheadOver each fence, already look for the next one: the horse lands on the right lead and the track draws itself.
- Keep the rhythmBetween fences, rebalance without breaking the rhythm; in a combination, stay steady and let the horse take its strides.
- FinishCross the finish line at the canter, then come back to trot and walk, making much of your horse.
Did you know?
In Hunter classes there is no clock: a judge marks the regularity of the canter, the fluency, the accuracy of the track and of the approaches, and the style of the whole round. It is an excellent school of precision.
Common mistake
Throwing yourself forward before the fence, or speeding up at every approach. The horse goes disunited, falls onto its shoulders and jumps flat. Stay with it, your upper body over your seat, until it takes off.