Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: What are the most important factors of planning the entrance and opening track to the first jump?
Here are their answers:
“One of the most common challenges that riders face in the hunter and equitation divisions is “first-jump-itis”—an obsessive preoccupation with the distance to the first jump. As a coach, I hate talking about finding distances. After all, the elusive “perfect distance” is nothing more than the natural byproduct of setting the correct pace, establishing straightness in one’s horse, riding the proper track, and maintaining a canter rhythm.
That’s all easier said than done of course, but I find it helpful to shift the rider’s focus from the nebulous task of finding distances to the variables over which the rider has control: pace, straightness, track and rhythm.
As I make a plan for the entrance in any given class, I try to touch upon each of these elements. I have found that it’s helpful to give the rider landmarks in the ring. For example, “you should be up to pace as you’re passing the single oxer,” or “you should initiate the turn once you can see the Plaid Horse banner through the standards of your first jump.” In making the rider’s objectives as tractable as possible, the likelihood of success in the show ring is infinitely higher.”-Jesse Fortier
“Establish the canter you will need for the entire course. Don’t crawl to jump 1, make it impressive.”-Nicole Motes
“Have a simple plan for your horse & rider level. Trainers should review the plan for the round early enough that the rider can focus while walking in the ring.
Hunter ring
1. The USEF rulebook for Hunters & Equitation states one opening circle.
2. For Hunters I train walk to canter or trot to canter.
3. Focus on picking up the correct lead. While it sounds obvious, the wrong lead for a step or two happens frequently, and it’s a deduction in a rider’s overall round.
4. Set your pace in the opening circle, then find your straight line to the first fence, and then the distance.
Jumper ring
1. Pay attention to starting timers.
2. Take a tour of the ring and give your horse a preview of a turn or a few fences.
3. Time allowed related to courses today usually has a place to turn inside (dotted line) or tell you not to go to the end of the ring…know and review those instructions.
4. Set your pace, find the track or line to the first fence, then lastly, distance.
You will sometimes see people adjust their tack in the ring. Those are experts. Get your tack set outside of the ring so it is a non issue.”-Diane Carney
Read more from Diane and listen to her on the Plaidcast here.
“The most important factor that I tell all of my students to do on their opening circle is to go forward. If you want to be going 10 mph to the first fence, pick up your canter and get up to 12 mph, then slow down to 10.”-Gregory Franklin
Read more from Gregory here.
“I try not to over complicate things. First, what kind of horse is walking into the ring? If it’s a quiet horse, I’ll have my students do a large circle and not trot for too long, so they still have plenty of time to pick up the pace. If it’s a horse that gets going more as you go, I’ll suggest a longer walking period.
Unless it is a green horse, I like to keep it simple with a typical opening circle. With a greener horse, I have them spend more time walking in the ring so they have time to settle and take in their sights. If I have an extremely good mover, I’ll have them trot longer to show off the trot and to try to catch the judge’s attention.”-Randi Cashman
“The opening circle is more important than most students realize. Not only is it giving your horse a chance to see the ring and making sure you can get up to pace for the first jump, but it is also the judge’s first impression of you. If you come in looking like you have a plan, it can excite the judge and make them eager to watch what you want to show them.
You should enter the ring with confidence and knowing exactly where you want to go. Enter at a walk and then pick up a trot with energy. Let your horse trot by any jump that they might lack confidence towards, so it gives them a chance for you to reassure him before he gets to it and then strike a canter with purpose. Make sure you get the horse up to pace before you get to your first jump. Don’t lallygag around the ring. Your entrance should have purpose, but not be hectic. You want to let the judge know you have a plan and that you are ready to go to work.”-Colleen Brombach
Read more from Colleen here.
“Know your horse
Do they need a minute to breathe and read the room? Or do they need to get right to work? Does your horse have a great trot? If they do, show that on your opening circle. If they don’t– trot only a little and go right to the canter. Is the horse going to try to canter during the trot portion of your opening circle? If the answer to that last question is “yes”–keep going and pretend you meant to do that.
Know your track
Have a plan! Does the horse need to tour a bit? If so, plan a longer (but legal!) track. Be a tourist. Is there a jump they might not like? If yes, plan a track that takes you past that jump so they can side-eye it a little (but please don’t point them directly at it). Plan an opening circle that actually helps your horse relax and get their head in the game.
Get the right pace
Is the first jump off the left and coming home? If that’s the case, your horse will most likely be willing to step up to a good canter for jumping. Most horses tend to be straighter and a bit more forward to the left (that’s a whole other article). If it’s off the right and going away, you will likely need to work a bit harder to get up to a good canter.”-Daphne Thornton
Read more from Daphne and listen to her on the Plaidcast here.
“From a judge’s perspective, your entrance and opening track plays a big role in your score, as the first impression is everything! If you’re showing a hunter that has a nice trot, show that off with a nice half circle before picking up your canter. Once to the canter get up to pace (14mph), then establish a consistent rhythm to carry throughout the course.
If your horse doesn’t have a great trot, skip that. Once you walk (you will be eliminated if you trot or canter) through the ingate, take a moment for your horse to relax, take a breath, then get up to pace. Make sure your circle is large enough to establish the pace you need before settling into your rhythm.If the first jump is heading back towards the ingate, a circle isn’t always necessary. In this case, you could trot across the diagonal, then pick up the canter either through the collected trot or walk. Make sure to pick up the correct lead. Although it is NOT a major fault in the hunters, picking up the wrong lead in the equitation IS a major fault.”-Julie Winkel
Read more from Julie or listen to her on the Plaidcast here.
