Southern Pines!! Photo by Jamie Gornall.
I decided this time around with my four-year-old OTTB to start him over fences in a completely different way than I’ve ever done before. In an attempt to make a horse that is fairly self sufficient and confident from the beginning, I’ve taught him to jump completely on the line, without a rider. Today I’m taking him cross country schooling for the first time, or rather, I’m having my friend Cali school him on a long line up and down banks, into water, and over his first cross country obstacles. Time will tell if this experiment works, but I think I’m on the right track so far.
National Holiday: National Get Over It Day
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Southern Pines H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Results]
Red Hills International CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Results]
Full Gallop H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Results]
News From Around the Globe:
Red Hills weekend!! Nothing is quite so glamorous early in the year as Red Hills, and it is certainly a destination event every year. Did you know that Phillip Dutton has won the CIC3* here an astonishing six times? Can he do it for the 7th time on I’m Sew Ready? Dressage action starts today at 8am sharp, prepare yourselves. [Red Hills Fast Facts]
If you want to see the best ISO Horse ad in the entire history of the internet…look no further. We got you covered. [Horse Nation]
Ahhh, training a young horse to stand quietly on the trailer at shows. This can be one of the most frustrating training activities to participate in, especially if you have a horse that is rather opposed to the idea. They can really get into protesting. Jason Webb of Australian Horse Training has some excellent pointers that I will personally be using in the future of how to help a horse with anxiety and/or impatience about standing quietly on the trailer. [How Do I Get My Horse To Stand Quietly on the Horsebox?]
Schramm Sesh of the Week
Jimmie and Dom Schramm have teamed up with Kentucky Equine Research to provide an inside look into their conditioning program using KER ClockIt Sport. Each week we’ll share an example ride and some notes of what the Schramms look for as their horses progress.
This week Jimmie and Eclaire, a 7-year-old German Sport Horse, put in a final XC school in preparation for Rocking Horse HT.
“With this schooling the aim was to just touch on all the questions,” Jimmie said. In her final school before an event, Jimmie likes to string together several exercises in a row to replicate the real cross-country day experience. “I always build through the exercises, working from the easier questions to more technical,” she explained.
Jimmie presented Eclaire with three sets. She took short breaks in between, both to allow the mare to recover physically and “digest mentally what she has learned in hopes that it carries over to the next question.”
“She felt particularly good this day, very focused and listening really well,” Jimmie said. “She loves to run so sometimes not taking over is difficult for her, but she was spot on!”
Check back next week for another Schramm Sesh! Want to gain insight into your horse’s fitness? Try KER ClockIt Sport. The free app helps take the guesswork out of equine fitness by monitoring heart rate, speed, distance and altitude during rides. EN’s guides to the app explain all the details: 7 Reasons to Download KER ClockIt Sport and How To Get the Most Out of KER ClockIt Sport.
