Sally Cousins is a well known rider and coach here in the US and Sally has been a good friend of Eventing Nation from our early days. To learn more about Sally, check out her website. Sally will be guest writing a series of short posts on various eventing topics for Eventing Nation over the next few weeks. This is the third of her posts and it covers the walking and preparation for cross-country. Our East coast readers are used to seeing Sally at one-day events with 49 horses and most of them typically finish in the top 2. Sally’s experience provides great advice for planning and preparedness for riders from the beginners to the pros. Thanks for writing this Sally and thank you for reading.
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From Sally:
When I get ready to walk the cross country course, I try to keep in mind what my goals are for that event. If the horse is green at the level or just moving up, I would likely be pleased with a confident ride. If I need a clear round for qualification purposes, I might play it a little “safe” even if that means I might not place well. If I have had some troubles in my training recently, it might cause me to change my plan and possibly take an option.
Before I walk the course, I always remember to get a course map. This saves a lot of wandering around and also helps with additional information about mandatory flags, black flag options, or simply how many jumps there are. Before I ride the cross country I always check the speed and time on the course. Sometimes that is included on the map other times I find out at the secretary’s stand.
For me cross country riding is about risk management. For example, if I cut this corner I may save 3 seconds, but I could risk a run out. This is where it is important to evaluate you and your horse’s strengths and weaknesses. If my horse tends to run out to the left, I would not trim a right turn, but instead I would make a larger turn so I could protect the horse from possibly popping the left shoulder and running out.
Most horses tend to run out one way. It is really unfortunate to find yourself riding an ambidextrous horse. As a rule of thumb, if I have a combination, skinny, or corner, I will give myself four straight strides in the approach. That gives you enough time if the horse starts to waver to do something about straightening him again. I also keep in mind how long it takes for me to get the horse from the gallop to the canter speed and balance I will need for the jump. The harder the horse pulls, the longer it takes to rebalance or slow them down. Each time we touch the reins, a second is lost in time. The fastest horses on course are not necessarily the fastest gallopers, but the ones that are easy to set up.
For the galloping types of jumps, I evaluate when I need to set up by looking at the “face” of the jump. Some galloping jumps have a good ground line and a sloping face–that type of jump would require less organization than an upright face . The more vertical the jump the more balanced you would have to be. If there is a coffin or a combination, that would require even more time spent achieving the canter necessary for the question. It is always better to set up too soon than to find out the horse has become “hard of hearing” and is ignoring repeated requests to organize. As a rule of thumb, the further I get into the course the stronger the aids need to be. That is why rider fitness is so important–as the horses get tired we need to be able to be stronger if needed.
If I have a jump without height (ditch , a bank down or into water) I will often trot a green horse. Sometimes the greener horse is distracted and only sees the jump at the last minute and quickly stops. I am not a big fan of becoming a human projectile if I can help it!
When walking the course, I also think about how much of the course is in the woods, since weaving through trees and narrow paths can really make the time hard to make. Also, I consider the number of jumps on the course and how many minutes I have to complete it. At the upper levels, 23 jumps in 6:30 usually gives enough time between the jumps to make up time lost in the woods or setting up for combinations. 23 jumps in 5:30 means in order to get the time you will need to be quick in the turns and efficient setting up. At the end of the day a few time faults can really change the placings.
When I am on course, I may find that my horse isn’t going the way I hoped. I might then change my ride, slow down, or maybe take an option. When I walk I find out where the options are on any of the jumps in case I end up having to take them. Even on a good horse mistakes happen and knowing the way out can make the difference of finishing or not. If the course is really not going well, I will just pull the horse up. There is no point in taking unnecessary risks. Good coaching and experience can help us make smart decisions.
