Win at Your Next Horse Show
Max Eisenberg, of Calera, Al., has worked with youth and amateur riders for 14 years. He says that there are many ways to improve your accuracy before you even get on your horse. Eisenberg recommends bicycle riding as a way to improve your accuracy. Since one of the most common, as well as the most easily botched components of the pattern class is the circle, it pays to have that movement down cold. Practice perfectly round circles on your bicycle, transitioning from a straight line to a circle and back to a straight line, then change directions. There is no way to ride a perfect circle if you do not know what one looks, and feels like.
Once you are on horseback, there are many things that you can do to improve your accuracy.
Probably the most important factor in improving the quality of your rides is having a ground person to help regularly. While many of the recommended exercises can be done without help, having a second set of eyes on the ground really is invaluable. You do not even need a trainer, but a friend, parent, or riding buddy to provide insight on how things look from the ground will help more than any other single factor. Let them know what you are working on and, most importantly, accept their assessment of your riding with appreciation. It is truly impossible to have an accurate idea of what your riding looks like from on the ground while your riding. If possible occasionally have your helper videotape your rides.
Now you are ready to get to work. Before you get on your horse cut a pattern in the grass with a lawn mower. You have your perfect pattern. Practice keeping your horse in the track of mown grass. Another exercise Eisenberg likes is to set out five cones down the long side of the arena. At each cone complete a transition, walk, trot, jog, canter, lope, halt. Mix it up so that your horse does not start to anticipate your request, and aim to complete your transition just as your horse’s front shoulder reaches the cone.
Dana Chapman, an instructor from Lebanon, TN, helps many youth and amateur riders prepare for pattern classes, agrees on the importance of transitions. She feels that transitions are a weak point in many pattern classes, and should be practiced judiciously. We are probably all guilty of letting our horses lope around the ring a half dozen times while we let our mind wander. The important point to remember is that work done at home is critical to a successful pattern class. If you cannot get transitions at home, they are not going to get any better in the show ring. If you know your horse requires a strong leg to get the up transitions, work on that at home, but also know once you get in the ring how insistent and how soon to ask. The same applies for the down transitions. If your horse has a tendency to get heavy or not listen, work on it at home, but be sure that you know how and when to ask for that transition in the ring in order to get in on the marker.
Another tip that Chapman recommends is to know what may be asked for in the equitation or horsemanship ring. By being familiar with the tests that the judge is permitted to ask you and your horse to do, you can practice these exercises at home so that the only difference when you get in the ring will be the order the exercises are in. All of the exercises allowed are listed in the AQHA handbook. Make a list of the exercises and practice a few of them every day. Chances are that there will be many of them you will never be asked to do, but knowing that you can will go a long way in improving your confidence in the ring.
Probably the easiest way to improve your accuracy is to improve your riding ability. The purpose of equitation and horsemanship is to produce effective riders. The best way to become an effective rider is by consistent practice. Practice on the lunge line. Spend 20 minutes several times a week just working on your own form. Let your trainer, friend or other ground person worry about controlling your horse. You sit up and concentrate on your position.
Another warm up activity is riding while standing in the stirrups or in the two point position. This is very effective at developing leg strength and endurance but to work correctly you must maintain the proper position (meaning a straight line running from hip to knee to ankle) and hold that position for a long enough period to develop the muscles. Eisenberg recommends his riders work up to one mile standing in the stirrups every time they ride. Taking the time to work on your position and strength with every ride will add the extra confidence and polish that can determine the winner in a tight class.
To greatly improve your riding proficiency, learn to feel where your horse’s legs are at all times. Not only is this necessary in getting the correct diagonal and lead consistently, but by being in tune with your horse your movements will be much more accurate. By knowing exactly where your horse’s inside hind leg is, for example, you will be able to hit the walk- canter transition right at the marker. Likewise, if you know when your horse is stepping into a trot you can pick up the correct diagonal immediately rather than having to change or looking down to check.
Once again this is a time when it is helpful to have a ground person to help. Starting at the walk pick a leg and say “now” each time it comes off the ground. Practice with your helper until you can accurately state where any of your horse’s legs are at any time, at any gait. This may take a while, and some people find it easier than others, but continue to work on it several times a week for a few minutes at a time, and eventually you will feel confident.
Another point to keep in mind during equitation and horsemanship classes is that you will have the judge’s eyes on you for the entire time you are doing the pattern. It is not enough to know the pattern. Know how you are going to ride the pattern. If your horse is a little heavy on the bit or not incredibly sensitive to the leg, allow for that. Work on those problems at home, but once you are at a show, work with what you have. If your horse is slow off of your leg, do a variety of transitions before going in the ring to get him listening. By the same token a horse that can get too excited may benefit from some quiet circles shortly before going into the ring. The key is to know what works for your horse.
One major problem for many riders is that they are only able to ride two or three days a week. Riding, like any other athletic pursuit, puts demands on your body. You have to be fit enough to ride your horse at 100% every time that you step in to the ring. If your legs are sliding forward in your downward transitions, you cannot cover that up. If your upper body collapses when you are trotting without stirrups, that is a fitness issue. Even if you can ride every day, you may find that this does not provide enough physical activity to ride your best. Many people find that running, pilates or weight lifting all make excellent additions to their fitness programs and complement the muscles used in riding.
One last consideration when looking to improve your pattern class performance is the frequency of your riding. While it may not be realistic to ride six or seven days a week, the more often you ride and the better you know your horse, the more successful your class will be. By really knowing your horse well you can assess his mood easily, tell if he is listening today, or if he is spooky or sulky. By knowing your horse you know how much you can ask for from your horse. When you and your horse are working together as a team, you can ask for, and get, a little more from him. This boldness is another factor Eisenberg likes to see in his riders. Go into the ring expecting to nail your ride, knowing you have prepared yourself and your horse for your best possible performance.
