CRISIS ON COURSE:
What to Do When Things Go Wrong.
by Margaret Bennett
Republished with
permission from Horse Sport
Challenge Yourself and Your Horse
Both riders and horses
can get "too comfortable" training at home, declares Underhill,
who recommends "work on lots and lots of patterns and memory
exercises such as riding extended patterns and courses, jumping unusual
lines and fences on angles." As well as being good jump-off practice,
the latter is excellent for developing responsiveness "horse
and rider mental dexterity" she says. Practicing complex courses
at home also helps eliminate rider stress over remembering courses
at a show. "Memorizing a course should be a given, learned through
lots of practice" emphasizes Underhill.
Concentrate on Riding, Not Competing
Learn to concentrate
on riding, not the competition, recommends Hodges. Otherwise, riders
put themselves at a disadvantage. Professional riders learn to block
out outside influences confirms Underhill. "They concentrate
100% on the job, the course and what's going on underneath them."
A Horse is a Horse
On the equine reaction
to unusual competitive events and objects Plitz stresses, "Riders
need to understand that a horse reacts out of instinct." Grasping
that concept is a "two-step process," she explains. "Students
learn first to ride a horse, then they have to learn how to think
like a horse." Once riders start to see the world as a horse
sees it, they are able to anticipate problem circumstances, such as
a white jump bathed in sunlight, or an unusually bright patch of grass.
Hodges adds it's essential to remember that a "horse is a horse"
with only the rider to solve its problems.
Trainers and Coaches
"The best thing
trainers and coaches can do to solve potential competitive crises
is teach their riders to fix their own problems, so they have the
knowledge and experience to solve situations when they arise,"
says Hodges. "Safety is also an important responsibility for
instructors" add Sainsbury. A trainer should not send a nervous
person out on a horse with a known problem such as spookiness. "That's
just throwing them both into the deep end."
Prepare, Focus and Ride
Experts agree when
it comes to coping with a crisis on course. At the show, competitors
should: analyze the problem, get control and continue. At home, riders
can prepare for competitive reality with intelligent training and
conscientious practice in varied environments, both natural and artificial.
Gaining experience though persistence in solving daily schooling problems
counts. Competition, like life, is not perfect. Be prepared, give
it your best, and ride on!
This article assumes any issues
of horse and rider safety have been resolved.
A Case Study in Calm
You could tell that
the horse did not like the ring from the beginning of their round.
Ivar, Ian Millar's talented Pan Am gold-medal-winning mount is, nonetheless,
a little green and very high strung.
Coming around to the first fence in the Table C speed class at last
year's World Cup Final in Las Vegas, Ivar "never quite got his
eye on the first jump - he was switching leads and not focussing on
what he was doing," explained Millar. Perhaps the arena, where
the audience is above the horses' heads, had a bearing on Ivar's reaction.
The result? He hit the lower front rail "with a pretty hard rub
which in itself is unusual," said Millar.
After this shaky start, Millar rode Ivar with tact and skill developed
over the past 35 or so years to finish with no further fences down.
"If a horse and/or rider are in a crisis situation, it becomes
critical for at least one of them to stay completely calm, or else
there could be disastrous results. After hitting the first fence,
Ivar was obviously distracted a lot so from that point on it became
my job to the the calming influence and guide him around the rest
of the course. I needed to be the soothing voice of reason in communicating
with the horse."
How Did Millar Do It?
"I made soft adjustments and at every opportunity tried to build
his confidence - and his calm. I would balance softly, where necessary.
If I needed to go forward I gave slightly stronger aids than normal.
When I needed to come back, I made sure my restraining aids were as
gentle as possible. You have to be aware and be prepared that once
a horse becomes upset, you will likely be dealing with overreactions
and you must adjust accordingly.
"Ivar has a lot of scope and talent but he is very sensitive
because of the Thoroughbred in his bloodlines. Once he has had more
experience and has matured more he will channel his energy and personality
to work together with me. That process isn't complete yet."
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