Any advice on preparing for first BE Intro?

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Sunny_Star

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Just wondered if I need to prepare in any special way for this.
At the moment I'm having lessons once a week (alternating flat/jumping), hacking and schooling.
Any other things to do?
I will be going xc schooling before the event, and will be doing a hunter trial.
 
Nope you're doing brilliantly!! just go out there and enjoy yourself
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thats what its all about
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just make sure your dressage test is really accurate and rhythmical and you are comfortably jumping 90/95cm SJ, and 90cm XC in a good strong forward rhythm and you'll be off and away
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I'm entering some 95 cm shojumping competitions, just so I'm comfortable jumping a course that will be a bit larger than on the day of the event.
Also need to work on galloping, but luckily I have access to gallops a 5 minute ride away
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Dressage is my weakest phase but luckily the test is pretty simple.
 
Don't worry about galloping!!! (And also, no-one should ever "gallop" a horse when getting them fit - thats how they break down. It's more about achieving and sustaining a decent canter rhythm for a certain period of time, that, if needs be, allows the horse to find its second wind.)

You really don't need to be very fit for intro. If you are able to jump a couple of 95cm courses in the same day, and have lessons lasting an hour, your horse should be fine. No galloping needed!
 
My horse is more than fit enough, can do the dressage easily, can jump the height with ease, but I just cannot get him to behave in a show environment, certainly for 3 consecutive phases
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it's just that I did a couple of pre-intro's last year and got bad time penalties
So maybe I was just going at a reeeally slow canter then, and I just need to pick up the pace of my canter!
 
oh dear, you must have been going really fast!
At a ode I went to I got 40 time penalties, but I thought that couldn't be right because I'd been going at a really good rate. Luckily my mum filmed it and showed it to the organisers and they agreed that they must have messed up the penalties!
 
I got 15 time faults at Urchinwood Manor pre-novice last yr. Rang up to check they'd got it right as we'd been really moving! They checked n said it was because I was going too fast, meaning I was going about Intermediate speed! I always seem to get time penalties - one way or the other!!
 
Mr_Sunny, you might have to go faster than you're used to, to make the time. I was surprised just how fast I needed to go. But in depends on the natural pace of your horse, and how quickly you move away from the fences.

My little horse is only a 14.3hh native, so we go as fast as our little legs will carry us, though if there's nippy places we can cut in, we can save ourselves time.

I wouldn't worry for the first event or 3 though as there are so many other things to concentrate on. Just go out and have fun and get into the swing of things and then go from there.

Where's your first event?
 
[ QUOTE ]
My horse is more than fit enough, can do the dressage easily, can jump the height with ease, but I just cannot get him to behave in a show environment, certainly for 3 consecutive phases
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[/ QUOTE ]

I've got one like that - dressage is impossible
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urchinwood is a really easy place to go too fast, lots of people i know got pen 4 goin too fast!! n they r normally in the time or just ova!!!!
 
I'm doing Munstead first.
I will see how that goes before I decide on any other events!
The last time I did an intro (it was unaffiliated at tweseldown) I got eliminated at the showjumping
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But that was about a year ago.
 
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