Any tips for ditches in front of fences?

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Skhosu

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Ok, so last year had a brilliant season, and clear all the way including 4/5 novices. Got to necarne and I buggered up at a brush fence with a ditch in front as I tried to shoot at it. I hate these fences despite my current lad never having had a problem.
So, I am aware that if (big if..not sure if I have the nerve to do a proper novice season!) I come across another fence with ditch in front of it, either rails/brush etc with a ditch in front, is there a good way to ride it?
That and skinnies are the only thing I think that would really worry me, and huge drops but I'll just have to cope with them!
 
Dont look at the ditch, put it out of your mind. Think of the front edge of the ditch as a ground pole. Practice at home with fences with a ground pole offset in front of them
 
NEVER look down into it - or that is where the horse will go.

Just ignore it and look ahead - and kick! It is a rider frightener, not a horse thing. A ditch should make them pick up their front feet well!
 
Just as thistle says
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I always worry Sparky will go IN the ditch as he likes to get so deep
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But it hasn't happened yet *touch wood*. Don't look in the ditch. The horse will know it's there so just don't think about it
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watched a good masterclass with wfp about ditches and he suggests placing a pole in front of an upright at home, then gradually increase the distance, he said since the horses stride over a jump is 12ft then the take off can be up to 6ft in front- i think they were the distances , alzheimers again!
 
just as Thistle says. also, ride forward to it, not letting the stride get long and flat, and think of the ditch as being a really useful big groundline to get the horse up in the air. don't try to see a long one, and whatever you do don't look down into it. same when course-walking, just glance at it and keep walking on by, this is really really important, otherwise you'll magnify it in your mind!
 
I just ride it as if I am jumping a big square oxer. If you think about it in this way you will have the correct speed, your head will remain up and your horse will be balanced.
 
Echo Kerilli exactly. Harry always wants to take a look at a ditch, so I deliberately don't!! I ride as if the front edge of it is a ground line (or even think of it as a nice 'placing pole') then just sit up, look over the fence and go for it :-)
 
Thanks, I just cant help looking at it!
Probably didn't help then at necarne we spent about 15 mins attempting to straddle said ditch and failing? ;p (have to say we did laugh at the british pony contingent walking up to it, going grey and very quiet!)
Pace wise what sort of pace do you put on it? I always think its quite wide so should have decent pace but then they tend to put very upright fences behind them? We don't tend to have palisades w/ ditches in front etc until novice and then at novice they are decent fences so it's hard to get used to them with small fences behind
 
Try not to think about it or create an issue over it. Think of all the many ditches you will have jumped during those novice courses. The fact that your posting about it suggests your worried about it. Put it to the back of your head and forget you were ever worried about them
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ride it at the pace you would a decent oxer, that's good advice. not fast and flat, but powerful and energetic.
why not build one at home in the school with a tarp or nz rug filling the gap, and a pole on the front edge. get a helper to gradually open it out more, and experiment with slightly different approaches, but thinking of it as a ditch.
 
sounds like a plan with tarp.
Oh I know it is all in my head
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Thank you to my 'lovely' first pony, three since then none of which have had problems with ditches, but its still there!
Positive thoughts!
Thanks for all the advice guys
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fwiw my lovely first horse was exactly the same. she wouldn't jump anything where she couldn't see the landing either. put me off them for years too... made me over-ride them very badly, ditto ditch before fence, and over-riding them makes some horses very suspicious.
best advice then - just ignore the ditch. really really really. look over the fence, ride at it as if it has no ditch, and smile as your horse sails over.
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Do some xc schooling initially over those types of fences that have the virtually filled in ditches in front - ie shallow ditches and progress from there?
 
Bee's 13hh was ditch phobic too, took Bee about 2 years to get over it once she had Willough. I still march her past fences when walking the course, I never let her go over to the fence, NOT EVER!
 
I tend to just ignore the ditch completely and ride the hedge. In most cases the front of the ditch is where the horse would take-off for the hedge even if the ditch wasn't there so it really shouldn't be an issue. The only thing I remind myself is that the hedge isn't as big as it looks with the ditch below it. I always stand at the side of the hedge when walking the course which puts the height nicely in to perspective.
 
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