Best way to learn a course of jumps?!

as sweet as hunni

as sweet as hunni

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So doing a hunter trial sunday and its show jumping-then xc, and i have a terrible memory! we are walking the course saturday but ill need all the help with remembering it, so im asking you guys if there any tricks? ;) btw i know the xc course as its just one big circle(and i rode it saturday :D)
 
I always learn jumping courses by colour / pattern. Usually after walking the course I stand and go over and over the course to help me remember it ... I.e - yellow, blue, double, flags, pink etc . Usually works!

Also if possible watch a few people before u - and as they are jumping one fence be saying in your mind which one comes next.
 
Walk the SJ course and remember which colour each fence is, no 1 red, no 2 blue, no 3 black and white etc, then stand outside the ring and go through them one by one while you look at them, once you can do that turn away and see if you can still go round the course without going wrong, if you need to walk it several times until you feel confident.
Make sure you concentrate when you walk the xc just in case it gets altered before next week.
Have fun:)
 
I am the worst. Instructor has to build jumps so they can be done either way as I inevitably do the opposite of what she's told me to do. I am a dyslexic jumper of jumps. Weirdly though, the only two formal comps I have done recently, I had no problem and went round in the right order.
So perhaps when it's the full-on performance, brain engages. Sorry, this is of no help. But I do empathise.
 
I have a terrible memory, especially for listing things in order. However, I find I have a great skill at remembering courses!
I've only forgotten a course once, but to be fair, it was a nasty course. There were 3 jumps in a row, but you only jumped the middle one. I completely forgot all about the jump!!

I've even managed to remember a course simply by watching one person go round!

I'm sure you'll be fine :) You'll get in 'the zone'.

Good luck!!
 
I walk the course on the day ideally then watch a few go round, taking note of which jumps or turns they struggle with then while walking round on the horse in the collecting ring I imagine in my head riding round the course as if it were real doing every jump really well and getting a clear round. The boffins call it positive visualisation.
 
I remember the floor pattern/jump. Eg across the diagonal, right rein down the longside after the blue, after the corner right to the wall etc. Prefer doing it that way because you can include stuff like striding, be prepared as to where your next turn is rather than looking for the jump & its time saving.
 
Also! Very random, but I find using my whip as a pointer helps :P

My theory in action XD
DSC01458.jpg
 
I find the course looks so muck different when on the horse attempting to keep some level of control, especially going flat out around a jump off :( I try to walk around the course ( next to the jumps obviously ) while I wait for the bell x
 
For your xc, take a pic of each jump on your phone as you walk the course. Then you can flick through the pics as many times as you need to before your turn. X
 
Will be keeping my eye on this thread as I am awful at remembering courses - 4 jumps is my limit!! (and I blame most of this on the fact that for 7 years I had a horse that point blank refused to finish a course despite being perfectly capable of doing so!) x
 
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