Cant make the PN time of 475mpm - should I do Intro??!

J

jennystreek

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Following on from the post below on BE speed, I wondered if anyone else was struggling to make the new time at PN?

My mare really tried hard at SoE to go as fast as she could (I tried to take the most direct routes, kick on landing etc), yet we still ended up with 5 time faults
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She doesnt have much TB in her, and would go round at a steady canter if she had the choice. I just dont feel I can push her anymore to go faster! We were just about getting there at the end of last season at 450mpm, so now slightly annoyed its increased!

So the dilemma is, do I stay at PN and just accept that I will struggle to be competitive (yes I know that I should work more on dressage to compensate for the time penalties, but even so, I'd have to be getting scores of 25 to be with a winning chance..... SJ is usually good), or, do I compete at Intro to gain a chance of riding at Badminton next year!

Going back to intro wouldnt feel right, as she is more than capable of PN, plus I would feel guillty, even though we're not exactly snaping up all the prizes at the moment
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However, should I care more about myself and compete at a few intros just to try and qualify?

Anyone else finding the same?
 
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I would get her fitter and practice landing and moving away quickly. How much setting up do you have to do?

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She is quite fit already, but just doesnt have that 'pull' around the course. I dont actually have to set her up that much for the fences as she does naturally see a good stride herself and is very careful. I have been working on landing and moving away quickly, and this has improved massively. I guess its more in between that we're losing the time? Whenever I take her out for a gallop with other horses, she's usually last!!
 
But have you ever timed yourself around a field???? as you'll need to be going alot faster that 475 mpm cos that is the speed you need to do with the jumping efforts. You need to be looking at doing at least 500mpm
 
Keep going with the pn!

What about going at steeplechasing schooling - i did this last year and was much fun and i think helped with cross country and stuff!

Agree get your horse fitter - I had mine fitter last year and it made such a difference - she was much keener to jump and it was more fun
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I havent timed her, but should do round our field. Its up and down hill, so would be a good representation of a XC course.

In terms of fitness, I will try to hack her out more, as well as doing the canter work (which she does once a week anyway). It's quite difficult though as she's quite nappy/naughty on hacks, and we have to go across a very busy road to access the bridlepaths.... not always the best!

With the steeplechase fences, do you have to approach racing yards to use their jumps?
 
I would say if you haven't got alot of Tb in your horse, i would go and do lots of gallop work, at least 3times aweek. And then you know what speed you need between fences.
For me, I need eyes just starting to water feeling as i always have to take a pull before i set up fence, which means i lose time before fence. Every pull = 1second
 
Have you any videos of you competing? I sometimes feel like I am going fast enough, but then when I get time faults and look back at a video, I realise that I am going really slowly
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Last week was the first time ever when I was under the optimum time - must be all that hoof oil I put on
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If she is good but finding the time tricky I would do this...

. Work on faster gallop work, if she is competative use another faster horse to make her pick up speed
. Improve fitness levels
. Remember that for every half halt and fiddly extra stride you can lose about a second so try to jump out of a stride
. walk the xc like a tight sj course really look for all the areas you can shave off seconds eg take tighter turns, ride direct lines and stick near the ropes etc

I think if you ride a tighter line xc you will be surprised that you can make the time easy
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and won't need to be setting up and kicking on after each fence which is probs what is loosing you overall speed.
 
I agree with chloe, when you walk your course look for the tightest line between fences, when you get to a fence turn round and look at the most direct route. When i did this i ended up with too fast time penalties.
 
All the tips above are good, be kicking for the away just before the horse lands, not once they have landed, that will save you a second per fence.

Little W is Sec D X Newfie, she can make PC open time of 500m/min.

B rides very tight lines and she is a very obedient pony who can turn into and away from a fence in the air if necessary.

It's not about gallopping flat out, a steady fast canter and meeting the jumps well, thinking ahead and being prepared all helps.
 
thanks for all your tips - perhaps we may get there after all!!

I do already try to look for the tighest line, and almost draw a line 'as the crow flies' between each fence.

Will do more galloping and see how fast we are going on the flat. Although I dont set up that much for the fences, I do think that as she is naturally careful, she doesnt always want to jump them at too fast a pace. perhaps i now need to ask her to try though....
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Really make sure you are kicking way from your fences.

At novice I had time penalties until I had a lesson with Leslie Law who taught me what kicking away from your fences really meant. I was always either in the time or close to it after that.

Have someone watch you schooling and shout to kick on / before landing will help.
 
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I agree with chloe, when you walk your course look for the tightest line between fences, when you get to a fence turn round and look at the most direct route. When i did this i ended up with too fast time penalties.

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I agree with this. Some horses just arent made for speed. No matter how much you gallop or how fit your horse is it might not be able to go any faster. 4 main reasons:

1) Speed = stride length + stride frequency. Training can help stride length but it is ultimately limited by conformation and range of movement of joints. This in turn can be limited by things such as underlying injury/disease and external influences such as saddle fit, rider and ground conditions.

2) Also,the respiratory sytem can be a speed limiter. Research has shown that even competition horses labelled 'healthy' have some degree of reduced respiratory function due to mucous. Totally dust free bedding (paper or cardboard) and soaked hay or haylage should be used, even if you think your horses respiratory system is ok.

3) A horse is born with certain types of muscle fibres, either mainly for speed or endurance. Training when the horse is young can produce more of the types of fibres that you want but ultimately they are pre-determined by genetics i.e the breed. Therefore if your horse hasnt got many speed fibres then there is nothing you can do about it!

4) Nutrition. The horse needs the right fuel for the job.
 
I don't think it's necessarily about fitness. I'm sure your chestnutty is fitter than mine!

More about teaching K to approach the jump in a faster rhythm, and to move away from it at the same speed without the need for 'setting up'.

Also, being able to alter her pace faster or slower without a battle of wills.

And finally, teaching her to approach at angles and jump anything from anywhere.

x
 
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Really make sure you are kicking way from your fences.

At novice I had time penalties until I had a lesson with Leslie Law who taught me what kicking away from your fences really meant. I was always either in the time or close to it after that.

Have someone watch you schooling and shout to kick on / before landing will help.

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i agree,,,when i was 11 and got my 14 2 and started doing stuff where i had to ride to a time, we got time pens,,untill i learnt to land and kick, when i walk the xc now, or when i run through it in my head before i go (novice BE) i think, land and gallop,,and literally, i land and go, as fast as poss, then i pull him together for the next jump, jump and GO GO GO!
 
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