Cross Country - first time?

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SaddleUpSin

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A friend has invited me and Simb and a few other friends to join her XC schooling end of April (long way off I know) for her birthday. Simb has been XC before but its something I have yet to try, have jumped logs out hacking before but thats not really the same!

What was your first experience XC like?
What did you do/what could we do to prepare? :)
 
I used to hunt, which is great preparation for xc :)

As long as you are happily jumping a course of showjumps at a similar or bigger height than you intend to xc, you should be fine.

Practice a two point seat whenever you can, so that your weight really drops into your heel, in preparation for steps, drops etc.

Make sure your horse is fit enough so that you can have a proper play over all the jumps :)
 
PorkChop said:
I used to hunt, which is great preparation for xc :)

As long as you are happily jumping a course of showjumps at a similar or bigger height than you intend to xc, you should be fine.

Practice a two point seat whenever you can, so that your weight really drops into your heel, in preparation for steps, drops etc.

Make sure your horse is fit enough so that you can have a proper play over all the jumps :)
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Thank you ^_^
 
I've never ever hunted (dont agree with it) yet Ive competed eventing for years. Id suggest messing round at home jumping as many weird things as you can find (ditches, going through puddles, up and down verges etc.) and making your own at home (tarpolin folded up, barrels, branches, corner jumps). Also doing things like working hunter is handy as they usually use solid fillers. Just find a course which has tiny jumps and go along with a confident friend to have a relaxed play. See how you go.
 
MagicMelon said:
I've never ever hunted (dont agree with it) yet Ive competed eventing for years. Id suggest messing round at home jumping as many weird things as you can find (ditches, going through puddles, up and down verges etc.) and making your own at home (tarpolin folded up, barrels, branches, corner jumps). Also doing things like working hunter is handy as they usually use solid fillers. Just find a course which has tiny jumps and go along with a confident friend to have a relaxed play. See how you go.
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Thank you! The jumps at this course start at 2ft, so hopefully lots of nice little easy jumps!
 
The first time I ever did any XC was on the first day I'd ever done any jumping on my mare. i'd jumped a couple logs in lessons years ago, but this was my first time out XC, and luckily my mare is an ex hunter so she's a point and shoot kinda jumper! And I'm a when it all goes to s**t throw the reins at them and hold your neck strap kind of rider! Put a neck strap on if you think you'll need one, it's amazing what they do for confidence, just knowing that you've got something there to grab!
 
emmad96 said:
The first time I ever did any XC was on the first day I'd ever done any jumping on my mare. i'd jumped a couple logs in lessons years ago, but this was my first time out XC, and luckily my mare is an ex hunter so she's a point and shoot kinda jumper! And I'm a when it all goes to s**t throw the reins at them and hold your neck strap kind of rider! Put a neck strap on if you think you'll need one, it's amazing what they do for confidence, just knowing that you've got something there to grab!
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Sounds like me! I do like my breastplate haha!
 
Yes, I've converted to the straight one with the bit over the top (not sure what its real name is, I just call it my two in one!). That and a monkey strap. I'm a fairly confident rider, but just knowing that I've got something to grab makes me even more confident.
 
emmad96 said:
Yes, I've converted to the straight one with the bit over the top (not sure what its real name is, I just call it my two in one!). That and a monkey strap. I'm a fairly confident rider, but just knowing that I've got something to grab makes me even more confident.
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Whats a monkey strap?:)
 
It's a strap that you hook onto each d-ring so that you've got a wee handle. I personally just fashioned my own out of two clips and an old flash strap wrapped in electrical tape.
 
emmad96 said:
It's a strap that you hook onto each d-ring so that you've got a wee handle. I personally just fashioned my own out of two clips and an old flash strap wrapped in electrical tape.
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I like that idea! He needs a fair bit of riding towards a jump, needs straightening fairly often
 
I have no advice to getting a horse into a jump properly, only really realised last night talking to one of the girls that I've no idea how to see a distance into a jump or really ride into a jump, I learnt to jump on a big 17.2 hunter, and now I have a slightly smaller version that just requires pointing and holding on to and slowing down! Our issues come after the jump where she kinda goes, oh well, I've done my job lets slow right down, so that where I really have to ride her away from the jump!
 
Last time I did jumping properly was on a 13.2hh point and shoot pony who like to ping it then turn, Simb on the other hand, lollops over the jumps like they're barely there haha!
 
SaddleUpSin said:
Last time I did jumping properly was on a 13.2hh point and shoot pony who like to ping it then turn, Simb on the other hand, lollops over the jumps like they're barely there haha!
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This might be a problem with the jump size then the horse though! My horse needs riding into a jump (mostly, sometimes he has a whizzy day) and if the jumps are small he is a bit lazy picking his feet up and just bumbles his way over them. If the jumps are a bit bigger and he has to concentrate, then he will jump properly. Problem is my confidence with big jumps isn't there (when i say big - not really that big! haha) so we normally bumble over smaller jumps and i have to 'tell' him to jump properly.

You might not have this problem with XC anyway - I haven't tried it with mine but have done it with other horses and they will give the jumps more respect than showjumps as they're big and solid. Best thing to do is try and jump solid things at home (barrels, fillers etc) and see how he does. And when you go XC start small to see how he is, trot up to them if you're nervous, and if he's jumping nice go bigger!

Like others have said, get a neck strap or something to hold and wear a body protector!
 
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