Distance for a 1 stride double

Seahorse

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How many of your strides can you fit in a 1 stride double.

I have always done 2 for landing, 3 for a horses stride and then 2 for take off distance. Which equals 7.

have I been doing it wrong?
Someone at the show today was really complaining that the double had 7 human strides in it and that's wrong.
She was 'apparently' a BSJA course builder.

I'm confused now, I built a grid for someone the other day and used 7 of my strides for the double and she jumped it fine.

Showjumping peeps, who's right?
 
i usually leave one for landing, one for take off and 4 for a horses stride, which makes six.. dont know if thats right or not but it works for me..?
 
I usually do 2 human strides (normal strides, not stretched out ones!) for take off/landing and 4 human strides for 1 horses stride. So a 1 strided double should be 8 human strides by my reckoning.

Clear as mud!!
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It's two for landing, four for a horse stride and 2 for taking off, so 8 strides, I'm pretty sure thats right....
 
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i usually leave one for landing, one for take off and 4 for a horses stride, which makes six.. dont know if thats right or not but it works for me..?

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I do that too. My horse makes the distance perfectly.
 
Ok, I do really large stretched out one's, so that would probably work out the same then.
The course builder said it was 6 metres.

Maybe it was 7 normal strides then? I didn't walk the course so only went by what these people were saying.
 
I walk 8 strides for a one strided double and 12 for a two strided one. Dont usually walk distances for anything much longer as theres a bit more room for adjustment if you get in a bit of bother! (or maybe im too lazy too learn them and george always sorts me out anyway as i often have no choice and he knows best anyway!!!)
 
Agree with the above two posts, ie 8 decent human strides is a BSJA one-stride double.
In general, as has been said above, its 2 for the landing, 4 for a horse stride and 2 for the take off. So a 2-stride double would be 12 human strides. But it probably takes a couple of practises to make sure your stride length is about right.

On the subject of a 7 stride double, btw, any horse should be able to make that easily, it just means them taking a slightly shorter length stride in between the fences. It helps to notice that sort of thing when you walk the course so you can bring them in a bit shorter, but I would certainly never complain if a double was on 7 (human) strides (presuming height of fences not mahoosive). 6 maybe!
 
Oh dear looks like I've been doing it wrong then
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I haven't showjumped for about 10 years (that's my excuse anyway!)

It was a mixed class today of horses and ponies, so that's probably why it was that distance, although some of the smaller ponies were struggling and having to stand off the 2nd element.

thanks guys, I'll know what to do next time I'm building grids!
 
Seahorse, if it is any help, 8 strides is BSJA distance, 7 strides is what I was always told is a slightly easier distance and is what I used until my horse was more mature. No idea if that is true or not, but if what you've been doing works, then stick with it!
 
In my experience, unaff often use 7 strides...it is only BSJA and places which use BSJA courses that use 8, so no, not stupid! For example a bounce is 3 human strides, but I do them slightly long as my boy finds the shorter distance hard! So more like 3 and a half...
 
Sorry to get technical but its 24ft for horses 21ft for ponies, so that is 8 human strides or 7 human strides, this is I think where the confusion arises, however most horses will jump easily through a shorter distance than a longer one, and ponies just make it up as they go along!!!
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there is a big difference between wot u find in the ring & wot you should be building at home...
for instance....8 yard=24 ft if u have a 2ft 1st part the grid & 2nd part of your grid is 2'6'', 7 yards or 21' will be on the long side if you are trotting in, but ok if you are cantering...of course depending on the horse / pony
 
You should really practice walking a 3feet stride, that way you will always pace out jumps correctly.

The distance for a 1 stride double is 24feet which should be 8 paces. Two paces (6') for landing, 4 paces (12'or 3.65mtrs) for the horses stride & 2 paces (6') for the take off.

There is little point saying "Well my horse doesn't have that stride" because all BSJA courses are set up with that distance as standard. If your gorse has a shorter stride then you relly ned to do work to lengthen it otherwise you may have some problems.

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Ah come on peeps - we are all going metric these days!! I am working on making one of my strides a metre, but being a short arse its not that easy!

BSJA use longer strides as a) its built for horses, not mixed and b) the jumps are bigger than unaffiliated so tend to land a little further out.

With unaffiliated you have to go shorter, as ponies might not make it and would be potentially dangerous (not to mention they don't use back safety cups everywhere!)

At home you should be practising a range of distances and not always setting everything up for the horse.
 
I use 7 at home but find that 8 is the norm for horse courses, 7 is a pony course - I ride a 15.2 dales x and she sometimes puts 2 strides in a 8 stride unless she practically gallops at it. Should practice on both so can shorten and lenghthen as required but I wouldn't worry too much as horse tends to sort itself out if you let it take you to fences. Focus on a good bouncy canter going in and let your horse do the rest.
 
I agree with others 8 strides for a decent double and it's always this for affiliated! However if the fences are small and depending on the horse I will sometimes build then as 7 strides with some riders at home. Also a lot of unaffiliated events build then as 7 strides I've found.
 
PC, RC, BE & BSJA all do

However at your average local show / unaffiliated they often do not.

Scary thing is that these are the most likely places to get the striding wrong!!
 
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