Eventers- when do you start xc schooling?

BroadfordQueen

BroadfordQueen

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When do you start xc schooling for the start of the season?
I was planning going this week as I am not at school and the ground is pretty good round here
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On a horse which isnt a green baby I only xc school once and I do that as close to my 1st event as possible- partly as I cant afford to go too often, partly because I've never had a horse which needed a lot of xc practice and partly because I dont like risking their legs unecessarily
 
Really?
I want to get used to my horse first before I event her, so will proberbly take her about 3/4 times before her first event. Once a month probably.
 
Ditto Boss, and for getting used to a new horse I entered unaff hunter trials at BE venues at 2'9" or thereabouts as what you get schooling is in my experience not always what you get competing round a course!

Oh yes, and round here you'd be lucky to find anywhere open before March anyway!
 
We were planning to go to Milton Keynes this week as the ground is so good the moment and we have done nothing since he injured himself in June last year. Like you, we were planning 3-4 outings before our first event as we need to work on water! There are very few options to do HT's over a decently built course around here so schooling is really our only option.
 
I will probably go 2/3 times before Blue does his 1st intro...depending on ground/when things open/if i can be bothered to go to Tweseldown which is always open etc!!! Will also depend on how he feels 1st time he goes out, he is green only been xc twice but going intro in March. Hunting is also part of his xc training
 
Indeed, tried to find some hunter trials but there is nothing on!
I haven't attempted any water/drops/ditches/steps with her yet, and although I know she can do it, it is more for me than her.
 
If an experienced horse has finished the season confident I wouldn't xc school it before its first run of the new season. With a good horse I don't really value xc schooling. I therefore would only take your girl once!

I also sometimes use a days hunting to give a horse some xc experience.
 
I can see the point of an experienced combination not doing much to not risk legs etc. But I think if horse or rider have any doubts then you go as often as you need to until you're happy. Why would you do it any less than you practice dressage or SJ? Do the people that don't practice xc from one season to the next nor between competitions do no SJ of flatwork schooling either?
I was having to borrow transport last season andso did no schooling and things definitley started slipping as I couldn't put anything right. OK if things are going well I wouldn't go between competitions and likewise if I go pre season schooling and it goes well I'll prob only go once and then go as and when needed later on, but if I had a new horse I would go to a few different places to get a pertnership going
 
I probably won't bother with Badger but he's hunting. Might do one just before his first event just to get him used to skinnies again!
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I have never found anything open round here until mid-April so I have been in the less-than-perfect situation of taking babies round their first intros having never been XC schooling. (Often buy 4yos in November after XC courses have shut for the winter and event them before they open for the spring).

However, at baby level, I'm always careful to make sure that they've had a paddle through water, that they've jumped hunt fences and ditches hunting, and that they will jump 'fake' ditches/coffins in the school (black bale wrap held down with poles to mimic a ditch - far scarier than the real thing).

Last year I took a couple of horses to the EHOA pre-season course at Ely in February which, though a 5 hour drive, made a big difference. Sharpened up the older horse with some Int combinations and gave a baby its first sight of solid fences,.
 
at most of the places i have worked at or run usually within a month of the horses first run. i slightly prescribe to the view that when they get experienced they know what is coming and its better to let them get over their excitement and get their (and our) eye back in over some thing not so difficult without the added stress of copeting. then like most people we usually make their first proper run a level lower than usual so they have one 'real' schooling session if you like.
we do it far enough in advance that we can go again if ther seems tobe any issues or to get over any bangs and scrapes that might occur while they are being nutters. heaven forbid you enter your first event, dont get balloted, it doesnt get cancelled and then you cant go cos it hasnt got over a banged knee form schooling!
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Last year with 2 new horses I only went once, about two weeks beforew my first event.

But both were experienced and we schooled round first few events, intro, pre -novice to get confident before moving up a gear.

Sadly nothing opens until late march/early april so I must wait till then!
 
down here (devon
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) not many, if any places, are open through the winter so i hardly ever xc school before late spring. and also there is the money factor as boss said, i would rather xc maybe once and then do a hunter trial or baby ode as you get more for your money
i cant affford to do too many things, so i have to plan carefully, and limit outings
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I go to give my friends on their horses leads, as my pony just enjoys the day out and it is good for him to go out in the box on his own and I can help my friends out.

I went a few times before starting him at BE last year and he thought it was great fun

Tbh I treated it more as a hack with a bit of a twist than blasting him into the floor - it is a fresh of breath air into schooling IMO
 
I will only go once or twice around 3weeks before my first event, I only go to work on specific problems (if any...such as ditches or drops etc) and sharpen him up with skinnies and corners. It's also nice for us to have a bit of a blast after 'poncy' poles that fall down!!
 
Plan to go twice, once in Jan and Feb with instructor, more for me than Saf, whats new there then
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Would like to go straight out at novice, will see, hate making plans, might not even event yet
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depends a lot on the horse! if i was getting used to a new horse, at least twice. depends how well it goes the first time too, if it's a bit ditchy and suspicious, then i'd definitely go at least once more.
LG said in her speech to the USEA that event riders spend about 85% of their time training for dressage... it struck me as a bit of a mad ratio actually, considering everything, so i think i'll be practising xc stuff a lot more, even if it's just in the arena at home...
 
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depends a lot on the horse! if i was getting used to a new horse, at least twice. depends how well it goes the first time too, if it's a bit ditchy and suspicious, then i'd definitely go at least once more.
LG said in her speech to the USEA that event riders spend about 85% of their time training for dressage... it struck me as a bit of a mad ratio actually, considering everything, so i think i'll be practising xc stuff a lot more, even if it's just in the arena at home...

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Thats a really excelant point.
I have had my horse nearly a year and we are starting to really get to know each other. But as i am moving up a level i will probably go 2 or 3 times, horse dosen't really have any particular issues but it makes me feel better and i think it's good to have a practice and be prepared. I also have a friend with a young horse so i will probably go with her incase she needs a lead. Which will be good because i hardly get hack here (AUS) so it's a nice change of scenery for him.
 
I only usually go once also due to the cost and my mare is experienced now.

I start going indoor SJing in Jan/Feb and practice a few skinnies, and coffin type affairs with my SJ's at home. We go Mock Hunting once or twice as that's cheaper than any other form of hunting.

I'm really lucky that there's a Hunter Trial course down the road that's open pretty much all year so just to get my 'eye in' I toddle off down there.

With my youngster who's 4yrs this year, I'd be doing a lot more practicing and no competing until she felt confident. So when she's 5yrs old and 6yrs old I probably wouldn't compete until Apr/May so I could do more 'hire out' activities.

So I guess it depends on the horse and you!
 
Last yr on my new baby 5 yr old, i only managed one cross country school before his first event, and that was about 8 wks beforehand, as everything got cancelled.

It took him a while to get into the eventing as he didn't really know what to expect, and had faults at his first few which he wouldn't have had if i had managed another school or two.

This yr he is bolder and braver and a yr older, so i will probably aim to do two schools and if all goes well go straight in at PN in April.
 
In the past I would say, once a week or so before first event for horses who have competed before, with an additional top-up a day or so before for anything which was unexpectedly naughty or spooky. Those starting out go for the first time 2-3 weeks before first event to play with ditches, water etc then how much more they do is entirely dependent on their reaction: some can go out competing straightaway, others need several more schooling outings.

HOWEVER, I think Kerilli's point is well made, and I am conscious that BE and the FEI have a campaign on atm to encourage riders to improve our XC skills and take responsibility for our performances. We do spend a ridiculously small amount of time practising the most important and dangerous phase of the competition, especially once we are "established" and supposedly know what we are doing. We might have a string of clear rounds xc behind us, but that doesn't actually mean we are proficient, does it? Someone Important (can't remember who
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) was quoted in the press recently saying they had stood by a fence and watched 40 riders jump it in 40 different ways, only 3 or 4 of whom he would consider jumping it well/safely - how many of us can be absolutely certain that we would have been one of those few, and would be at every fence, time after time? So I, for one, will be making it a New Year's resolution to do a bit more xc schooling this year! Here endeth the lesson
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i agree to a point but there are plenty of riders who dont nesssecarily go to an xc course to practise this phase but build stuff at home to simulate the challenges, for examples somebody called Lucinda Green..... when she was riding Miss de meena and i was working for Antoinette McKeowen, who trains there sometimes, her arena was a strange sight sometimes and she makes use of anything she comes across hacking or when riding at other places. Lucinda also hunted a fair bit.
Another rider, who took on an xc stopper was advised by Mr Briesner to jump said creature over appropiate type fences every day. that horse certainly didnt go to an xc course to do that (maybe once a week) but it certainly was schooled out of its problem at that time.
Obviously iti snt quite the same as doing it over a course but as far as schooling goes i think there are a great many riders who spend a significant amount of time doing
appropriate jumping at home.
I think it is jumping on diffferent TERRAIN that is harder to practise for at home. uphills and downhills and different going sort of thing. anyone who events will know the difference the siting of a fence makes to its dificulty if you see what i mean.
 
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i agree to a point but there are plenty of riders who dont nesssecarily go to an xc course to practise this phase but build stuff at home to simulate the challenges, for examples somebody called Lucinda Green..... when she was riding Miss de meena and i was working for Antoinette McKeowen, who trains there sometimes, her arena was a strange sight sometimes and she makes use of anything she comes across hacking or when riding at other places. Lucinda also hunted a fair bit.
Obviously iti snt quite the same as doing it over a course but as far as schooling goes i think there are a great many riders who spend a significant amount of time doing
appropriate jumping at home.
I think it is jumping on diffferent TERRAIN that is harder to practise for at home. uphills and downhills and different going sort of thing. anyone who events will know the difference the siting of a fence makes to its dificulty if you see what i mean.

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I agree with a lot of this and certainly we practise all the technical stuff you find xc ad nauseum in the arena at home, with my horses and with clients. However, you are so right there is a limit to what you can do, both terrain-wise and in terms of practising achieving and maintaining a decent XC rhythm. There is a danger we don't practise this enough when we go xc schooling too - I know I'm inlcined to practise ditches, water and steps then breathe a sigh of relief and pack up and go home
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The Hoys say that the go XC schooling with every horse, before every event...even the intermediate/advanced horses... Not what I would do personally, but tis interesting...does make me think I should go more often, you dont have to do a lot, just pop 5 tricky combinations nicely and 5 other jumps then go home!
 
My novice mare is so badly behaved xc schooling i will go once and pop round a course. The new PN horse will just go and do likewise and possibly a few clinics as i want her to upgrade quickly, the ex racehorse will go a couple of times as he has never seen xc fences before. It all depends on what facilities you have available, money and most of all the horse, each one is individual. Having done a Lucinda Green clinic she makes you imagine the different terrains, quite tricky, but effective. I will then only go schooling in the season if a problem arises.
 
"I know I'm inlcined to practise ditches, water and steps then breathe a sigh of relief and pack up and go home"

then the great god of eventing will beat you and send his thunders upon you (and his rains) about half way round, and you shall be repentant and practise your rythmn more often......
 
I find for me that the best cross country schooling that I can do is going for hacks by myself, which may seem silly/strange but it works! and was the suggestion of an instructor/neighbour/person who used to school my horse as my horse used to nap going xc and really didnt like going by herself.

I find this much more helpfull than actually going jumping, so really i practice that quite a lot and a lot more than dressage!
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