Fab SJ lesson - Mark Finn

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StaceyTanglewood

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Well as you all know gadget is with Lola Wade and trained by Mark Finn -

So I decided seeing as he has done such a fantastic job with gadget i would take my 4yo down to start his training correctly and that is definately what he did !!

what he did is just help me place him correctly in front of the fence every time by looking for a distance - well he jumped brilliant really started to use his shoulders and make a lovely shape !!

everything was explained really well so cant wait to have another one now !!!
 
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Interesting can you outline what it was that he said?

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right well instead of teaching you to see a stride he trains you to see a 2 strided distance - once you place the horse correctly at the fence then they will jump it and if you practise this over smaller fences once they get bigger the horse will be confident

also that with a youngster dont every jump higher than 1m but on spreads to just widen them more and this will make the horse naturally jump big but you will not be scaring or over facing the young horse x
 
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it does sound interesting, what exactly do you mean by the 2 strided distance?

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so when you walk a course a 2 stride double is done on 12 of your paces isnt it - basically if you can train yoru eye to see that distance

you want to be accurate 2 strides out and not fiddle anymore after that !!!

not sure if im explaining it right but it worked for me xx
 
So you look for a spot that you know is 2 strides away and adjust the stride to that?

Christ, you'd have to have an excellent eye to do that consistantly to a course of unkown jumps.....
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So you look for a spot that you know is 2 strides away and adjust the stride to that?

Christ, you'd have to have an excellent eye to do that consistantly to a course of unkown jumps.....
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yep thats it - its actually a lot easier than you think it is

my 4yo got it very quickly obviously you start with poles then take them away !!

to be honest with the people he trains it proves this works !
 
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yep I understand what you mean now, it sounds difficult though?

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as i said my 4yo picked it up quickly i really liked it - he said you just cannot practise this enough !!

he never does grids either as there isnt a competition for jumping grids just courses !! ha ha

and the main rule of SJ is to leave the poles up !!
 
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he never does grids either as there isnt a competition for jumping grids just courses !! ha ha


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See I've never understood this attitude because how many of use realistically have a) the arena big enough and b) the number of poles/wings required to make a grid of more than 3 fences? Not many I'd hazard a guess...in which case what is wrong with practicing what amounts to a treble and why is it more worthwhile practicing a related distance?!!!
 
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he never does grids either as there isnt a competition for jumping grids just courses !! ha ha


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See I've never understood this attitude because how many of use realistically have a) the arena big enough and b) the number of poles/wings required to make a grid of more than 3 fences? Not many I'd hazard a guess...in which case what is wrong with practicing what amounts to a treble and why is it more worthwhile practicing a related distance?!!!

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but what do grids do - do you ever jump a grid in a competition i see the meaning in it ???

I have a huge arena and plenty of jumps and found grids helped when my horse rushed x
 
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he never does grids either as there isnt a competition for jumping grids just courses !! ha ha


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See I've never understood this attitude because how many of use realistically have a) the arena big enough and b) the number of poles/wings required to make a grid of more than 3 fences? Not many I'd hazard a guess...in which case what is wrong with practicing what amounts to a treble and why is it more worthwhile practicing a related distance?!!!

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but what do grids do - do you ever jump a grid in a competition i see the meaning in it ???

I have a huge arena and plenty of jumps and found grids helped when my horse rushed x

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Yes- when you jump a treble you are jumping a grid.
Grids are perfect for babies and for older horses needing a bit of an athletic workout but I agree they shouldnt be the only thing you use
 
Obviously the most important thing is to get results. So if the horse jumped better and the rider felt better then it was a success. I know I'll now try to see a distance two strides out and see if that's something that works for me. Did you find it worked even on fences you hadn't had a pole to before? Just something you turned to cold? That would be the test. Also, where did you look? At the distance on the ground then up? Up all the way and only looking for a "spot" peripherally?

Btw, a bit confused by a two stride being six steps. What is the actual measurement? Do you do one step = 3 feet, four steps = a 12 foot stride? And a 3 foot step for take off and landing?

To each their own, obviously. People tend to get a system that works for them and stick with it, reasonably enough. What sometimes gets lost is that they develop (or inherit) that system for specific reasons and the same system might not work as well for someone else in different circumstances. So if Mark's approach works for you AND you can reproduce it AND it allows you to develop well made horses then it's a great system for you.
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The problem of course is it takes years and many horses to say this or that is the way you should go. Most of the great trainers and riders I know are always taking things on board - and sometimes throwing them out - as they go. They also tend to get very good at picking the sorts of horses, even the sorts of pupils that will suit their approach.

The "no grid" approach is certainly not that uncommon. The thing is though, that's a bit like saying the only way to train for any elite sport is to play the sport and that any other developmental work - going to the gym, running drills, mental training etc - is useless. Considering that the vast majority of elite athletes (of whom much has been studied and on whom much money is spent) have some sort of holistic training system, that would tend to suggest it's the way to go. So teaching a horse to use its body correctly by using grids is not about the big picture, it's about breaking down the fine skills, which are then transferred to the big picture.

The irony is very talented riders don't have to do that sort of thing. They shape the horse correctly every time just because that's what they do that makes them so talented. Often they don't even know what they're doing exactly to make it so, which can be a bit of a trick when they're teaching their system to different people - often bits of it work, or it works with the trainer standing there, or it works is certain situations but it doesn't always give the person to tools to adjust if it doesn't work.

I've always been a bit surprised how consistent great teachers are but how individual great trainers are - sometimes almost in the same breath. So many things work in clinics but don't necessarily reproduce at home. Almost every top rider I've seen has some odd "thing" they do in their system. But at the same time, especially now courses etc are so consistent, the people at the very top, as both riders and teachers, seem to make use of as many tools as possible.
 
I think I will give it a try at some point and see how it feels, it obviously works for Lola and you seem to like this idea too. glad you had a good lesson and thanks for sharing new ideas
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glad to hear you had a good lesson stacey - is this the 4 yo which has been doing dressage
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cant wait to see some pics in action
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yes that is the one not doing to much jumping as he is still a baby so will practise this over small fences !! x
 
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Sorry, just saw two stride = 12 paces so to me 36 feet. Coming in at canter?

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yes coming at canter so like a 2 strided double you have 2 for landing - 4 for a stride 4 for another stirde then 2 for take off !!
 
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I think I will give it a try at some point and see how it feels, it obviously works for Lola and you seem to like this idea too. glad you had a good lesson and thanks for sharing new ideas
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let me know how you get on xx
 
indeed no need to whack them up in any great hurry ey!

I do have a soft spot for the youngster and indeed, love seeing the dressage pics
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And its interesting as my trainer has been doing something similar with me and my boy - he has the education of a 4 yo but is actually 8!!!! hehe

Any further inteterst in Gadget yet???

xx
 
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