Forget how to ride at competitions

[theboyishredmare]

I’m finally taking my mare to our first BS show next weekend, to do the 80cm unaff and the BN on a ticket.

The problem is every time I go to a show I just feel like I forget how to ride. I get so focused on remembering the course that I basically just sit there and point.

I also feel like I can never warm up properly because the warm ups are so busy and you are always getting cut off or moving out of the way of somebody!

I also never remember how many strides there are in between fences (unless it’s literally one or two strides!). So say there was a dog leg which was five strides, I’d do it on the course walk but then when I come to jump it, I just sit there and completely forget.

Does this happen to anybody else!? Or am I just really awful at riding? When I jump in my lessons I’m absolutely fine so I just don’t understand why it happens.

 

[Quigleyandme]

I can’t remember any but the most straight forward courses and if I go clear and have to do the jump off over selected fences immediately afterwards I simply lose the plot altogether. It has rather stymied what I’m sure would have been a glittering career not.

 

[shortstuff99]

If you are jumping 80cms don't worry about striding, it's not really a problem at that height just make sure to get there in a good rhythm and balance. Otherwise it is just practice, practice and more practice!

 

[blood_magik]

I would go to arena hire and pretend it’s a show - walk the course, warm up and then go in and jump round, even if you have to take the height down a bit. See if taking the pressure off helps.

 

[mini_b]

Blood_magik makes a good point. I’m planning on doing this.
I get the absolute fear and my mind goes blank and I don’t “ride” I kind of sit there like Humpty Dumpty waiting for something to happen. Poor sod.
I get performance anxiety in lessons as well.

you’re not the only one!! Someone posted that Pippa funnell is sick usually before she sets off.

 

[theboyishredmare]

I can’t remember any but the most straight forward courses and if I go clear and have to do the jump off over selected fences immediately afterwards I simply lose the plot altogether. It has rather stymied what I’m sure would have been a glittering career not.

I would go to arena hire and pretend it’s a show - walk the course, warm up and then go in and jump round, even if you have to take the height down a bit. See if taking the pressure off helps.

We are actually going to an arena hire tomorrow so I will do this! Thank you

 

[Muddywellies]

Following with interest. I dressage and same happens to me. My limbs just become ornaments.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I also wouldn't worry about striding at 80cm, concentrate more on the quality of the canter. For me its repetition. I'm going to my 4th showjumping in 3 weeks this weekend. Before that I had done 2 in the last 2 years! I'm actually excited for this Friday whereas I couldn't sleep before the first one from fear.

Maybe even take it down a level? Go to a relaxed unaff at a lower height and just practice riding round without the added pressure.

 

[greenbean10]

The warm up is far better now as there are new rules because of Covid. Now only 5 people are allowed in the warm up which makes it a lot easier! You'll probably have 1 person about to go in, 2 people just starting warming up and 2 people jumping at any time! So don't worry about it being busy.

I used to always forget the distances and start to override so I just stopped walking the distances (would still walk but not count). If you forget how many strides there are between them, don't ride for a set number! Just jump the first part and then treat the second part like a normal separate jump. Keep your rhythm and a good canter and you'll be fine.

Also the more you go to shows the easier you'll find it to learn courses. I can generally just look at a course from the outside of the ring now and work it out based on where number 1 is. All courses ride relatively similarly at a low level so you can often work out where the next jump should be even if your mind goes blank!

To jump 80cm all you really need is a nice forward canter and to know the course. Then once you've done that onto the 90, but you'll be more relaxed by that point anyway

 

[Quigleyandme]

Any tips for not feeling like you need a wee even though you had a wee five minutes ago?

 

[KEK]

Course memorizing is definitely a skill that can be practiced. I compete in dog agility and we regularly have 24 obstacles in a course. We walk the course for sometimes only 10mins beforehand. Every time you jump/go to an arena with jumps pick out a course and then walk it and run it. Do different courses each time. Dunno how many jumps you guys jump but I would practice with more jumps in a course than you do. Some people find finding the "pattern" is useful too, but it's definitely a learned skill.

 

[Bernster]

I would go to arena hire and pretend it’s a show - walk the course, warm up and then go in and jump round, even if you have to take the height down a bit. See if taking the pressure off helps.

This makes me nervous just reading it!

 

[blood_magik]

This makes me nervous just reading it!

I still get nervous - leaving for a BS show shortly and can feel the butterflies kicking in - but practicing over a full course does help.

Put the height of the fences down so if you make a mistake it’s not such a big deal but don’t circle or pull up.
My new trainer *hates* circling so lesson number one last week was rhythm rhythm rhythm - if you have a good canter and a good rhythm, it doesn’t matter if you’re slightly off. Number two - forget the last fence and concentrate on the next one. ?

 

[theboyishredmare]

Thank you everyone for your responses! Decided to go to an unaff show on Sunday to do the 70cm and 80cm (that’s the biggest class they are doing) for practice! Makes me feel better that I’m not the only one who gets nervous! Xx

 

[MummyEms]

I'm exactly the same.