Help me turn a showjumper into an eventer AND recommend me a flatwork instructor

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GOW

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Hi,
So I have rather impulsively bought a showjumper even though my first love is (low level) eventing.:o However the reason I bought her is she makes me grin when I jump her and isn't that what it is all about??? ;). BUT I now need some advice...her flatwork is pretty awful and I am moving to a new area nr Hampshire/Berkshire border (junction11 M4) and so am looking for recommendations for flatwork instructors that can help me get my lovely little horse to understand that there is a pace called trot and walk can last longer than 4 steps oh and counter canter may actually be ok. :D You get the picture. I need someone who is positive (I am my own worst critic and don't need Mr or Mrs Negative and Shouty to confirm my own worst fears) and will commit to us to help us develop as a team.
And in the meantime...any suggestions for specific work would be well received..I am thinking as much long and low as she can stomach (obviously building it up gradually) and basic lateral work (her walk is almost a pace at the moment)?? But very very open to constructive advice...and will ignore those that say why didn't you buy a eventer..I did try :p
Thank you very much in advance
 
No problem buying an SJ to event, though you can never have a SJ down now ;)

Like you have said lots of long and low, and trying to get her just consistent. Almost ignore the canter to start with. Work lots in walk with baby ideas of lateral work and lots of trot. Keep the trot very simple to start with. Don't attempt anything but just trot to start with as she needs to learn this is a good pace and it can be done in a school! Again lots of poles randomly on the floor in the school just to walk and trot over calmly, without having to jump them is good. Also introduce these on angles as well, so she learns she has to stay on your line and stay straight (most SJs I have known are very good at falling out through their shoulders).

Lots of hacking will also be good. Again, with lots of trotting :D Also find some undulating ground pretty sharpish and get her thinking about where her feet go. More benefical to her (and you) in walk and trot to start with, and after she starts to get the idea more on a looser rein so she uses her neck to help her balance Likewise find a river pretty quick too and get her walking through it (if you have a water baby companion this would be very helpful).

Also this is a generalisation but quite a few SJs I have known have been allowed to move along a fence to give extra space on the take-off stride (hopefully that kind of makes sense) so just be aware of this and try and tell her she has to shorten rather than go a little sideways, very important for XC skinnys etc. 'V' poles are good for this but if she is a SJ make small first otherwise you may get a little catapulted in the air! :D

No advice on instructors I'm afraid

Good luck :)
 
ajf said:
No problem buying an SJ to event, though you can never have a SJ down now ;)

Like you have said lots of long and low, and trying to get her just consistent. Almost ignore the canter to start with. Work lots in walk with baby ideas of lateral work and lots of trot. Keep the trot very simple to start with. Don't attempt anything but just trot to start with as she needs to learn this is a good pace and it can be done in a school! Again lots of poles randomly on the floor in the school just to walk and trot over calmly, without having to jump them is good. Also introduce these on angles as well, so she learns she has to stay on your line and stay straight (most SJs I have known are very good at falling out through their shoulders).

Lots of hacking will also be good. Again, with lots of trotting :D Also find some undulating ground pretty sharpish and get her thinking about where her feet go. More benefical to her (and you) in walk and trot to start with, and after she starts to get the idea more on a looser rein so she uses her neck to help her balance Likewise find a river pretty quick too and get her walking through it (if you have a water baby companion this would be very helpful).

Also this is a generalisation but quite a few SJs I have known have been allowed to move along a fence to give extra space on the take-off stride (hopefully that kind of makes sense) so just be aware of this and try and tell her she has to shorten rather than go a little sideways, very important for XC skinnys etc. 'V' poles are good for this but if she is a SJ make small first otherwise you may get a little catapulted in the air! :D

No advice on instructors I'm afraid

Good luck :)
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What an excellent work plan :) Once she is happier with and more familiar with trot (and walk) lots of transitions, but ajf's stuff comes first.

I think a SJ background is an excellent way to find a reasonably priced potential eventer, provided they are not quite careful enough to be a top SJ and are bold enough to give XC a try :)
 
Wow! Thank you so much...brilliant advice and all makes sense. Yes she does try and fall out through her shoulder so I know there is a lot to do but on the plus side she is as brave as a lion and when I tried her xc water, ditches, steps were fine :D
 
I have a SJ turned (sort of) eventer... The things I struggle with most are
one: his boldness, now don't get me wrong he will jump anything I point him at (normally), but he was incredibly reluctant to start with to take a jump from even a forward canter stride. Bless him he'd shorten himself and pop a little one in :rolleyes:
And two: HIS ATTENTION SPAN!? This is getting better slowly, but I think because he was used to jump jump jump in a short space of time... going out xc and having a good space to gallop between fences allows his minder to MeAnDeR off with the fairies! :p
Three: his ability to "feign" the contact and go all bouncy and look pretty but not actually work through his back. I'd recommend maybe the physio just to check she's not carrying any tightness through being all up and bouncy and then start the long and low.

Oh and he didn't understand gallop, at all... but he does now :D Good luck with her, photos???
 
Phew thanks TD and TS :D

I always think your post are very helpful so you 2 saying I got some stuff right is awesome!!!
 
Thanks guys and yes again ajf love your plan ...are you sure you don't want to move to hampshire because it sounds like you could help me a lot....:D
 
anna22 said:
I have a SJ turned (sort of) eventer... The things I struggle with most are
one: his boldness, now don't get me wrong he will jump anything I point him at (normally), but he was incredibly reluctant to start with to take a jump from even a forward canter stride. Bless him he'd shorten himself and pop a little one in :rolleyes:
And two: HIS ATTENTION SPAN!? This is getting better slowly, but I think because he was used to jump jump jump in a short space of time... going out xc and having a good space to gallop between fences allows his minder to MeAnDeR off with the fairies! :p
Three: his ability to "feign" the contact and go all bouncy and look pretty but not actually work through his back. I'd recommend maybe the physio just to check she's not carrying any tightness through being all up and bouncy and then start the long and low.

Oh and he didn't understand gallop, at all... but he does now :D Good luck with her, photos???
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Thanks a lot for your insights...all really helpful to bear in mind and love your description of his mind being somewhere else ;). And luckily my best friend is a physio so yes she is seeing her first as well as dentist and saddler..poor girl won't know what has hit her :rolleyes:
 
Think we could do with combining our horses, mine has done more hunting and our walk and trot is fairly good, bug we haven't quite got a balanced canter yet, we just have quick canter!! And as I used to mainly showjump I find it really hard, as all my others where naturally and also more schooled to have a better canter. I'm having a few lessons with Russell Cooper eventing, he's on fb and although not local will do days/clinics in other areas. I highly recommend, for me to choose to do flatwork is quite an achievement, he actually explains it so that's its easy to understand and works with the horse and rider, with the few lessons I've had I can always feel how much better we are going at the end, but I haven't felt like I've really had to push my self and her just little things really help, does that make sense and I know that we are in no way perfect yet!

Agree with a lot of what has been said, I would start of walking over individual poles, as you mag well find that he hasn't done them much, and will just jump, one of mine never really settled to just cantering down a line of canter poles, was always rather exciting lol
 
Thanks for suggestions of trainers - will look them up.
TS -Just for sheer logistics (work full time so ride in evenings) easier if they could come to me because could then be more regular but do have transport so could also travel. :)
 
Instructor wise a few spring to mind for you to try.

You are near Farley Hall - they hold a lot of clinics so maybe worth trying some of their instructors (they have a website).

Paul Crago and his wife Karen, are a short box trip (15 mins of J12 M4), he is a sj'er but very good on the flat too, she is dressage

Liza Faircloth is a good all round instructor - she is more Maidenhead way but does travel

Simon Battram does 1-2 clinics a month Wokingham way, might be worth considering, at least in the short term whilst de-SJ'ering (new word there!)
 
Our new trainer is fab - she has improved our dressage score by 14% in just five weeks. PM me if you would like more info.

P
 
I'm doing the same OP, got a 13yo who has showjumped all his life and I had intended to carry that on, however I'm getting my eventing itchy feet again! So this Sunday, we're heading off to a hunter pace to pootle round the ickle jumps to see what he thinks - and yes, we haven't even jumped a log! He has done working hunter though and thought nothing of the solid fillers etc. there so I think he'll be ok, he's a very honest chappy. I've made sure I've ridden through plenty of big puddles ;) I know its insane doing this but there's so few XC courses near me and its been so wet lately they've been closed. I'd love to aim him at a BE80 (or 90) end of June but we'll see. My problem is the dressage - does yours go in a snaffle? Mine does not! He's been ridden in strong bits all his life and even in those was known to tank off with people! His mouth is pretty dead so I'm really struggling to get him going nicely in a snaffle at home, he just sits dead on it and goes like a giraffe. I'm worried at a competition, in a big open field, we won't be able to stop cantering and will fall out of the ring (he's 17.2hh!).

Would have been easier if we'd just both bought eventers, ha ha! I have an excuse, mine was a freebie though!
 
MagicMelon said:
I'm doing the same OP, got a 13yo who has showjumped all his life and I had intended to carry that on, however I'm getting my eventing itchy feet again! So this Sunday, we're heading off to a hunter pace to pootle round the ickle jumps to see what he thinks - and yes, we haven't even jumped a log! He has done working hunter though and thought nothing of the solid fillers etc. there so I think he'll be ok, he's a very honest chappy. I've made sure I've ridden through plenty of big puddles ;) I know its insane doing this but there's so few XC courses near me and its been so wet lately they've been closed. I'd love to aim him at a BE80 (or 90) end of June but we'll see. My problem is the dressage - does yours go in a snaffle? Mine does not! He's been ridden in strong bits all his life and even in those was known to tank off with people! His mouth is pretty dead so I'm really struggling to get him going nicely in a snaffle at home, he just sits dead on it and goes like a giraffe. I'm worried at a competition, in a big open field, we won't be able to stop cantering and will fall out of the ring (he's 17.2hh!).

Would have been easier if we'd just both bought eventers, ha ha! I have an excuse, mine was a freebie though!
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ha ha! I really, really tried to buy an eventer..honest! but either good on flat but very "stuffy" to jump or mad as a box of frogs to jump and rubbish on flat. I sat down and decided that as I love jumping the most I would buy something that I loved to jump and hopefully we can improve the flat - maybe? :o..And no oddly I have a different problem with her - she is very soft in contact (ridden in a rubber snaffle) and so getting her to stretch forward into the contact is going to be the issue. Although tbh her teeth were/are a bit of a mess and so I think that may be why she has been a little tentative...being sorted next week.
Anyway like you I just want to make sure we don't horrendously embarrass ourselves in the dressage although I suspect she will still make me smile even if we do.... :D
 
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