How do people remember showjumping courses?

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moodymare1987

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So it's all relatively new for me this sj lark but one thing I'm having trouble with is remembering the courses. I tend to be ok when I have watched a few but don't always have that luxury at some venues. I would really like to get to grips with this as my horse is a very good jumper just need the pilot knowing which way to go 😳
 
unless I can walk the course I can't remember them at all - there is one local venue to me which I avoid for this reason - however if i Can walk the course then I try to remember the floor pattern - usually works unless I get scared in which case i have to look at the numbers!
 
My nerves get the better of me at times and I can't remember where I'm meant to go lol. Even after walking the course. But then I can have a rare moment where I remember the whole course.
 
When I was competing years ago (am now an OAP) thank goodness it was just a case of learn the first round and then IF you went clear you could learn the jump-off course. Have got a new four year old and can't be doing with this two phase malarky, so am sticking to clear round and hiring venues to school the baby. BS will not be getting any money out of me for the above reasons. :(
 
I generally try to walk the course at least twice and then I'll watch a few go before me.
There's the odd time when I've forgotten where I'm going but there's not a lot you can do about it if it happens - I generally either pull up until i find the next fence or hope someone will take pity and point me in the right direction.
 
The more you do it, the better you will get at it!

Just make sure that you give yourself enough time to walk it as many times as it takes, maybe try learning it as a pattern?
 
What I have done before is remember a shape like a figure of 8 then whatever is left to jump. On Sunday I lost my way in the first class then the second I walked it like the first come out I peeped head over the door to watch someone and I was fine. I'm just going to have to see if can work it so I don't go first for a bit. I am better than I was but still need to sort it out as I'm letting the horse down he's fab x
 
I quite possibly look insane doing this but once I have walked the course I close my eyes and go over it in my head talking my way round, so would say 1 red upright across the arena to 2 oxer with viaduct filler 6 strides to 3 blue and white upright etc. I'm not sure why but it generally works for me :) good luck OP x
 
pigsmight:) said:
I quite possibly look insane doing this but once I have walked the course I close my eyes and go over it in my head talking my way round, so would say 1 red upright across the arena to 2 oxer with viaduct filler 6 strides to 3 blue and white upright etc. I'm not sure why but it generally works for me :) good luck OP x
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I have to say I did close my eyes to go over the course in my head although I couldn't tell you what colour the fences were haha. It's strange as I normally have a very good memory ��
 
If there aren't many in your class, warm up during the class prior then walk it and watch a couple before having a quick pop before going in. Always find it handy to watch a couple as you can see how it rides. Otherwise I just walk it and then in my head before I go in I go over the pattern of the course in my head. I never look at numbers. I do however note where the start and finish is as I have made that mistake before!
 
I walk the course thoroughly, pace doubles, combinations and related distances and make sure I look at the correct riding line to and from each fence to make sure we arrive straight to the fences. (Very important these days with the 90 degree turns they like so much - no good losing the outside shoulder through making a poor turn).Would look for a suitable point where I could chuck in a half halt to rebalance if necessary. Also pay close attention to timing heads at start and finish of each section. Then I go and sit somewhere quiet (toilet maybe, lol) and picture the course in my head until I'm sure I know it exactly.
 
I've also got a pretty good memory but nerves are a ******. Walk it, stand at the end and run through it again whilst course is in front of me, watch others go round a few times, waggle finger whilst running it through in my head, enter course - forget everything :-)

No surprise I don't do a lot of sj lol.
 
I've got a great long term memory, but my short term is shockingly bad ! I close my eyes and ride it in my head before going in, after walking it , walking the same lines I will be riding. I remember the shape of the course (if that makes sense!) as in the shape of the lines so I already have it preplanned to turn left or right, and I should then end up facing the right jump :o
 
If I can I walk it, but don't always; I don't actually count the strides or anything as tend to get too paranoid and over ride etc. Then keep going through the course as a pattern with my finger, I don't tend to remember numbers very well so do it as a patter really. Then if in a seperate JO work out which fences it is, but then number them 1,2,3 etc into head and learn the new pattern. Don't actually showjump that much now though.
 
I once spent all day in the judges box sj, then did the same course the next day. And went the wrong way!

But that asides, the more you do, the more "natural" the courses will start to feel... You can almost work out which is the next one
 
The more you do it the easier it gets. I only got the occasional round as a kid, probably never walked it and didn't have any adult guidance in how to walk it/approach anything. This lead to me thinking I can't remember any course. Back to riding as an adult and I find now courses make sense to me in a way they didn't. Have had some good lessons but its also just getting out there and doing it. It will become easier. I walk it several times then watch several. Worse now as I usually have to teach my 5yr old the course then learn something different for me!
 
Thanks for the replies every one I am going to get out to a few more competitions and I am hoping the more I do it the easier it will be. I think my problem is I get so nervous not sure why as horse loves to jump.

I am getting better slowly.

Can anyone recommend anything I can take for nerves?
 
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