how do you remember your sj course???

[Peanot]

I take a long time to walk the course and I have to keep going through the course in my head as I`m walking it starting at fence 1 each time I`ve walked another couple of fences. When there is usually 14+ fences, I have to try hard to remember the course and because of this I can`t concentrate on the fences and so my approaches are hit and miss. This has been proved as at home, we hardly miss at all and in the warm-up area, we hit them spot on also. I can lengthen and sit and hold when need be at home or in warm-up, but then it just goes to pot in the ring!!!
Any advice??

 

[Emma123]

Hmmm hard one, sounds like your doing the right thing by going over each fence as you walk the course, maybe try and watch a few riders go before you and also visulise yourself riding the course in your head, if you can do that without looking at the course you should be able to remember it.

Most courses flow so the next fence is quite predictable, luckily i can remember a course without walking it though i do prefer to walk it but we always seem to be running late and i only have the chance to watch people jump round it!

 

[K9Wendy]

My daughter has dyslexia and we thought that courses would be a nightmare to remember but it hasn't. I have more trouble remembering them. Dyslexics use different strategies in life to recall information and as they store and retrieve information differently.

Katie walks a course, sometimes just looks at it and will often go in first and never make a mistake in her sequence. I have asked how she does it, she says 'she just does!'. A combination I believe of the colour of fences ie red, yellow, white, yellow, double, etc and she says she sees an aerial view of the jumps, like you would draw them on a page!

I know when I walk the course with her, I sort of add on an extra fence, eg start at 1, walk to 2, then 3 then look back to 1 and receit the route again, adding the next fence on each time!

Good luck, possibly nerves are playing a part, rescue remedy before you go into the ring

 

[Rambo]

Most courses are pretty obvious...there's usually only the choice of one, or perhaps two fences at most after the one you've just jumped

Try thinking about lines rather than individual fences...you might find that works better.

 

[Peanot]

thanks, We are jumping tomorrow so I`ll give it a try as to where they are most obvious to be going.
Anymore suggestions?

 

[jackrussell]

Think of the shape of the track, not just the individual fences (basically what Rambo said). Also the more courses you jump the easier you will find it to learn them.

 

[MagicMelon]

Yeah, try to think of the shape. And when you go over say fence 1, think about which way you turn to the next one etc. If your worried, watch a few horses go round the course a few times. This always helps! Plus you can also see what striding they are doing in between any related distances meaning you can stick to that (if you remember!).

 

[Rambo]

I never worry about strides....I always walk them, but never worry about them...what will be will be and all that