How much XC practice will you do before your first event?

[Pidgeon]

As title really, am aiming for Stafford BE90 beginning of April and just wondering how much XC schooling to do? Have entered a couple of 90cm arena eventing, that is if this damn chest infection ever goes, prior to Stafford and aim to go to Somerford.
Had plenty of DR and SJ practice over the winter time so happy with these, well as happy as I'll ever be with our dressage anyway

 

[only_me]

Well, I will be doing lots of xc schooling, but then I am on a baby who has had limited experience

But xc schooling also comes from doing little unaff 2 phases and hunter trials

 

[stencilface]

I won't be doing BE this year, but its likely I'll just enter an unaff ODE or HT and go straight in. I prefer to use comps for practise (if I know the course will be good) as sometimes schooling I have no 'go' and no confidence, round a course I find it flows better

But if I was paying to enter BE, I want to minimise the risk of a fault xc and I'd go for a schooling round somewhere of have a lesson. Unaff ODE prices sometimes aren't that much more than going for a schooling round

 

[Pidgeon]

hmmm nothing around here HT / ODE until beginning of May time so Stafford will be first comp!
I know what you mean about the difference between schooling and a comp, both me and Pidge struggle to get our blood up schooling. Maybe a XC lesson would be a good idea thanks

 

[Bills]

As soon as my local courses open up i'll try to get at least one schooling sesh in before a comp. Im planning on entering a few arena events but nothing beats a good gallop around a course.

I know what you mean about schooling tho, never seems to quite get the blood up like a comp does, although it'll help me test my breaks beofre the first comp lol!

 

[millitiger]

Lots!

But I am lucky to have an xc course on site so will be popping down at least once/twice a week, if not to jump fences then at least have some water/step/ditch practice.

 

[stencilface]

Are there any fun rides you can go on with some xc bits - you've been to somerford before haven't you?

Maybe go there and have a blast?

 

[Pidgeon]

hopefully at the weekend if feeling up to it and Somerford is open, Pidge has got to the stage where he needs a bit of a blast now its been tooooooo long

 

[MegaBeast]

Last year we did a couple of arena events in Feb, went xc schooling twice in March... and then had car issues so didn't get to go out til end of May at which point I'd forgotten the lack of xc schooling and we went straight out to do a diddy HT, then a month later did West Wilts BE90, had a couple of stops and only after that did I realise we hadn't been round a proper xc course since the october of the previous year!!

 

[RomanyMayday]

I think about twice schooling and then a hunter trial before my first event at BE100 in april.

 

[Bills]

If your anywhere near Cotswold Farm park they have around 60 fences and its a good long ride too.
Sorry if your not, geography was never my strong point lol!!

 

[Starbucks]

Not a lot really, maybe go up to Eland once to practice some skinnies and that will be about it!

We're not really that big on practising!

 

[wellsat]

If they have spaces left I'm hoping to do the Dag Albert clinic at Eland , no substitute for the real thing but will be good to have a chance to school over the Arena Eventing fences.

 

[kez1001]

you guys are lucky getting to xc school so early - most places around here dont open til mid march, start of april!

 

[hollibobs]

There is a Hunter Trial on at Kelsall Hill run by Delamere Forest Riding Club, http://www.delamereforestridingclub.co.uk/pages/home.htm

Don't know how far that is from you but might be of interest. I've done it before & if I remember rightly it's over the Intro track.

 

[joseyjo88]

Last season i started at Poplar in March, and pony hadn't been XC since Keysoe the previous September! This was due to lack of transport. I Found a ditch i could jump out hacking, and that was it. He went clear- wouldnt trust many to do that though!

 

[diggerbez]

well i went to the farm ride at kelsall at the weekend- didn't jump a lot- was more for a gallop and to get his feet wet really/ test out my new bit

am planning on oasby and before then i have an XC lesson booked and am also on a camp which includes some XC training. hoping that will suffice its the show jumping that i really need to get cracking with

 

[Eventer96]

I'll do one schooling session. One clinic (hopefully with Sacha Pemble- as planned last year) and maybe a hunter trial if I can find one before the end of march where we will go to Munstead for our first BE90.

 

[SpottedCat]

This is really interesting.

How many of those of you who say once/not at all would also either do a dressage test having only schooled your horse twice/not at all in the past 5 months, or go SJ having only jumped 2 rounds in that time?

Just curious - there is loads in the press about people not preparing for XC as much as the other aspects, and I am interested to know why....

 

[Eventer96]

This is really interesting.

How many of those of you who say once/not at all would also either do a dressage test having only schooled your horse twice/not at all in the past 5 months, or go SJ having only jumped 2 rounds in that time?

Just curious - there is loads in the press about people not preparing for XC as much as the other aspects, and I am interested to know why....

A very good point, I'd like to be prepared as possible and once doesn't feel like enough practise. I will admit, I am a bit rusty first time. It is after all the most dangerous part of the sport. I'm very lukcy that we have a few cross country fences we can pop around whenever (only about 10 fences, something is better than nothing however).

Also, why do people not have lessons for the cross country phase? Is it simply because instructors won't travel to the courses?

I can't wait until we are released back onto the cross country course!!

 

[diggerbez]

This is really interesting.

How many of those of you who say once/not at all would also either do a dressage test having only schooled your horse twice/not at all in the past 5 months, or go SJ having only jumped 2 rounds in that time?

Just curious - there is loads in the press about people not preparing for XC as much as the other aspects, and I am interested to know why....

i know for me that its a case of preparing for the XC without actually needing to go XC schooling- does that make sense?
so i'll have done lots of canter work- hacks and in school - and so hopefully fitness will be ok and when i do sj stuff at home/lessons i work a lot on distances, skinnies, angles- all the technical side of XC... plus things like arena eventing do help- added to a few lessons and then hopefully we'll be good to go
Sjing i'm going competing this weekend despite not jumping properly for a month or so. i have jumped but nothing massive and nothing resembling a course but i just need to get cracking. dressage i'd go and do a test without practising- but then there is no danger element to it!

 

[jumptoit]

I will probably get XC schooling twice possibly three times, not as much as I would ideally but I have to travel a good 2 -3 hrs to get to a good place but I will make lots of simulated fences in the arena .

 

[jumptoit]

This is really interesting.

How many of those of you who say once/not at all would also either do a dressage test having only schooled your horse twice/not at all in the past 5 months, or go SJ having only jumped 2 rounds in that time?

Just curious - there is loads in the press about people not preparing for XC as much as the other aspects, and I am interested to know why....

A very good point, I think if there was somewhere local, within an hour, with well drained land I would go more often but it just isn't possible as a lot of places don't open their courses for schooling until April/May time. Showjumping and dressage I practice lots but this is very much down to the fact I have an arena and facilities available to me.

 

[only_me]

This is really interesting.

How many of those of you who say once/not at all would also either do a dressage test having only schooled your horse twice/not at all in the past 5 months, or go SJ having only jumped 2 rounds in that time?

Just curious - there is loads in the press about people not preparing for XC as much as the other aspects, and I am interested to know why....

Well, I am going to do lots of xc training, but will go do a dressage test if I havent rode in the week.
I am blessed with a very level headed baby who is happy to do anything
We also go jumping if not been able to go out, but obs stay small.

Sometimes just doing a competition is as good as practice as any

 

[bigboyrocky]

plans are to go schooling once (hopefully twice) one Unaff ODE, then our first BE in april

 

[Kerri_22]

I'll hopefully go xc schooling twice before doing a BE100 in April.

Last year, all the courses round me were waterlogged and were all closed, so I went to Kirriemuir and did the BE90 there having done no xc since October the year before.. It wasn't the best situation but he was so up for it and stormed round clear so I must say I wouldn't panic too much if they same happened to me this year as I know he'd probably be fine.

 

[Sanolly]

My first ODE isn't until the end of April so I plan to go once a week as soon as the XC course opens, I am lucky to have one on my doorstep and 3 more within 20 minutes drive including LMEQ

 

[Stormy123456]

With Ballet I try to prepare at home, with angles, corners & skinnies, using poles, last year for one reason or another we didn't get out XC schooling at all before going straight into BE Novice. She flew round clear, so it wasn't a massive problem. Teamchasing is brilliant for getting my eye in, also builds confidence and I find gets us in a better rhythm than any stop start XC schooling.

With Spanner I shall be doing lots! She hasn't seen a XC jump since September, and she's still a baby. I shall be taking her to a small fun teamchase too.

We don't have any facilities available, so everythings done in a field, which makes SJ and dressage just as hard, if not harder to practise over the winter.

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

Im aiming for the unaff at aston in march, the SJ isnt a problem but she hasnt seen a X-C fence for 18 months, Ive jumped a few out hacking and last week I found a nice ditch which she flew over, Im working out hacking on changing the pace and bringing her back, then going forward.

Im planning to do some arena X-C, and have lessons over the fences, will also try to find a course open I think MK opens early, so be as prepared as I can

 

[Moo Wills]

Our first ODE is end of Feb followed by another the week after. I'm lucky enough to have some cross country fences and a water complex on site which i pop throughout the year but will probably start on some of the bigger ones shortly. We also have a complex within hacking distance which has express eventing type fences as well as show jumps and water so might nip there but other than that we won't hire a cross country course before our first event (I'm also a lorry driver missing until mid Feb ).