Is my boy ready for cross country?

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SR3101

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Hi, I've owned my horse for a year now and I'm looking to take him to a cross country training ground. My question is, is he ready for it? He only started really jumping at the beginning of this year and he clears 80-90cm nicely but struggles with finding a stride sometimes (I tend to let him find a stride that's best for him). Also, would I be better to go with others? He's an ex racehorse so I'm wondering if a group of horses cantering around him might fizz him up. Any thoughts appreciated, thank you.
 
You are better off without others to fizz him up but a calm experienced companion is a very good idea for first timers. Especially for things like ditches and water. If he gets in a tizzy about it something calm to give a lead makes all the difference. A human has a much harder time convincing a horse that something is safe - another horse does it much more easily.

Don't jump high - keep everything very well within his comfort zone - ideally so he can trot over it. You might find you go and only do one thing, come away and try again on something else next time. But even if you just hack around and look at the ditches and water it will be a good start for him.
 
Every course I've been at caters for the nervous, the numpty and the new. :) Find out what height the course starts at before you go and if they have small fences you can start on them, the water, steps up and down and ditches. Most clinics don't include any flying around and you'll do each obstacle then move to the next. Handy to go with an experienced horse at least then if you need a lead you've got one.
 
We bought horse at the end of March this year who had done very little (one small UA ode), did two xc schooling sessions and then 2 BE80s in May then up to BE90 for rest of season. He coped extremely well and got a Badminton grassroots regional qualificational for next year. I would say go for it.
 
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