Long or short stride???

P

Peanot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2005
Messages
1,961
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
Ok, if you are committed to a show jump and you know that you are a little `off`, would you rather sit and shorten but it may not work quick enough so you take a gamble on getting too deep, or do you push for a long one knowing that you could get 2-3 slightly longer strides in but land at the jump at the correct place???
The first option, in the worst case could result in a stop or a knock down, and the 2nd option may result in the jump being a little flat and not being able to get your horse back into a nice rhythm until about 4-5 strides after the jump.
Does it depend if you are a SJer or an eventer? Or does it depend on how condfident you are??
Just interested on what others do in this situation. Thanks for your time and input.
 
I am a short-stride type of girl!

Normally always prefer to sit, shorten and wait but that is probably because I can get away with it on the horses I like to jump - ponyish types with a quick brain and good fifth leg so that they can extract their legs from the hole at the bottom of the fence that I leave them in
wink.gif


If I was on something a bit leggier and rangier, or with less of a brain, I'd be happier going for a long one.

Having said that, I am more than happy to take strides out in JOs and go off silly strides about a mile out, as once the bell goes all sense and reasoning leaves my brain and all I want is a shiny ribbon
blush.gif
Well, at least when I was competing I did
tongue.gif
 
Always push on as if you shorten too late there is a risk you will kill the impulsion and give a mixed message to the horse about whether you actually want it to jump or not. Personally I'd rather a horse jumped than stopped, even if that means the fence comes down.

As for not getting them back in time, well, I think it shouldn't take 4-5 strides after you land to do this - if it does, then the horse is probably still green (to a greater or lesser extent) and therefore the chances of you being able to effectively shorten/lengthen it in front of the fence in a way which will have any bearing on the quality of the jump is minimal IMO, so you are therefore better off letting them come to the jump 'off' but in a good rhythm as they shouldn't be more than half a stride off anyway, and should be able to sort themselves out.
 
I think it depends on the horse. Some horses are happier going long, others prefer to go short. It also depends on the distance after the fence if its a related. My main horse decides for me some of the time, but then I know I can trust him to make the right decision and luckily he's pretty careful either way. In jump offs Im like Megan, will go on long ones if possible to make up time. But with my other horse, he's naturally more upright (being a Welsh D) so he always prefers short strides.

I dont think it makes any difference in your an eventer or SJer, although I guess with people who mainly event they may have a more naturally forward going type. I BSJA and BE and dont think Im one or the other.
 
I would, WITH MY HORSE, always go for a long one. Shorten it last minute ur risking the fence. Also my horse finds it harder to shorten than to lengthen. I think the horse needs a bit more confidence from the rider to go on a long one, if it naturally would perfere to go on a short one. Its something if your not sure about I would practice at home, and see what works best for rider/horse combination. In my experience, For a less confident rider, usually if they are riding horse and it takes a longer striding it can tend to unseat them a bit, but a horse with smaller strides tends to keep them a bit better.
 
To produce a better jump int eh long-term, it's better to shorten. You push too many times and the result is a horse that learns to flatten.

MP always says 'try to take the front rail off' makes me get in nice and close and makes the horse use itself more!
 
short everytime, only go on a flyer if am nervous and my nerves take over the stride i know i should be waiting for!!!
 
My horse used to always go on a short, however recently he's started taking more longer strides for some reason..
Apparently it's better in xc to go on a long stride, but for sj a short is more suitable.
I prefer to go on a long though, because often when horse gets in deep he knocks the back rail off.
 
I looove long strides and taking a flyer!! But Dexter likes a deep spot so that is how ive been riding for it feels like 4ever!
tongue.gif
Will probably ride everything like this now though as it is better really
 
I sit very still, shut my eyes, and wait for pony to make a decision!!
grin.gif
We usually end up on the other side, with the fence still upright.
grin.gif

Hen prefers to go deep nowadays, after his sore leg, i just try to get him to the fence and leave the rest up to him, i must be doing something right because we seem to do ok, but then our size fences are so insignificant it doesnt really matter!
 
I prefer long as I know my horse can make the distance, mind you I love taking flyers at jumps anyway haha, It does not take 4-5 strides to sort ourselves out after fence though, we are fine as we hit the ground.
 
Depends if Im riding a spooky horse that needs positive riding and Im a bit off then Il ride for a long one. If the horse is easy and honest but knocking is a possibility Il probably go short. Also depends on just *how* long Id have to go.
Was in a competition recently and decided to go on a long one to the last fence - only I totally over-estimated the length of a pony's "extended" stride, took off quite far out and blew the pole out (would have won otherwise - darn!) Lucky the pony was enjoying himself so much it didnt affect his enthusiasm in the slightest(his owner had been terrifiedof him, holding him up short resulting in him stopping and taking the p*ss - so have now discovered that riding him "on" over a course is much more suited to him)
 
Always short - mines only little and if gets in too deep always digs herself out, doesn't stop, but if I go on too many flyers she gets flat and she's not the scopiest in the world, although tries her heart out - but wouldn't want to be too far off a big oxer, the back rail seems a mile away!
 
well it depends on the current situation! if im approaching a big jump and i dont think im going to make it i think 'oh s**t!!' and kick for my life. But if if practised a good rhythm before hand before i approach the jump i always remember 'now wait! let the jump come to us!' and then i can see a stride in a relaxed but imulsed stride and then a nice take off! i find that sitting back into the sit and letting the jump 'come to you' really helps!
 
it depends how far away i am when i realise, and what horse i'm on.
my natural instinct is/was always to go for the longer one. most horses enjoy it more, and as long as it isn't ridiculously long, they cope fine. checking them, and then dropping them on the back bar of a big parallel, is a lot lot worse for their confidence than going for a flyer, i've found.
however, if you do it repeatedly, it does flatten the jump. also, in practise and at home, i try to go for the rounder, deeper stride.
but as i've been told many many many times, if the canter is round and bouncy, you are never that "wrong" anyway, you can only ever be 1/2 a stride out at most.
 
Long one definately, my horse is very long anyway so finds shortening difficult, and his moto is "if in doubt launch!!" flyers always feel so much nicer as well!!
laugh.gif
 
I agree Kerilli - at home I always try and hold for the deeper one, but in a comp the last thing I want is to put them down in or no the fence, so forwards is better for me!

I suppose the flip side of learning to flatten is that they will learn the poles fall down, so they could get careless.....
 
yes but i find that when in a competiiton on the first round i like to shorten and have a conrtolled round so that i can creat the implusion and scope, pushing on and lengthening their stride when looking for a clear round is only jeopardising it i find as they will jump it flat and by lengthening their stride most horses naturally take off froom atleat a stride away therefore flattening over the jump and risking tipping the pole over with either their fore or back leg.
just my experiances lol:)
 
[ QUOTE ]
you can only ever be 1/2 a stride out at most.

[/ QUOTE ]
See, that sentence has never made any sense to me; half a stride is 6ft. 6ft away from the correct distance is A LOT, and you can't be half a stride too close to the fence because you'd actually be on the other side...
confused.gif
 
With PF, I'd go for a short stride; she makes a better shape and is plenty athletic and agile enough. Plus if I go for a long one she really jumps HUGE and it messes up all my lines!! Antifaz, on the other hand, I could go for a long one without launching him into space.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you can only ever be 1/2 a stride out at most.

[/ QUOTE ]
See, that sentence has never made any sense to me; half a stride is 6ft. 6ft away from the correct distance is A LOT, and you can't be half a stride too close to the fence because you'd actually be on the other side...
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I think that's fine up to about 1.00m-1.05m, but after that it can get a bit messy. I'm sure it was Stephen Hadley (for those of you who remember him
tongue.gif
) that said above that height you do have to be able to change your canter to get to a good take-off point (I was going to to say "see a stride", but I knew you'd all jump down my throat if I did!)
blush.gif
 
Nope, sorry, I still disagree
smile.gif
I mean, yes, you'll get away with it at low heights, but 6ft is 1.8m if you add to that the correct distance... let's say 1m (for the sake of argument) that makes a mahoosive 2.8m away from the fence
shocked.gif

And I stand by my point that you can't GET 1.8m 'too close' to a fence...
But that's just me; I over-analyze EVERYTHING!
grin.gif
 
I am a convert of a long strider to going for a short one (or at least I'm trying!) Jenny's canter used to be very forward and if you tried to adjust her at all she would just fight for her head and ignore you! This meant that we often went on a complete flier (and usually got away with it I have to say). I've been working very hard on this - my instructor is always hammering home about sitting and waiting for a short one rather than pushing for a long one - especially as Jenny is generally so onward bound already. As Jenny's general canter has improved - if we are on a total crap stride she will now allow me to sit and hold for a short one - this has been a total breakthrough for us and makes jumping so much more fun. I think because she is generally a very forward going mare it is much easier - my friend competes (1.20ms) on a horse that backs off and ignores your leg and she has a lot more trouble than me if she is on a crap stride.
 
[ QUOTE ]
but as i've been told many many many times, if the canter is round and bouncy, you are never that "wrong" anyway, you can only ever be 1/2 a stride out at most.

[/ QUOTE ]

i want to bel this ssoooo much but when you have the short bouncy quality canter 1/2 stride can feel a very long way from a jump!!!!
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top