Oh you clever people...!

[Gamebird]

Thank you very much to all those who pointed out the (in retrospect) blindingly obvious point that it is a lot easier to hold two pairs of reins with the snaffle in the normal place and the gag between the 2nd and 3rd fingers.
I had the beastie in question out competing yesterday and tried your method and guess what...it's loads easier and doesn't squash your fingers!

What wise people you all are!!!

Now can you help me again please? The beastie in question is going to do his 3rd ever XC at Richmond PN where there is always a corner. He has never jumped a XC corner before, but has jumped corners made out of poles in the school. He's fairly bold and straight (so far) XC. Should I risk it without taking him XC schooling over corners before then, or would that be mean and rather too much of the 'dropping-him-in-at-the-deep-end-and-hoping-he'll-cope' thing?

Awaiting your wise words of wisdom yet again. Thanks in advance!

 

[sw123]

I think if he's straight and has jumped corners made of poles then you'll be fine. Can you elaborate on the poles and add some fillers or make them wider so a narrower bit to jump etc. At PN it wont be that big to jump in the middle as an oxer anyway i wouldnt have thought.

 

[kerilli]

PN corners are usually small enough that i just jump them as parallels at the widest part, tbh.

 

[Baggybreeches]

On a fairly straight horse they shouldnt be any trouble, I did one with Sov last year at Bold, and he had never seen any corner at all! Ps providing it is shaped in the horses favour, SOv jumps left so we like the point to be on our right!

 

[Gamebird]

Jolly good. I think in all honesty I probably wasn't ever going to take the horse XC schooling. Nice to make sure that I'm not going mad though!

I'll jump as close to the widest point that I can manage (allowing for flowerpots etc.). I haven't ridden a PN course for over a year so I suspect that it will look quite tiny when I see it again.

Thanks again!