Ambers Echo
Well-Known Member
I go to a fair few XC/SJ clinics and they tend to follow the same format: Work in, then jump a few warm up fences then start linking fences together. Occasionally the jumps stay low because you are working on something technical in between the fences. But more often the jumps go up to about 2/3rd the height the people in the lesson compete (so 60-70 for me) and gradually increase in height through the clinic so we are jumping the biggest fences at the end of the lesson - ie 90/100 for me.
In other words we are jumping the biggest when we are the tiredest?
Other sports don't do this: you plan your main objective of the session which will be the 'main set' and you do it straight after the warm up when you are fresh mentally and physically. And there is a long warm down afterwards too.
Maybe clinics aren't really about fitness/strength training of the horse but about confidence and fun for the rider? But then when and how do people train for fitness and strength? I literally only ever ride round a course of jumps (XC or SJ) at a clinic because we don't have those facilities at home.
Thoughts?
In other words we are jumping the biggest when we are the tiredest?
Other sports don't do this: you plan your main objective of the session which will be the 'main set' and you do it straight after the warm up when you are fresh mentally and physically. And there is a long warm down afterwards too.
Maybe clinics aren't really about fitness/strength training of the horse but about confidence and fun for the rider? But then when and how do people train for fitness and strength? I literally only ever ride round a course of jumps (XC or SJ) at a clinic because we don't have those facilities at home.
Thoughts?