Tips for remembering courses ...

[maxapple]

I've just started jumping again after a very long break (I last did it when I was 16 - I'm now 30 something!!)

I've got a cracking loan pony to go out and have fun on & we did our 1st show on Sun and got 4th in our 1st class and 5th in our 2nd....

Luckily my pony can 'turn on a sixpence' as once or twice we nearly did the wrong jump. I'm just rubbish at remembering the course - despite walking it about 6 times! After jump 6 or 7 I forgot which jump was next, managed to get round the middle few then remembered the course again.

I'm sure the more I do it the easier it will get - but any tips for remebering courses?? I've got a shocking memory anyway !

 

[Embob1]

I remember by colours, or whether it's a straight, cross, star, spread, planks, fillers etc etc.
Basically by the appearance of the jump.
For example, say jump 1 is a blue cross and jump 2 is a pink spread, I remember; jump blue cross, turn left to pink spread.

That kind of thing, although I think my friend remembers by numbers, and visually counts through the course in her mind

Different things work for different people

 

[cokelly]

It will get easier as you do more and more

Obviously do your best to learn the course before you go in. I always visualise riding the course- just close your eyes and see the first jump you're going to do. Then continue to work through them in your mind's eye- keep doing this until you can do it all in your head!!

Once you're in there just do the same thing but know where your first and second jumps are- as you jump the first therefore you should know where your second is- so as you're going to the second you can think of where the third one is! It'll take a bit of practice but you'll soon work out your own system (this is just what I do!)

Hope this reads ok :S might be a bit jumbled...

good luck

 

[Mari]

I have the same problem & my SJ trainer (sounds good but I'm a nervous novice) says to learn the course in groups of 3 or 4 fences - works for me. But then if I get into a jump off it muddies the water!

 

[pgwynnc99c2]

How do you learn a dressage test?
I have noticed that mum learns dressage test by learning the words and calling it to herself in her head and she learns the numbers or colour sequence in SJ.
George learns dressage test in sections and learns the courses in groups of threes and fours.
And (don't ask me how) i can read a dressage test through once and then be able to ride it and with show jumping I can watch the course once and then ride it.
But generally I think memory exercises help (like learning dressage tests and as said above practising)

 

[Scribbles]

At novice level, SJ courses are laid out to help you (usually!) so I find I look for the most logical jump to follow, based on smoothness of turn, needing to cross the arena etc.

I dont know if that makes sense!