XC lessons

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TheHairyOne

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I feel a bit of a fraud wandering in here, but I thought you would be the people to ask. Apologies for the length. :)

I ride a hairy 15hh ish cart horse at a level between all luck(jumping) and a tenny bit of skill (flat work) who I've backed and broken myself with the help of 2 wonderful instructors for each discipline. Sadly, neither will teach XC (SJing is time and distance, dressage trainer says she doesnt teach what she doesn't do - fair enough!).

Now I've been schooling at our local courses a few times, but really don't have much of a clue what I am about, but my horse loves it. However, I really struggle outside my comfort zone of little (2'3:o) solid logs, which has led to a bit of an issue with him loosing confidence in me. SJing we are popping 3' course at home(after a bit of build up) and he's got a cracking jump - again, it's my skill holding us back as I'm too nervous out to do more than 2'6. :o

Roll back a year and I was never going to jump a solid fence ever and was a nervous hacker, so we've made quite a lot of progress, but this is an area I really need help with. I'd love to complete the MK 3 day event (at tiny height) in sept, as the yard are trying to get a team together, but I've no confidence in completing atm. I just don't know how to ride at speed at fences in an open space. As a Riding School rider as a kid, and a returning to riding at 30 rider I have never had the chance to do this till now. I have an even bigger dream of doing the 80 at mattingley in a few years. However, I read the comments on the enormous thread on here about people being totally unprepared trying to give it ago (and I was writing there last year so saw it with my own eyes), but I don't really know how to get to the point of being ready.

So, I am in south berkshire, have my own transport and a small training budget. There's a few clinics coming up that say they are suitable for nervous novices (but I am worried we are too incompitent for even this having never done one before). There's Bill Levett and Richard Waygood at a proper XC course, and caroline moore (I assume the same clinc that Star posted about), but that's simulated in an arena.

Thinking not the arena one - I have the most issues with steps down and ditches (cost me a hat!), which obviously can't be simulated, but am I good enough for these clinics at all? I don't want to have a negative effect on the other people paying £50-£60 to be there or be compeltely overfaced.

Or are there other options people know about, any riding schools who'd do XC lessons for someone on their own horse, any private instructors (don't care about official qualifications) who anyone would recommend for a nervous novice and a cob who'd not break the bank?

We do have fences at home which I attempt every so often. I can't beleive I am going to post this, but here's why I (and my super little horse) need help!

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Thank you in advance.

C.
 
Firstly, don't let people talking down to you put you off! It probably wouldn't be a good idea to enter a BE as your first full round of an XC course but everyone starts somewhere. I was in your position this time last year and we loved it.
If you can find a local RC with a genuine starters or beginners section, as you say something in the 2'ish category, then you will be fine. Chances are that at that level you don't need to flying all that fast anyway so it becomes less scary and they tend to make those courses very friendly as an introduction.
Most of them are on courses that you can go to before and school around to check out what kind of things you may be up against.
I can't recommend instructors in your area but I'm sure you'll find one. You will be fine going to a clinic unless it states on the forms that you must be working/competing at a particular level (or you know the facilities they are using don't have appropriate heights for you). Make sure you put on your application what level/experience and they should place you appropriately.
Good luck & have fun!
 
i think you'd be better booking a 1-on-1 xc lesson with someone good local to you. There's a list of BE accredited trainers on their website, or someone on here might be able to recommend someone.
You need someone who is good at teaching slightly nervous riders, imho some top trainers do look down on those on the lowest rungs of the ladder and so, obviously, you don't want one of those! you need someone who will be really encouraging and give you lots of good pointers to get you really enjoying your xc. i'm sure someone on here will recommend a local trainer, which are your local xc courses?
 
There are several suggestions some of which may be useful.

Would your SJ trainer do some simulated XC in a lesson, you could work on technique, the differences in the 2 disciplines although at the level you are at it is really very similar.

Is there a RC near you that offers any xc, or a xc venue that runs clinics or regular training on the course, many do this and would be available throughout the season for some continuity.

Is there someone on your yard that you could go to a hunter trial with, much the best option for your first xc comp, you could do some pairs classes they are great fun and would help with nerves you can chat on the way round.:D

If you can go and watch one of the BE clinics, it will be good to see what goes on, you will still be able to learn from watching and may then feel happy to go along to one.

Hope some of this is helpful, pictures will be required:D
 
Thanks for your replies.

Kerilli, I completely agree, 1 to 1 is what I was hoping to find, but it's not easy to find them for an affordable price. :(

I have done a few little HT's inc a pairs competition. Our most succesful was a 2' on our own (where we were clear over 30 seconds inside the time so no placing!), our least successful started well, then I fell in a ditch. :p We went out once more after this, but clearly my confidence was broken a bit more than I thought so I retired. The picture above was about 3 weeks after this and shows just how compeltely wrong it's gone and I've not jumped a solid fence since!

All of the clinics I've listed are through the local riding clubs. I don't know of any around here that actually have their own courses, though I do know one who has the same local person running them, rather than outside people - I think they normally use BCA. Maybe this might be a better idea?

My sister and I travel about together, but the pairs comp we did she borrowed a smaller horse (and we placed :D). I don't have the nerve to travel at the speed her very excitable 17'2 TB goes XC (toys out of the pram to baby sit me, which doesn't help) and I am sure it's not safe for us either. :) The other person on the yard who has experience BE has break failure issues. Again not something I want to get caught up in.

We have a lot of local courses to hire. Twesledown is the most local, BCA nearby, but we've LOADS of unaffliated courses, at least 15 I can think of off the top of my head. We've schooled around 4 or 5 of them before it went wrong, but I am very aware I was SJing solid fences. I don't see the point of going back to this as if I am going to learn how to do it right (which is how I strive to do everything), I need to start with the basics.

Least he doesn't mind water. :D
 
I would definitely start by going back to basics in an arena, you can do a fair amount to build your confidence and gain a rapport with a trainer before progressing to a xc course. Its just a case of finding the right person to help you .
 
When Rosie started she was in the pony club so went on all their training sessions and still often trains with Sam, the PC trainer. Could you contact your local PC and find out who does the XC training and see if they would give you a private lesson? He/she would be used to working with beginners and might not be too expensive.
 
there is a BE XC clinic at Munstead on 3rd March which says suitable for everyone and Munstead has jumps starting at 2ft3. It's with Ella Louise Webb who's a good trainer and it's not too expensive - still places left as far as i know :) Richard Waygood does a lot of clinics at Farley Hall SJ and I've seen him do lessons with jumps max of 2ft so he will teach all levels. Dont worry too much about other people - as long as you're honest when you apply for the clinic they should put you in an appropriate group.
 
Madhope said:
Hi there

i maybe in your area and maybe able to help you, pm me
x
Click to expand...

Thank you very much, I have sent you a PM and am hoping that we can work something out that will help me and my lovely little horse.

I really don't want to muck about on my own any more without any proper guidance as in my experience of life, having a crack at something with little/no eductation leads to things going wrong and accidents.
 
I would definately advise joining a RC - there are lots in our area (obviously I would recommend the one I am on the committee of!) but several are good and once you get your confidence up and the basics right which individual lessons with someone like madhope would be ideal for, then you could move on to doing some group clinics. We had 4 hours worth of lessons at Rosehill last saturday starting from those wanting to do up to 2' only.
 
TheHairyOne said:
Thank you very much, I have sent you a PM and am hoping that we can work something out that will help me and my lovely little horse.

I really don't want to muck about on my own any more without any proper guidance as in my experience of life, having a crack at something with little/no eductation leads to things going wrong and accidents.
Click to expand...

Looks like you have some great suggestions on here but if not PM me. I have a great instructor who has also helped a very very nervous friend with her jumping. He has no quals but events for a living and is very good at boosting confidence..we will be going out xc schooling sometime soon and will make sure we go somewhere with baby jumps for my friend (and in her words she means "trip hazards" height) so if nothing works out for you let me know and you could come along. It looks like we are fairly local to you (near tweseldown). You definitely wouldn't be wasting anyone's time with us - we are ALL always learning and IMHO it's all about having fun (but in a safe way) at the end of the day...........
 
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