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Any course that involves a related distance–meaning, every hunter course out there—requires your horse to adjust his stride,” Prince explains. “And that’s something you should learn on the flat first.”

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Here’s an advanced training maneuver from hunter/jumper trainer Greg Prince that will help you lengthen and shorten your horse’s canter stride.

Set up four ground poles evenly around a large circle within your arena, so you can walk a curved line of 60 feet (four strides) from the center to the center of each pole. (If your arena can’t accommodate this size, try a smaller circle of 48 feet, three strides, between the poles.) Trot through this circular grid, the pinwheel, a few times to familiarize your horse with the poles.

Then establish an organized, balanced canter and enter the pinwheel, riding an even four strides between the poles. You’ll have to concentrate on many factors at once to make this exercise work:

• Find the correct bending line between the poles so you can fit four strides evenly between each one—heading toward the center of every pole. As you ride over one pole, you’ll already have to be looking ahead to the next one so you can plan your turn.
• Maintain the same canter rhythm so your horse’s stride remains consistent. This, of course, is easier said than done. If you hit a long distance to a pole, you’ll have to close up the stride immediately on landing—or you won’t have room to canter four strides before the next pole. Similarly, if your horse arrives at a pole on a short distance, you’ll need to open up the stride on landing. Learn to react instantly so you can make whatever stride adjustment your horse requires before a problem develops.
• Stay relaxed and calm as you make your stride adjustments. Find the right combination of synchronized rein and leg aids so you can seamlessly adjust your horse’s stride without affecting his balance or rhythm.
• Keep going. You’ll probably manage one circuit of the pinwheel just fine, but holding a quality canter through a series of circles requires thoughtful and tactful riding.
• Eventually you will be able to challenge yourself even further by changing the number of strides you do between each pole. Ride a smaller circle, head toward the inside of each pole, and open up the stride to get three strides on each circuit. Then ride a larger circle, close up the canter, and steer toward the outside of each pole to get five strides.

This exercise demands that you practice many of the skills you need to ride a hunter course successfully. How many times have you entered the ring with a great canter, but lost the rhythm by the fourth or fifth jump? This is your chance to practice maintaining your horse’s canter stride between each pole, just the way you would through a series of jumps.

But since riding over poles doesn’t stress your horse’s legs at all, you can practice the pinwheel exercise as often as you need. Be patient—you’ll need several days of practice before you’ll be able to successfully negotiate this exercise.

Further Reading
How to Count Strides between Jumps

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“A well-executed rollback allows you to show off your riding skills in an equitation class,” Prince explains. “The turn may be presented as an option on course, but the winning competitor always demonstrates a precisely-planned rollback. And you certainly can’t beat the clock in even a low-level jumper class without riding those tight inside turns.”

Prince, who has coached numerous riders to regional and national equitation finals, begins teaching the components for a rollback turn early in a rider’s career. “In anything other than a maiden equitation class, you’re going to see rollback turns on course, so riding these turns needs to be part of every rider’s basic skills.”

A successful rollback turn involves a combination of skills—precise flatwork, jumping and turning, jumping on an angle and planning lines. Before you attempt these difficult turns, bolster your confidence by practicing each component separately.

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But if hard work, dedication, and commitment held a dollar value, 20-year-old Burnett, riding in her first-ever Rolex, would be the richest competitor of all. The special partnership she’s forged over the past six years with her 16-year-old Thoroughbred partner (whom she calls Ben) have already enabled this up-and-coming young rider to defy the odds and reach for the stars, despite her lack of financial backing.

Facing Rolex, arguably the country’s toughest equestrian event, as a rookie is no small challenge. But Burnett and Ben have already proven they can hold their own in top-caliber competition.  Based in Ocala, Fla., for winter training this year, the pair placed 10th at the prestigious Red Hills CIC*** in March, a world-cup qualifier. Last fall, the duo finished 20th in the United States Equestrian Team’s fall eventing championship, the Fair Hill (MD) CCI***. (She currently holds her B rating and will seek her “A” after Rolex.)

Riding at Rolex has been a lifelong dream for Burnett, who grew up in Finchville, Ky., just an hour from the Kentucky Horse Park. She was the only one of her four siblings to inherit the horse bug from her mother, Sue, who runs an active lesson program at the family’s Leap of Faith Farm.

Burnett grew up riding ponies and has been a loyal member of the Louisville, Ky., Long Run Pony Club since she was 7.  There, she was introduced to many local instructors who launched her eventing career. She recalls learning the ropes by falling off “lots of naughty ponies,” before achieving novice-level success by age 11 with one of her mom’s school horses. At 14, Burnett reached the sport’s Preliminary Level aboard Codiak Moment (Cody), a 14.2-hand pony who also competed in the pony jumper division at horse shows.

In the summer of 2001, while watching the pony finals in Conn., Burnett and her mom stopped to look at some horses for sale in nearby New York; among them was a magnificent 16.2 hand Thoroughbred, Ben. “I had never seen a horse that nice,” Burnett remembers. “I took one look at him and I just knew, I had to get him somehow.”

But Ben’s price was beyond the family’s reach. “I begged the owner not to sell him,” Burnett recalls. “I had to come up with the money somehow.”

One week later, an answer appeared. Burnett and Cody had just won the pony jumper championship at a big show and, although the ponly had never been offered for sale, a buyer made an offer. Cody’s sale allowed Ben’s purchase.

When Burnett brought her dream horse home, she knew she had a lot to learn before they began competing. “I had to get used to Ben’s big stride and figure out how to ride him,” Burnett says. “I couldn’t even sit his trot at first.”

When the pair finally hit started competing, they immediately found success. In 2003, Burnett and Ben won three Preliminary-Level horse trials in a row and placed sixth at their first three-day event in Lexington, Va.

The next year, Burnett made a valiant attempt to attend college and, as she recalls, “try to be a normal person.” She lasted only one semester at the University of Kentucky before she realized, “I can’t do this; I have to ride.”

But Burnett would have to earn her way. So, she became a working student for Kentucky-based eventer Cathy Weischoff, following her to Florida for winter training. In 2005 Burnett and Ben reached the sport’s Advanced Level and competed successfully in the 2006 national young rider’s championships in Lexington, Va.

That year, Burnett relocated to The Plains, Va., to work for her current instructors, renowned eventers Karen and David O’Connor, and their assistant trainer, Clark Montgomery.  She earned extra money by training some off-the-track Thoroughbred prospects for resale at her parent’s farm.

“I think I have a better partnership with Ben because I work with him all the time,” Burnett explains. “I appreciate what I have so much more because I’ve had to work for it.”

Burnett credits her family, too, for their unflagging support. “My parents have bent over backwards for me all these years,” she says. “My family has sacrificed their time and energy, going to horse shows instead of baseball and basketball games.”

Much of Burnett’s inspired determination, of course, stems from the love and steadfast faith she feels for her horse. “Ben tries his heart out for me,” she explains. “I can mess up and he’ll get me out of any situation. He would jump off a cliff for me.”

And through the unsolicited help of friends and fans, Burnett and Ben will at least arrive at Rolex in style. A recent story in the Louisville Courier-Journal about Burnett’s Rolex quest noted that her dilapidated trailer could barely make the trek to Lexington. A barrage of e-mails quickly followed, resulting in an offer to refurbish the Burnett’s rig.

“People I didn’t even know have e-mailed and offered to help,” Burnett explains. “It’s just been amazing.”

So while the vagaries of sport make the Rolex outcome anyone’s guess, you can bet on one thing: The hometown crowd will be cheering for Burnett and Ben on cross-country day, loud and clear.

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“For less-experienced riders, it’s tough to learn to move with some parts of your body and still maintain a stable position,” Ashley explains. “At the same time your hips move to accommodate the canter rhythm, you need to stay centered in the tack, anchored by a steady leg and low heel. And while your soft, elastic arms and elbows follow your horse’s head and neck, you need to keep your shoulders tall and square.

“This is a lot to work on if you’re having trouble maintaining canter in the first place!” explains Ashley. So don’t attempt to train your green horse’s canter until you’re confident in your own ability to ride at this gait. “It is very difficult to put a green rider on a green horse and expect the canter to get better,” she says.

The very best way to learn to follow the canter is to take some longe lessons. “Working without stirrups on the longe line will help you enormously,” she counsels. “I have riders hold onto the pommel or cantle, so they can concentrate on following the canter in their hips.”

Ashley also suggests working on canter position by taking some lessons on an experienced horse, and ride without stirrups to strengthen your seat and leg.

When Your Horse Won’t Canter
Don’t let your green horse run into canter from an ever-increasing trot, explains Ashley. “You’re not doing your horse any favors by being unclear in your aids.”

Ride a 20-meter circle in trot and ask for canter. If your horse responds by trotting faster, bring him back to a steady working trot using the half-halt and ask for canter again.

This time, use a stronger forward aid—more leg, voice, or a touch of whip or spur—to the upward transition. Your horse may leap into canter; if so, reward him. Be careful not to inadvertently punish your horse by catching him in the mouth if he canters off faster than you’d like. Reward your horse for going forward, even if right now it’s a little more forward than you’d like.

Next time, try using less of the forward correction (if you used the whip last time, for example, try leg only this time), and see if your horse gets the idea. Stay on the circle, which will make it easier to keep your horse on your aids, while you repeat these transitions until your horse moves promptly into canter.

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“Brave horses develop confidence due to well-planned, progressive training,” says Advanced-level eventer Jennifer (“Jennie”) Goebel. “It’s your job to show your horse how to safely answer the cross-country questions you present to him.”

Jennie knows all about developing event horses: She campaigned her own Thoroughbred gelding Jericho to the very top of the sport, finishing 9th at the Rolex Kentucky CCI*** in 1999 and completing the renowned four-star test there in 2000. The trainer and manager at Elenor and Larry Smith’s Tallwoods Farms in Canton, Conn., and Vass, N.C., Jennie teaches eventing students of all levels, many of whom are already qualified for the 2006 American Eventing Championships, to be held in September at the Carolina Horse Park in North Carolina.

“Ditches, banks and water each present their own unique and distinct challenge to the horse or rider who’s never faced these obstacles before,” Jennie explains.

Basics First

Jumping banks, ditches and water should never be considered by riders who have just started jumping or those mounted on green horses. “Before you even think of tackling these jumps, you and your horse should be comfortable hacking out alone through the countryside, working on hilly terrain and navigating simpler cross-country jumps—like logs, coops and stone walls,” Jennie says. “If you have control problems out in the open, you shouldn’t even think about cross-country jumping.”

Your horse should also move forward promptly off your leg. “Don’t attempt a jump your horse may question unless you’re sure he knows, from your flatwork training, that your leg means go, no questions asked,” Jennie explains. “That way he’ll listen to you instead of spooking away from something that scares him, like his first water crossing.”

In addition, if there’s ever a question of insecure footing on takeoff or landing, don’t present your horse to the obstacle. There is no surer way to scare a green horse than send him through a water obstacle in which the bottom gives way, or ask him to jump a ditch with an unstable landing. Make sure the physical conditions at the jumps you’re navigating ensure a good experience for your horse.

Water

When a green horse faces his first water crossing, he has no idea how deep that water is. For all he knows you’re asking him to step into a bottomless pool. Many horses also don’t understand what you want when you point them at water: Should they jump it or walk into it?

“It’s perfectly normal for almost any horse to question his first water obstacle,” Jennie says. “Never get mad or frustrated because your horse seems afraid of water.”

Select your first water crossing carefully. Avoid running water at first and steer clear of bad footing in or around the water. Choose a wide and shallow water crossing in a fairly level area that you can easily walk through, ideally in both directions. Rubber reins are also a good idea (as are gloves with a good grip) since splashing around in a water crossing will make your leather reins wet and slippery.

Factor in your approach, too. “If you choose a water crossing at the bottom of a steep hill, then you’ve added the difficulty of the downhill approach to the question,” Jennie explains. “The water itself is enough of a challenge for your horse to face. The approach shouldn’t be part of the problem.”

Always take a friend on an experienced horse the first few times you attempt water, ditches or banks. Start by walking both horses in the area around the water crossing several times, offering lots of pats and praise.

Then ask your friend to walk back and forth through the crossing a few times, while you stand to the side on your horse and just watch. Then get in line right behind your friend’s horse, and walk behind on a straight approach through the water. Your horse should walk right through and if he does, “praise him like he just won an Olympic medal,” Jennie says.

Then go around and walk again through the water from the same direction, if possible. “You won’t believe how much of a difference changing directions can make,” Jennie explains. “Let your horse get comfortable in one direction before you ask him to change.”

After several crossings in one direction, ask your friend to turn around and give you a lead going the other way. Walk through several times that way before you ultimately go back and forth together through the water. (If you can’t get around the water, you may have to go back and forth the first time—just follow your friend’s lead.)

If your horse seems very confident, ask your friend to wait on the other side while you walk through the water on your own toward him or her. Then turn around and try the same thing in the other direction.

“I would never ask a young horse to attempt water alone until he’s had several schools through water with a buddy first,” Jennie explains. “And if your horse has trouble getting into the water at first, don’t ask him to cross alone at all that first day. You can never be too cautious in these first introductory sessions.”

Starting your horse to water gradually in a low-pressure training environment in the beginning will make it possible to tackle more challenging water jumps later on in his career. Photo: Leslie Potter

Water Woes

What happens if your horse takes one look at that water and balks? “Don’t panic or punish your horse, but don’t let him turn away, either,” Jennie explains. “If you allow your horse to whirl and spin the other direction when he sees the water, you’re essentially telling him he’s absolutely correct to be afraid of what you’re asking him to do.” Don’t get mad at him for his fear, but don’t let him give to his natural inclination to turn and run from danger, either.

Encourage your horse to follow his buddy by using your voice and leg, but be willing to stand there as long as it takes. “Once he gets one foot wet, a horse will usually walk right through,” Jennie explains. “It’s that first step that can be tough.”

Give your horse all the time he needs, and as many leads as it takes to get him through the water that first time. Then ask him to go through again, and probably a third time, but that might be it for that day.

Once your horse comfortably crosses the water in both directions, get a lead from your friend and trot, and  eventually canter, through the water (footing permitting). Jennie cautions, however, “it might take you several sessions before you try anything more than a walk.”

Advanced Work

At the Beginner Novice and Novice levels of event competition, competitors will only be asked to trot or canter through a water crossing. Only at the Training (3’3″) level will horses be required to jump into water. For this reason, Jennie wouldn’t recommend adding a jump to the water until your horse is comfortable without a doubt cantering through all types of water obstacles in various locations. When you are ready to add a jump, Jennie suggests using a cross-rail, a stride or two ahead of the water, then taking a lead from a friend through this simple exercise. Over time, move the cross-rail closer and closer to the water until eventually you jump the cross-rail and land in the water itself.

“When you’re ready to compete at the Training level, you’ll need to learn how to slip the reins and let your shoulders come back as you land over a jump into the water,” Jennie explains. “This is called the drop position, and it’s a fairly advanced technique you’ll need as your eventing career progresses.”

Banks

Banks present an unusual dilemma for your horse. “Before now you’ve always asked your horse to jump over something,” Jennie says. “Now you want him to jump up onto something, stay at that level for a stride or two, then jump off, into space, and back to ground level.”

Before working on a bank, make sure your horse is comfortable walking up and down a steep slope. Ideally, a beginning bank will have one sloping side so that you don’t have to try jumping both on and off the bank on your first try. That way you can practice jumping onto, then off, a bank before you try both elements at once.

Take a lead from your friend and follow that horse up and down the ramp side of the bank. Then pick up an organized, balanced trot, find a long straight approach to the up-bank, and then follow your friend’s horse right up the bank.

“While you want to walk your horse through his first water crossing or over his first ditch, trotting is best for bank practice, since the jump up requires some impulsion,” Jennie explains.

“In terms of finding a distance to the bank, think of it as a vertical jump and look right at the edge of the bank on your approach,” Jennie continues. “But grab your horse’s mane just before you jump because the feeling of jumping up a bank will feel new to you, and you may have trouble staying with your horse.”

Once your horse comfortably trots up the bank several times behind your friend’s horse, turn around and try the other way—trot up the ramp going onto the bank and jump off the bank. “Most green horses will overjump the first time they pop off a bank,” Jennie says. “So make sure you grab your horse’s mane and stay off his back as he lands.”

If your horse hesitates, don’t let him turn around—just stand and face him off the bank, and ask your friend to come around and give you another lead until your horse follows and jumps off.

Over much larger banks with steeper drops, riders will eventually need to learn the drop position. “But for now I recommend that riders learn to stay with their horses off a bank by grabbing mane right through to the landing,” Jennie explains. “Try to really sink into your heel and let your lower leg absorb the shock of the drop.”

Make sure you look up and out as you drop off a bank, as looking down will encourage you to fall forward ahead of your horse. And never worry about how many strides you get on top of the bank. “It’s your horse’s job to navigate the bank in a way that makes him feel most secure,” Jennie explains. “Many horses will shuffle in several extra strides before they jump off a bank. Don’t worry about this—they’re just being careful about where they place their feet. Other horses will leave a stride out and leap off the bank at first, but they’ll usually give this up after they’ve trotted the bank a few times.”

Stick to trotting the bank, slowly and calmly in both directions, for several sessions before you try cantering the bank. “Never, ever use speed when jumping a bank,” Jennie cautions. “Always approach a bank in control and balance. That’s why we trot banks at first, so the horse understands this is an obstacle where he needs to be careful and athletic. Your horse should never feel he has to use speed to power his way on or off a bank.”

Ditches

That first ditch will always surprise a horse. “You’re facing your horse at a hole in the ground and asking him to jump it,” Jennie says. “He’s got to be thinking, ‘are you nuts wanting me to jump this, or what?’ ”

Choose a shallow, clearly defined ditch with a level approach. “Start with a ditch that you can easily walk over yourself,” Jennie explains. “If you can step over the ditch, so can your horse.”

Follow your friend’s lead and circle the ditch at a walk, in both directions, several times. Unlike other types of obstacles, don’t show your horse the ditch first. “He’s bound to spook away from it, which will only make him more scared,” Jennie says.

When you’re ready, ride an active, energetic walk behind your friend on a straight line right over the ditch. (If you prefer to trot the ditch, or trot the last few steps, that’s fine, too.) “So many riders make the mistake of galloping their horses over their first ditch,” Jennie explains. “Then the horse never has a chance to understand the question. You want your horse to go slowly enough that he has time to see the ditch and realize it is a hole in the ground that he needs to get over.”

Your horse will probably overjump his first few ditches. “Be sure you grab the mane so you can stay with your horse’s leap,” Jennie cautions. “It’s more difficult to stay with a horse when you jump from a walk.”

When your horse jumps the ditch, praise him, then follow your friend over again. Change directions only when your horse is perfectly comfortable navigating the ditch in one direction first.

If your horse says no, remain patient and follow the same procedure you used at the water. Ask your friend to come around again and walk over the ditch right beside you while you urge your horse forward with voice and leg.

“Remember, if you can step over this ditch, so can your horse,” Jennie explains. Stand there as long as it takes until your horse gives it a try.

Once your horse happily steps over the ditch in both directions behind his buddy, you can trot and eventually canter the ditch. You can gradually progress to slightly wider and deeper ditches, but always take a lead through several schools until your horse’s confidence seems secure.

Keep it Simple, Keep it Slow

If there’s a common element in teaching your horse to jump banks, ditches and water, it’s this: Don’t be in a hurry.

“Give your horse all the time he needs to figure out these strange new obstacles,” Jennie explains. “Allow your horse the opportunity to truly understand these cross-country challenges, and he’ll have no need to question them in the future. Then build progressively to more difficult situations, like adding cross-rails in and around the water or before and after the bank or ditch.”

It’s these first few training sessions, Jennie maintains, that make all the difference in your horse’s eventual cross-country attitude. “Do your homework now,” she says, “and one day your horse will look at a ditch and think, ‘Hey, that old hole in the ground? It’s no big deal to me.’ “

Further Reading
Entry-Level Eventing
Make Your Own Cross-Country Jumps

Annie Eldridge is an event rider who trains out of her Setters’ Run Farm in Duxbury, Mass.

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Full-size body clippers:

Small clippers for tricky body parts. Lyman prefers clipping exclusively with large clippers. But if you’ve never clipped before, you might find it easiest to clip the head, elbows, flank and lower legs with small clippers. Use a number 10 blade to match the larger clipper’s cut (although some people like to follow up with a number 15 or 30 blade on the horse’s face, ears and pasterns). An extra-wide number 10 blade can help quicken the job.

Sharp blades. “Even the most accomplished clipper can’t do a good job with dull blades,” Lyman says. If you’re clipping for that one big show—that means everything to you—spring for a new set of blades. Otherwise plan to resharpen your blades after two clip jobs; blades can be resharpened three or four times before they need to be replaced.

Extra blades. You shouldn’t really need these during one clip job, but you never know … always better to have a spare set just in case. Most blades snap onto clippers these days, but if yours require a screwdriver, have one of those handy, too.

A sturdy outdoor extension cord. Use a heavy outdoor extension cord that’s long enough to maneuver around your horse and remain out of the way.

Blade wash in a container, clipper oil and plenty of rags. As you start to clip, stop whenever the clippers feel hot or you hear the motor struggle. Dunk the clipper head in blade wash, with the motor running, then oil the blades. Next, rub a rag over the clipper blades and resume your work. Skipping this step strains the clipper’s motor, and letting your clippers run hot won’t be very pleasant for your horse, either. Spritzing your clipping blades with cooling lubricant spray, while the motor is on, also helps the blades cut smoothly.

A soft brush. As you clip, brush the piles of cut hair off your horse and out of your way.

A portable light. If the lighting in your clipping area isn’t ideal, you can purchase an inexpensive, portable flood light at any hardware store. Place the light and cord well away from your horse. Some clippers feature headlights, which help light the way as you clip.

A sturdy stepladder. If your horse is taller, you’ll need a higher vantage point when you clip his rump and back. Stand on something that’s sturdy and secure.

Tape or chalk to mark lines. Any sort of trace or partial body clip requires even, tidy lines to discern the areas of hair you’ll leave unclipped. You’ll clip steadier lines if you mark them first with masking tape or chalk on your horse’s body.

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This article originally appeared in the November 2007 issue of Horse Illustrated. Click here to subscribe.

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