How Do You Ride A Cross Country Course On Horse?
• Recognize that every horse is different. A more willing horse can certainly help while riding cross country. • Gauge the start according to how fit your horse is. For example, if your horse is not overly fit you don’t want to be going bull at a gate, since this will mean your horse feels ‘energy sapped’ towards the last fences. This can be dangerous. • Learn pacing, another important aspect. Pacing is very hard to teach, as again it depends on your horse. Aim for a pace that your horse is comfortable with. Often this is more of a quicker canter rather than a gallop. Aim to help your horse into a nice ‘rolling’ pace. Strides should be longer than your average 17ft canter stride, but to the point. The back legs should be engaged, not trailing along behind. • Look at the fences. There are many many different type of cross country fences. Some fences will require you to set the horse up. Others, such as hedges and palisades can be jumped more often than not out of your current stride. •
