JUMPING l NEGOTIATING A COURSE
PART FOUR
A competent teenager who regularly finishes in the ribbons with her jumping pony is put through her paces by coach Pippa Allen, who spots a few niggling issues for improvement as they make their way around a course
WHAT YOU’LL learn
● How to avoid knocking down the first fence
● Maintaining a rhythm throughout a round
● What can go wrong while negotiating a course
PRIYA CROWTHER AND her chestnut mount, My Gypsy Gold (aka Amber), know each other inside out, and so they are in the enviable position of enjoying a great partnership in a showjumping arena, and as a result they are prolific rosette collectors.
“They are so fast during jump offs, but I’m just trying to get them more stylish and correct and I’m working on honing Priya’s technique so that she’s really ready when she moves up to horses,” explains their trainer, Pippa Allen.
Even the most proficient partnerships can have an Achilles’ heel, though, and for Priya and Amber this tends to be a sticky jump over the first fence.
“We need to try and get you as good over the first as you are over the last,” Pippa tells Priya while also pointing out that she will be working on the duo’s rhythm around a course.
TIP
Sometimes, when the horse hasn’t got enough canter (when a rider starts their round a little slow or sticky), the rider doesn’t get the stride or jump they want at the first fence. To improve this, just open up the canter for a few strides before starting to get more canter, and to ensure that the horse is awake. After this it
