Teaching an ex-racer to be steady and maintain a constant speed through out a cross-country course isn't easy. So Houston and I have spent lots of time schooling and perfecting the art of cross-country techniques. Our first trip out was less than impressive, as you can tell by my face in this picture.
Houston thinks every jump is a monster that must be lept over with the utmost height. Take off is about 3 ft away from the jump, crest 2 ft over and we land and take off. In the beginning we focused mainly on getting over everything with ease and then worked to make it more collected and organized.
Lessons at the farm often consisted of tying ribbons on fence posts as markers for timing. I needed to learn what 350 mpm (meters per minute) felt like and Houston needed to mellow. My trainer would often time us and let me know what time it was at each marker. This was no easy task for Houston or me. Manufactures give you watches to help track your time, trainers give you the skill set to help you navigate the courses but what it all comes down to is you, the horse and the minute they count you down to 1 in the start box.
No comments:
Post a Comment