Continuing with last week’s blog, here are 6 more helpful tips for the ring:

Plan your corners. A typical course builder’s challenge is to place a jump so that you are jumping towards or into a corner. Deliberately designed to test you and the horse, as this naturally stifles the jump and may tempt your horse to jump off centre as he anticipates the turn you will be making. So keep straight, jump the centre of the jump and use all the space you have right into the corner to maintain your rhythm.

Don’t cut corners. The sharper the turn you make, the more likely you are to upset your rhythm and therefore your stride length and that can cause you problems at the next fence. So use all the arena space and get your horse used to doing so. When you walk the course, think about where you can make up time or save time over the course and try to make your corners as smooth as possible.

Plan each turn carefully. Try to make all your turns an even shape and smooth to maintain your stride pattern and rhythm. The more the stride suffers the more the rhythm suffers.

Pay particular attention to tight turns. Think about the effect a tight turn will have on your stride. Start your turn early to make it as smooth and even as possible. Don’t come into the first fence on too open a stride. Close the canter down as part of your approach to the first fence. That way you will make the most of the limited space before the turn. If you don’t do this, you will find you have even less space as you land on a forward stride and may have a battle to make the turn, upsetting your rhythm and stride and that may cost a fence.

Be disciplined as a rider. Walk the course and plan your approach to each jump. Develop a plan and stick to it. Always think about what is coming next.

Think of the course as a whole, not a series of individual jumps. What you do between jumps can be as important as what you do over them.

Keep your cool. Certain jumps can be hard for the horse to see because of the lack of contrast — a white double is a good example. So as a rider you need to keep your cool and not panic if your horse spooks. When he spooks he backs off, so be prepared to close your leg to reassure him.

Tim Stockdale