How To Ride Your First Cross Country Fence

Alex's Cross Country Tips

A tip for cross country!!

Ride the first jump as if it‘s the largest/hardest on the course.

The first jump is usually the smallest and easiest on the course so take the opportunity every time to get a few boxes ticked…..

- Let him know exactly who’s in charge, and that you mean business.
- Get him in front of your leg and responsive to you aids, jumping in the middle of the jump.
- Let him know that spookiness is not allowed and that he must be even in the contact, straight and through.
- Establish a positive rhythm on your approach, and kick on landing to reaffirm the pace and momentum to want to dictate for the remainder of the track.
- Verbally praise him on a good, neat, crisp jump, snarl and reprimand a bad, clumsy jump. Start an intermittent dialogue and you’ll find his ears flicker in acknowledgement.