Lesley's Corner
Jumping on the Side of a Hill
The key to helping the horse balance on fences that are on the side of a hill is to plan your line so that you minimize the effect of the downhill on takeoff. Learn how to do that here!
~Lisa's Corner~
Lisa's Blog post # 25
Every time I ride my confidence in Cotton and in myself grows a teensy bit. Monday we did XC flat work and then a few stadium jumps. Even in this hot, hot weather he still has plenty of get up and go! First we trotted in 2-point all around
Lesley's Corner
How to Ride a Coffin Complex
A coffin complex presents many challenges to horse and rider! Lets discuss the different ways it tests the cross country competitor, and learn how to negotiate the complex successfully.
Lesley's Corner
The Coffin Canter
The term "coffin canter" comes from the type of canter required to get a good jump at the common cross country complex of rails - ditch - rails, also known as a coffin jump. The coffin canter is also useful for any other type of fence with a "surprise" factor. Learn how to do it here!
Lesley's Corner
The Mysterious Half Halt (Current freebie!)
I find myself rarely using the term "half halt" as I teach, as I find that no matter how much I tell riders that it is not the "pull and release on the reins" that so many riders seem to believe it is, that's
~Lisa's Corner~
Lisa's Blog post # 24
Lesley gave me the boot – she completely kicked me out of the nest! She schooled us over just about every small fence in the XC field, one at a time, both directions. Our first two jumps were refusals (see below) but after that it all went very well! We trotted
Lesley's Corner
Applying Dressage to Jumping (Current freebie!)
We've probably all heard it said that jumping is just good flatwork with jumps in the way. But why is that exactly? Good flatwork or dressage fine tunes your horse's responses to your aids, and puts him in a balance that allows him to use his
Lesley's Corner
The "Takeoff Zone" Area
In the "Takeoff Zone" - the last 20 feet or so when approaching a jump - the horse must focus entirely on the fence. The rider needs all preparation done prior to this zone and must stay out of the horse's way from that point on. Learn how to do this here!
~Lisa's Corner~
Lisa's Blog post # 23
Well, the success we’ve enjoyed over the small stadium jumps has NOT translated to XC! We jumped the little coop again 3 times. All were pop flies. One nearly sent me to the moon! I smacked my cheekbone on his neck upon landing. If I had been on this
~Lisa's Corner~
Lisa's Blog post # 22
OK, let me just tell you – cloud 9 is a wonderful place! Our solo jumping practice today could not have gone any better! We jumped about a dozen jumps again – 3 fences each about 6 times. They were only about two feet tall. We did the two in the arena
~Lisa's Corner~
Lisa's Blog post # 21
The fog is lifting! I see a light – although I still can’t tell how long the tunnel is. Cotton was as relaxed as ever during our lesson yesterday. Lesley thinks he’s beginning to trust me. During our flat work we managed to canter to the left and not
Lesley's Corner