SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Sidelines Caps
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Wednesday, January 03 2018 / Published in General

Show Jumper Brian Walker Answers Your Questions

Brian Walker
Photo by Hervé Bonnaud, 1clicphoto.com

Brian Walker, a dual Canadian and American citizen, has trained, worked and ridden alongside the best in the world over the last 25 years. As a junior, Brian won the Maclay Medal Equitation Championship in 2001. Brian has made a name for himself by developing quality horses into successful competitors in both the hunter and jumper arenas, earning accolades for himself and his clients. Do you have a question you want Brian to answer? Send questions to editor@sidelinesnews.com.

You recently posted on Facebook about competing in a class of more than 70 horse-and-rider combinations. How do you block out the competition and do your best?

Sometimes we have to compete in classes with a lot of horses. More horses in a class doesn’t always mean that it’s harder to win, but it will make certain riders focus more on how they will do, losing track of what’s important: good riding and not always the results. For me, I try to keep it simple. I must ride well and jump a clear round, just as I try to do every time I go in the ring. Once I make the jump-off, then I try to ride the same as I would every jump-off: make short turns and try to be quick and efficient. More horses in a class leads to more mistakes in a class. Riders often think they need to go faster than they need to go with more entries in a class, which often results in faults they wouldn’t normally have. I find it harder to win a class with less than 15 riders because normally courses are under-built and not as many faults occur from other riders. In these types of classes, jump-offs are normally crazy fast. Keep in mind, when we go in the ring, we actually are really competing against ourselves.

Do you have any strategies for approaching a jump in the center? I try to aim for center, but my horse tends to drift to the left, making it more difficult to do tight turns on the other side.

It’s always good to try to train your horse to stay in the center. More often than not, our horses jump lower when they drift to one side or the other. However, sometimes you can use your horse’s drift to help you out. When I’m training at home, I like to really focus on keeping my horses straight. When I’m competing on a horse that has a bad tendency to drift to one side, I’ll think about a few places to try a little extra to keep him in the middle, but most of the time that isn’t a focus of mine when I go in the ring; there are too many other things to think about. If your horse drifts to the left and doesn’t turn well to the right, the solution is simple: in a jump-off, use the left drift to do fewer strides on the left turns, then when going to the right, it should make up for maybe doing extra strides to the right. In the end, better flatwork and training at home will help you keep your horse in the middle.

My horse doesn’t seem to like fly spray, but I don’t have a better way to keep flies and other insects away from him. What do you suggest I use?

Horses can be funny about fly spray. Most of the time, they get used to it. When your horse doesn’t like fly spray, you have two choices: let the bugs bite your horse with no fly spray or gradually get the horse used to fly spray. Both are better than forcing your horse with fly spray if they don’t like it. Start by always putting on fly spray in the stall, by spraying a towel then rubbing it on the horse. When horse gets used to the spray bottle, then start by spraying the legs and work upward. Normally, if you have a horse that is shy, you will always need to put it on his head by hand.

You recently posted a photo of yourself on Facebook from when you were a child. How young is too young to teach a child to jump on a horse?

I think safety is the most important thing when teaching young children to ride. Every child goes at his or her own pace. I don’t think there is an age that’s too young, but I do feel that it isn’t good to push children. Let them decide how fast they want to develop. I remember I fell off one summer when I was 6 years old. I was jumping crossrails. My pony spooked in a corner and I fell off the side. It had nothing to do with jumping, but I wouldn’t jump for three months afterward. However, something to keep in mind is that the earlier children start jumping, the more practice they get.

What do you do when it’s time to retire one of your horses? My horse is close to retirement, but I want to be sure she is well taken care of.

Retiring horses is always difficult. I think it’s best to retire a horse before they are really at the end of their career. When they are lame and can’t go anymore because you’ve used them too hard, then you’ve waited too long, unless a horse sustained an injury at an earlier age. I retired two of my good horses last year. They are both mares and I decided it was time to retire them to have enough time to breed them. There are lots of places to retire horses. I think a good retirement place has weather that is not too hot, has plenty of space to turn out and has someone there who constantly keeps an eye on the horses.

Double D Trailers Info

Share this page:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tagged under: brian walker, q&a, show jumping

What you can read next

Show Jumper Brian Walker Answers Your Questions
The Dressage Foundation: Supporting U.S. Dressage From Backyard to the Podium
Alltech National Horse Show’s Black Tie Gala Benefits KY Equine Humane Society

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Jessica West always rode any horse that was availa Jessica West always rode any horse that was available to her throughout her Junior career, so she knew she had an advantage when she decided she wanted to ride on an NCAA team in college. Now a senior at @@auburnu and majoring in psychology, Jessica has enjoyed everything about the equestrian team and is ready to move on to her next adventure. 

Read more about Jessica at the link in our bio!

#ncea #ncaa #equestrian #collegiateequestrian #huntseatequitation #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #collegelife #showjumper #hunterhorse #horseshow #sidelinesmagazine
In the unique and challenging sport of combined dr In the unique and challenging sport of combined driving, Jacob Arnold has proven himself to be a bona fide star. It’s been said that success develops from a recipe based on hard work, perseverance, learning and sacrifice, paired with a love of what one is doing. Since the time he was a boy, Jacob has had the right combination of all of those ingredients, which have culminated in a meteoric rise to stardom.

Beginning his career as a Junior, Jacob earned the coveted @usequestrian Junior Equestrian of the Year award in 2011. Since then, he has taken the combined driving world by storm, competing successfully in four @fei_global World Championships. He also won the USEF Advanced Pair Horse National Championship in 2020 and 2021, among other victories—all before the age of 28, in a sport that has historically been dominated by older drivers. Last September, he placed 12th—the highest of any American driver—at the 2021 FEI Driving World Championship for Pairs in a field of over 100 top-level drivers.

Read more about @jacobarnoldcombineddriving at the link in our bio!

@alex.banks.photography #combineddriving #drivendressage #dressage #driving #carriage #horsedriving #equestrianstyle #equestrianlife #horselover #drivinghorse #carriagehorse #showhorse #sidelinesmagazine
@rolex Testimonee Daniel Deusser has claimed the f @rolex Testimonee Daniel Deusser has claimed the first equestrian Major of 2022, winning the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters. In doing so he also claimed an additional bonus for non-consecutive Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping wins, following his victory at CHIO Aachen last year. The German champion’s outstanding performance riding his trusted partner Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z once again makes him the live contender for the coveted Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

Catch up on all the action and watch the free highlights video on the Sidelines Show World blog (link in bio!)

#showjumping #rolex #grandslam #rolexgrandslam #showjumper #dutch #netherlands #dutchwarmbloods #equestrianlife #hunterhorse #hunterjumper #equestrianstyle #showhorses #showjumpersofinstagram #jumpinghorse #grandprixjumer #grandprixhorse #sidelinesmagazine
Dog and Horse friendly 3 bedroom 2 bath on 1.25 ac Dog and Horse friendly 3 bedroom 2 bath on 1.25 acres in Jupiter Farms, Florida.

Jupiter Farms is an equestrian community with a trail system and a sand riding arena at the park. Charming home features vaulted ceilings, custom trim, custom lighting in master bedroom that changes color with a remote. Granite countertops in kitchen and laundry room. New 2022 stackable washer/dryer. Privacy fenced backyard with beautiful tall pines for shade, many palm trees also on property.

Secure fenced  25’ x 25’ pen with wood fencing , for a horse, dogs or a garden.  Wonderful property in desirable Jupiter Farms. 45 minutes to Wellington, 25 minutes to Jupiter Dog Beach. Perfect oasis for dog and horse lovers, close to everything in South Florida. MLS# 10778333, Agents welcome.

$655,000
Contact 561-246-9317
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • Patti Howard
    Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker Specializes in all properties, including barns and horse farms, throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties Compass 914.391.2593 | patti.howard@compass.com pattijhoward.com

    [Read more]

  • The RV Advisor

    Protecting the RV Owner’s Rights
    Choose Gigi's Personal Services (GPS)

    Buying an RV is likely your second largest purchase. It is highly recommended that you obtain assistance from an expert.

    With Gigi's 32-years of experience, she is uniquely qualified to review your purchase and warranty contracts and protect you from being over-charged or under serviced.

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022
  • Better Business with Malvern Bank: Michael Meller’s Secrets to Success
  • Third Annual Painted Ponies Art Walk takes over Southern Pines, NC!

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Jung Ends as He Began — On Top — at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™
  • ROLEX TESTIMONEE DANIEL DEUSSER WINS ROLEX GRAND PRIX AT 2022 DUTCH MASTERS
  • STABLE VIEW IN AIKEN POSTPONING ‘A’ RATED $400,000 H/J CHALLENGE SERIES DUE TO RESTRICTIVE MILEAGE RULE

Category

Recent Posts

  • Unbridled with Bev Bedard

    By Britney Grover     Other than leaving f...
  • Katie Duerrhammer: Driven by Love and Respect for Horses

    By Kimberly Gatto Portraits by Melissa Fuller &...
  • The Importance of Finding the Right Bit for Your Horse

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp Anyone who knows me is aw...
  • Martha Ingram’s Family Ties, From Horses to Philanthropy 

    By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Brenda Black &nb...
  • Course Designer Spotlight: Alan Wade

    Course Designer Spotlight: Alan Wade Our next S...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!