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 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
Thursday, February 15 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.

My horse is doing great in the children’s jumpers, and I’d like to advance to the low juniors. My horse is comfortable jumping over water — we’ve practiced with smaller jumps — but I’m intimidated by the added height of low junior jumps. How do I make the transition so as not to hold my horse back, or let my horse know I’m uneasy? How did you get comfortable with higher jumps?

Jumping higher jumps can be a daunting task for any rider who isn’t used to it. With time and practice, jumping bigger fences will become easier and easier. Horses are extremely sensitive animals, so a rider can’t hide their feelings or emotions from them. If a rider’s nervous because of the height of fences or anything in the ring, the horse will know something is up. The rider must just do the best they can, and with a brave horse, try to just jump as many rounds as they can to overcome their fear. Train bigger courses at home so when you come to compete at the show, the courses seem small. Experience will be the only cure.

Do you have any tips or tricks to remembering how many strides to take in between jumps? When I walk a course, I often forget, or my steps aren’t even, and it messes up my horse and slows our time.

Not remembering how many strides to do in a line isn’t always an issue, but knowing what to do and when certainly makes the course ride much smoother. More important than the number of strides that should be done between jumps, is to remember which parts of the course you need to organize and which parts need to be ridden forward.

When I walk the course, after each line I tell myself how many strides I’ll do and how the line will be ridden. Then, when I walk the second line, I do the same and also tell myself again how the first line will ride and so forth. If a rider has a hard time remembering the course, they should walk it multiple times.

I am getting ready to transition to the International Ring at WEF. My horse isn’t used to all of the noise and activity. What steps should I take to prepare my horse for the distractions?

International at WEF may be more distracting for the rider only because they may feel a little lost because the ring is so big. The horses actually don’t have many distractions at all: A big ring doesn’t give the horses much to look at. Jumps are not normally close to edges of the ring, which in small rings can cause horses to spook at things not in the ring at all. It’s a stadium style ring, with the sides more or less closed, that minimizes distractions from golf carts or mopeds. If horse and rider have been competing without any problems in any of the other rings at WEF, the International should be smooth sailing. The smallest rings at WEF are the most difficult to ride in because jumps come up quicker and there are lots of distractions from all the traffic outside the ring.

I love horses and competing. I want to be a well-rounded horseman. What resources/books would you suggest I read to accomplish this goal?

Being a well-rounded horseman, in my opinion, is very important. As a kid, I was always watching videos and reading books to gain as much knowledge as I could. In addition, I think it’s important to spend time working in the barn to develop those skills. I don’t think there is one book that stands out more than another, as there is something to learn from everyone. There are some very good tutorial videos I love from Ludger Beerbaum. Bert de Némethy has some excellent literature. I think it’s important to read George Morris’ books, as he is a legend in our sport and revolutionized how we approach our sport today.

My parents are looking to buy me a horse for my birthday. Do you suggest we purchase a horse that already jumps higher than I do, or one that my trainer can bring along?

For juniors, I think that you should always buy a horse that has lots of experience. An overqualified horse is also a bonus because it makes the job that much easier to learn and your riding skills will develop that much faster when you don’t have to also worry about training the horse. An experienced horse will teach you things without you even knowing. To develop your skills, you need as much time in the saddle as you can get. If you buy a green horse for a professional to ride and train, then that’s lost time in the saddle, and a young rider won’t develop as fast.

 

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
Dressage & Beyond with Charlotte Bredahl
Unbridled with Eileen Johnson

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
Artist of the month!! 📸🎨 Samantha Dawn’s s Artist of the month!! 📸🎨
Samantha Dawn’s story could be summed up in a few words: When one door closes, another opens. She’s always lived with that mindset, no matter the situation—through heart-wrenching times and unbelievably happy moments, horses, art and music have sustained her through it all. Using her pain and hardship as her motivation has allowed her to find solace behind the camera, calling forth the horse's majestic beauty while healing her wounds and heartbreak.

“My story is kind of all over the place,” Samantha admitted. She was born in Missouri in 1991, and loving horses as long as she could remember, playing "horse" is something Samantha did that most horse-crazy kids can relate to. She never thought horses or photography would turn into a career. Growing up in a musical family, her dream as a young girl was to be a country singer, and she traveled the nation singing at competitions and shows in Nashville and other venues. 

For more information, visit www.samanthadawnequinephoto.com and head over to the link in our bio to read her full article!
Sneak peep into the rest of October! 👀🍂 As Sneak peep into the rest of October! 👀🍂

As always thank you to out photographers for the amazing pics!
📸Portraits by
Kirsten Hannah
Julia Dags
Adrienne Morella
Melissa Fuller
Lindsey Long
Sara Farrell
Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II CDI W & USEF National Level 5 dressage competition, hosted October 19-22, 2023 at TerraNova Equestrian Center in beautiful Myakka City, Florida. Conveniently located near Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota, TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination.

Discover TerraNova’s peaceful showgrounds and luxury facilities for a world-class competition experience. TerraNova Dressage II is managed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald and has quickly become a favorite venue amongst dressage competitors. 
National Judges:
Cindi Wylie
Anne Cizadlo

CDI Judges:
William Warren (4* / USA)
Elke Ebert (5* / GER)
Agniezka Majewska (4* / POL)
Debbie Rodrigurz (3* / USA)
Christof Umbach (5* / LUX)

View full prize list: https://www.terranovaequestrian.com/terranova-dressage-ii-cdi4 Enter CDI: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/165165 Enter USEF: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/184795 Closing date: October 12th – enter now!

#showterranova
HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with Intern HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with International-level dressage rider Amelia Newcomb. Who is committed to making dressage accessible to anyone who wants to learn and improve in the sport. With a mantra of “Dressage for All,” Amelia, her husband, Germán Schneider, and the rest of her team at Amelia Newcomb Dressage believe that anyone and everyone can learn to love their ride. 
With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers around the globe, Amelia is able to share her joy and 
enthusiasm for the sport with more equestrians than she ever dreamed of through her online training 
platform. Amelia’s curriculum breaks riding down into a simple, proven system that anyone can follow 
and get results, regardless of age, discipline or location.“My goal is to make good dressage training accessible to everyone who is interested in learning. One way I do that is by producing quality videos to educate and encourage dressage students along their dressage journey,” Amelia said. “The transformations that my students get are insane and my business is changing the entire sport of dressage and the way people learn to ride.”
While Amelia is a talented USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist today, she knows the struggles 
associated with trying to make your way in the sport without abundant educational resources. “I grew up in Colorado, where there weren’t that many dressage resources available. I was so hungry for knowledge, I would go to big shows just to watch the big-named trainers work,” Amelia said. “That’s why, when given the opportunity to share what I’ve learned along the way, I decided to go for it and start my YouTube channel.” 
➡️Catch the full story at the link in our bio!! 
⬇️For more information, visit amelianewcombdressage.com and on Instagram 
amelicanewcombdressage

📸Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • LESLEY WARD, REALTOR®
    Bluegrass Homes and Horse Farms 859-361-3246 www.biedermanrealestate.com

    [Read more]

  • Redfield Farm
    Califon, NJ Ocala, FL Hunter/Jumper Sales and Training Integrity, honesty, and fair prices. 908-832-5848 espadone@aol.com www.redfieldfarms.com RedField Farms
    Emil Spadone Redfield Sales

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Woodside Recognizes the Best in the West
  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Conor Swail Was the Best Bet in $15,000 CSI2* Markel Insurance Welcome at San Juan Capistrano International
  • Lillie Keenan Leads in CHF68,000 South Coast Plaza Welcome Speed at San Juan Capistrano International CSIO5*
  • McLain Ward Wins CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix at San Juan Capistrano International

Category

Recent Posts

  • October 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Zayna Rizvi: Horses from Family to Finals

    By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Melissa Fuller &...
  • Samantha Wolfram: Finding Success in America and Overseas

    By Juliana Chapman Portraits by Kirsten Hannah ...
  • Cedar Potts-Warner: At Liberty and Beyond

    Story and Portraits by Jennifer DeMaro   P...
  • Jordan Melfi: Turning a Secret Horse Life Into a Career

    By Veronica Green-Gott Portraits by Shelly Cart...

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!