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Saturday, March 06 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Jumping Cross-Country – Part 2 with Boyd Martin

Last month we talked about jumping single fences, water and banks. This month we’re talking about ditches and jumps that include ditches. Like most cross-country obstacles out there, the main key to introducing your horse to jumping ditches is confidence. This begins with understanding: The horse needs to have a clear understanding of what a ditch is. It’s only a hole in the ground, and a horse should take off and land almost as if there isn’t a ditch underneath him; like it’s no big deal. There should be a clear understanding that there’s not going to be a lion jumping out of it!

When you’re competing, a ditch should not be ridden with speed or aggression. It should be steady and balanced, and the horse should realize that the daunting hole in the ground on course is just like the holes in the ground the horse has encountered in training. 

Schooling Courses

The key to this is cross-country schooling. A great schooling course would have five or six ditches — a skinny, shallow ditch, then a slightly wider one and a slightly wider one and then a full Advanced ditch. This gradual progression, slowly moving up to more width and more depth, is ideal. 

At Windurra, I’ve designed the ditches so they’re side by side and they increase in depth and width as the levels go up. When schooling ditches, I like them pretty shallow, not deep holes, because if a horse puts a foot in the ditch, it’s better if it doesn’t go up to its knees and scares the horse. I also like to plant trees or hedges to the sides so the horse doesn’t run out to the side. 

I was also lucky enough to design the schooling course at Stable View, our winter base in Aiken, South Carolina, which was built by my friend Eric Bull, who also built our course at Windurra. It’s a fantastic field that’s totally irrigated and designed to bring horses up the levels. On the schooling course there, we have a small, Novice ditch, then Training, Prelim and up to Intermediate. Beyond that there’s a proper coffin, a ditch with jumps a couple of strides on either side, and a variety of Trakehners, a ditch with a jump directly over it.

Introducing Ditches

With the young horses, I’d start with the progression of small to large ditches; as the horse is more seasoned we can go straight to the Trakehner. Ninety percent of the time with a coffin, no matter how seasoned the horse, I’d trot or canter the ditch at an angle before taking on the whole question. As a horse is jumping part A, it helps his confidence to know what’s on the landing side. 

Quietly and gently circling the ditch at a walk before you try jumping it will get the horse comfortable. I don’t mean standing there looking into it, but moving around each side. I’ve found if you can get the horse over the small ditch the first try, the next time is easier and by the fourth or fifth time you can come in a slow trot.

If you come in too aggressively it will rattle the horse. If the horse hesitates, then puts his feet in and backs up, and there’s dust and smoke and the rider is kicking and whipping the horse, you’ve got a problem; if you go real easy, you can come in at maybe 60% effort, then 40% and eventually the horse will be steady on through. I’ve found over the years this is the best approach.

With the rider’s position, since there’s no height to a ditch, there’s no need for a crest release or a forward position. If you’re too far forward and anything goes wrong, you’re going to end up in the ditch, looking up at your horse! Lengthen your rein, push your lower leg forward a little, and keep your upper body slightly back in a defensive position. If the horse spooks or stops, you’re in a driving seat. You can soften in the air but there’s no need to come forward over the jump because there’s no height. 

Adding a Jump

The next step up from an open ditch would be to connect it to jumps. It’s easiest to try the ditch alone first, then add the “C” element, or jump after the ditch, then put the first fence into the mix. This is definitely not a speed jump. You often refer to a short, bouncy, connected canter as a “coffin canter” for a reason: With this organized approach, the horse can see over the jump before takeoff and knows what’s coming. Again, the rider is in that defensive position.

The Trakehner is almost easier than the open ditch because the rail draws the horse’s eye up. This is more of a galloping jump — you can approach it with a bit of pace and practice jumping it out of stride. With the Trakehner, the horse would likely take off and land in the same position with or without the ditch underneath. It’s more of a rider question — the ditch provides an element of spook, but you’re really trying to jump the fence as if there’s no ditch. The rider could follow a little more over the Trakehner. I find that once the horse is educated over ditches, the Trakehner is quite an easy fence. 

Photo:

Boyd on course at the 2020 Plantation Field International Three-Day Event CCI3*, showing the defensive position over the middle element of a coffin fence. 

Photo by Amber Heintzberger

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Tagged under: cross-country, eventing, schooling

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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
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You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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