Cross country tips?

[happyhorse]

hi guys!

i am taking my horse cross country for the first time since i was about 16!( am now 24 ) i am sure hes done it all before as he was a affilatied jumper before i got him.

i have had him since last june now, and on sun we have hired a x country course for the day!

just wondering if any of you did it regulary and had any tips?

[liberty911]

That if you go out in a group say 6 -8 horses and start smaller working your way up this builds the horses confidence. Even horses who have done x-country but have had some time off need some brushing up of confidence when heading back out in the fields and valleys LOL!

[squid_is_ace]

LOL!!!

[lamprellsarah]

well don't attempt anything you don't want to, for the first time, only do what you feel you can do!!
don't push it too, far i am sure he will teach you though!!
i don't find going out on a x country course with other people helpful they may go faster than you want to jump higher, or duck out causeing your horse to, i always ask to set the pace and to go first if i do!!!
i take it you have done some showjumping courses so you know he is capable!!

oh and the most important one, enjoy it, relax and have fun!!!
good luck! :) :D
tell me how it goes!!! :)

[LindaAd]

Don't stare at the jumps!

That's the mistake I made on my first x-country with an experienced horse, and he couldn't work out what I was so worried about. Because he's kind, he jumped everything, but a lot of horses wouldn't have.

Look beyond them to where you want to go.

[happyhorse]

cheers for the tips, didn't actully read them till i got back! oh well.

just to let you know i had the best time on sun on our schooling session! we went of on our own as the others where tending to wind him up and i found we concentrated better working on our own! i loved it and so did he! we jumped loads of jumps starting with the novice ones to build our confidence ( well mine anyway) and then moved on to intermediate height, and then towards the end as i got braver we did three or four open hieght ones which were cool! can't wait to go again!

[Anja]

I got a tip try to stay on :D on my first xcontry i came of 2 times

[musickpaul1]

I think you are cool:D

[happyhorse]

think who's cool?