Our team rider Anna-Clara is an experienced competition rider and in this article she shares her key factors for a successful show jumping round. 

Walk the course like a pro

“I think sometimes you change your plan when you see others riding and you think: Oh my, are they riding this many strides for this distance? And then you maybe change your plan but it usually doesn’t turn out well. It’s best to stick to your plan, that you’ve discussed and trained with your coach.”

TOP 5 TIPS

• Know how your horse behaves at show
• Walk the course the exact same way that you will ride your horse
• Don’t change the plan according to how the other riders choose to ride
• Stick to the plan that you have discussed and trained with your coach
• Remember, you know yourself and your horse best so make a plan that suits you

Enter the course with the right mindset

What goes through your mind in the seconds before the bell rings and your round starts?

“When I enter the course I usually think about how I shouldn’t think too much. Instead, I try to remind myself that we’ve trained and prepared as much as we can and now it’s showtime. It’s just a matter of buttoning up the show jacket, getting my feet in the stirrups and picking up a gallop!”

Level up your warmup game

“I approach the warmup very individually for every horse. Some horses need a shorter and more intense warmup. Another horse may need a little more time and a little longer in the warmup area. It may not always be possible, but some horses need a longer warmup to have enough time to relax. Sometimes it’s necessary to even take a break, to take off the saddle and get back on again later. For another horse it may be best to shorten the warmup time a bit so that it can stay sharp and alert all the time.”

TOP 3 TIPS

• All horses need their individual warmup
• Get to know your horse and dare to try out different things
• It’s important that your helpers know what you and the horse need

“I think it’s important to dare to jump lower during warmup if you feel like your horse doesn’t want to jump too high, even if it means jumping 20 cm lower than in the course! Some horses want to jump some more oxers, and other horses are more comfortable jumping verticals during warmup. One thing that is important is that the people who are going to help you know a bit about what you and the horse need. This makes it easier to change the obstacles inside the warmup arena as there sometimes can be a lot of people wanting to jump the obstacle at the same time.”