Training For The Country

Arena exercises for the eventer

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Eventing remains one of the smaller disciplines of the equestrian sport in South Africa. When it comes to practising for the cross country phase, eventing riders are certainly not spoilt for choice. There are very few eventing venues in the various provinces for riders to train at, and many riders opt for building their own training obstacles in paddocks or open veld.

This month, we focus on three simple arena exercises that any eventer can do in preparation for a ride in the country.

EXERCISE 1

The most important thing to train when it comes to the country is reactiveness. An eventing horse needs to be extremely responsive to the rider’s aids, as well as sharp and precise when it comes to tackling the more difficult combinations and obstacles on the course, such as jumping up and down banks, going over skinnies, jumping into and out of water complexes, and combinations set on a curve.