Pony Club Hold Your Horses

HOLD YOUR HORSES
The safest, most logical solution to riding successfully cross country

The aim is to train Rider and Horse in the complex skill of travelling cross country in harmony at an appropriate speed for their ability.  My first priority is for the safety of Horse and rider and I will never make compromises on this issue.

Dates for Clinics

Saturday 9th April Guernsey Riding Club

Monday 11th April Isle of wight Pony Club

Thursday 14th April Uk Chasers, Isle of Man

Saturday 16th April, Lincombe Equestrian, Worcester DY13 9RB

Sunday 17th April, Northern Racing College, DN11 0H

Monday 18th April OBH Pony Club,

Tuesday 19th April, Treborough XC, Watchet. TA23 0QW

Wednesday 20th April, Hilltop XC, Ledbury HR8 1LN

Thursday 21st April, Grove Farm, Harwell. OX11 4DE

Tuesday 26th April, Darlington Riding Club

                           “... he is particularly good with young or difficult horses.”
     Yogi Breisner FBHS

The Programme is designed to be appropriate, relevant and helpful to

1. Riders wishing to be able to control their mounts in an open field enviroment for pleasure riding.
2. Riders wanting to commence competing in Pony Club competitions.
3.  Riders who wish to improve their technique in order they may SAFELY move up to the next grade of competition. (which inevitably means faster).
4. Competitive Pony Club Riders to wish to get rid of those annoying time penalties that just keep affecting their result, without endangering themselves or their mount.

In pursuance of these aims the programme is divided into four phases.  It would obviously be completely inappropriate to allow a combination to proceed to phase 2  if they have not completely mastered phase 1.

Riders and parents must accept that the safety of the rider is of paramount importance and that I will not allow any rider to proceed to the next step if I consider it to be unsafe to do so.

Phase 1
Horse and Rider should be able to canter around an enclosed arena in a settled, even rhythm.

Phase 2
Rider learns to be able to recognise the different speeds at which they will be required to travel at for various cross country standards. E.g. for level 1 and 2 events 435 metres/ minute, level 3 and 4 events 450 metres/minute. Horses do not have a speedo between their ears and riders only learn what 450 metres/minute feels like by experiencing it. This needs to be done in an open field environment.

Phase 3
Rider  learns the techniques to be able to move smoothly up and down through the gears to arrive at the stipulated average speed to simulate the fact that cross country courses will incorporate some sections where the appropriate speed will be considerably less than the average, and correspondingly some sections will involve travelling at speeds faster than the overall average speed.

Phase 4
Rider learns the appropriate speed for each type of jump, taking into consideration gradient, complexity of combinations, narrowness of fences and types of fences. They are only then properly prepared to incorporate jumps into the equation.

At the trainers discretion any part of the programme may be omitted but this will ONLY happen if the trainer is satisfied that safety requirements have been met.           

It seems unconceivable to me that any parent would want their child to go cross country competitively without having mastered these skills – sadly I see so many children with shattered confidence because they have not been through such a programme.
Any rider astride an animal 10 times their size and strength needs the confidence in their technical ability to control such power ... now such specialist training is available !

Safer cross country riding (Competitive or not) starts here.

We all know there are risks involved – Let’s work together to minimise them!
Train away all of your horse problems – visit msjump.co.uk for details of training in all disciplines, solutions to horse problems and forthcoming events.
“Mark looks at the issues from the horse’s point of view ... which makes the solution so much easier to see!”   - Pony Club Mum
For further information please contact:
Mark Smith on 07930151562
Or email on markismsjump@ btinternet.com.

“he is a teacher of confidence for both horse and rider.” Simon Barnes, The Times

“This will help riders to ride cross country better.” Yogi Breisner

A health and safety assessment has been done for all activities engaged in by Mark Smith
He holds BHS certification and has a current  First Aid at Work Certificate