Making the Time. An Expert Guide to Cross Country Riding. Stuart Tinney Gold Medallist Sydney Olympics OAM. with. Alison Duthie

Transcription

1 Making the Time An Expert Guide to Cross Country Riding Stuart Tinney Gold Medallist Sydney Olympics OAM with Alison Duthie

2 Text and diagrams Alison Duthie 2004 Photographs Agenda Photography 2004 Editorial Offices: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK Tel: +44 (0) Blackwell Publishing Professional, 2121 State Avenue, Ames, Iowa , USA Tel: Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia Tel: +61 (0) The right of the Author to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available ISBN A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library Set in 10/13 pt Palatino by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd, Delhi The publisher s policy is to use permanent paper from mills that operate a sustainable forestry policy, and which has been manufactured from pulp processed using acid-free and elementary chlorine-free practices. Furthermore, the publisher ensures that the text paper and cover board used have met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website:

3 Contents Foreword Introduction Acknowledgements v vii ix 1 Equipment for the horse and rider 1 2 Walking the course 23 3 Riding cross country safely and efficiently 31 4 Training for cross country in the arena 83 5 Horse fitness 97 6 Horse management Horse types Summing up How it all started 115 Stuart s results 132 Index 133 iii

4 Foreword I have always been impressed with Stuart Tinney as a rider, and when Stuart came to train with me, early on in his professional career, I quickly came to realise that not only could this young man ride but he was, and is, the ultimate perfectionist in everything he does with his horses. When I first started helping Stuart he could always see a stride into a fence it just wasn t the best stride so we worked on changing it. For some it might take a lifetime, for Stuart it took 2 weeks of seriously hard work where he worked tirelessly on getting it right, falling off on several occasions in the process. But after 2 weeks Stuart had got it, and from then on he has never looked back. He takes his riding seriously, he thinks about his cross country riding every step of the way and never leaves anything to chance. He jumps each fence as it needs to be jumped, which goes a long way to making his cross country rounds as safe as they can possibly be. It is rare to see Stuart jump a fence badly, regardless of whether he is on his top horse or a youngster. Stuart is also the master of timing. He will never push his horses more than necessary, believing that if you have walked the course correctly and if your horse has been trained correctly you will know how fast to go between fences to make the time. I m delighted that Stuart has put his thoughts on cross country riding into a book and I feel confident that every reader will gain valuable insight into how to ride a safe cross country round while still making the time. Wayne Roycroft Chairman of the FEI Eventing Committee v

5 Introduction I decided to write this book because I wanted to help riders enjoy the sport I love. To enjoy eventing you must be able to ride in a safe way, and to ride in a safe way you must train your horse correctly. As you train your horse he will start to feel more confident in what he is doing, and consequently he will also start to enjoy his eventing. Whether it is the thrill of galloping across the country or jumping fences out in the open, or simply just the horse and rider having a good time, it is the cross country phase of eventing that is the most popular with riders. It is also the phase with the greatest element of risk. Most riders spend hours training in the arena perfecting their dressage and show-jumping skills but cross country skills can sometimes be overlooked, and often the only practice the rider gets over cross country fences is at the event itself. Early on in the season eventing clinics are usually held, and I would advise all riders to attend as many of these as possible, but once the season begins many riders are left to their own devices. It is therefore essential to have some kind of idea of what to expect as different situations arise and also an idea of how to deal with vii

6 viii Introduction them. That is what I hope to bring to you in this book. Most cross country riders want to be competitive and therefore they must learn how to both ride safely and make the time. Although teaching your horse and yourself how to ride a cross country course safely takes time, patience and perseverance, the outcome will be well worth it. When you start your training it may take you months to do one nice jump, but the more you train the more often it will happen. That great feeling you get when a horse is going well makes all the hours of work worthwhile. The better you ride the more your horse will enjoy his eventing. Just look at the photos on these two pages the horses look keen and focused on their job. I hope you enjoy reading this book and if it helps you to ride more cross country rounds in a safer way it will have done its job. Stuart Tinney

7 Acknowledgements I would like to thank all the people who allowed me to achieve my dreams and who helped me to have my career with horses: Brian Tinney for all your support, Gwen Tinney, Colleen Fearnley, the late John Fearnley, the Stocker family, Vicky Roycroft and Wayne Roycroft for all you have taught me thank you. A special thank you to Alison Duthie for all her time and input in preparing this book, Max Wilson: Agenda Photography for his photography, and my family, Karen, Jaymee and Gemma. ix