To get the first diagonal line in four strides to four strides, Beezie told Sophie Benjamin to use an opening left rein over the first fence, then an opening right rein over the second fence. To get the next semicircle line, Sophie had to hold a strong outside rein. Over the center fence to the four stride, she needed to use a soft opening rein to guide the horse.
To jump the semicircle in eight strides to five strides, she had the riders use an opening left rein over the first fence. "The opening rein is a little softer, so your horse is not going to fight it so much."
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- Matthew Metell jumps into a diagonal line and looks to his next fence.
- Photo by Sandra Oliynyk
"All of you are a little uncomfortable with that opening right rein," Beezie noted because many of the riders wanted to use the indirect inside rein to pull the horse through the turn. "Have a little trust in your horse."
Beezie then challenged the riders to come up with their own number of strides in the semicircle. "Make it fun, a little more challenging. I'd like to see something wide to something direct. Tell me which one you're going to do so we can hold you to it."
Chelsea chose to ride nine strides to four strides in a semicircle on the left lead. "I like it," Beezie said when she finished. "You stuck to it."
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- Training session organizer Connie Sawyer takes a short break to enjoy time with the training session
Jacqueline Lubrano rose to the challenge by saying she would ride the semicircle line in 10 strides to four strides. To ride it, she angled the first fence from left to right and put a big bend in the line. As she neared the second fence and worked to fit in the 10 strides, she was smiling, and the audience let out an excited "Ooh," as she succeeded.
"Practice looking in and holding out," Beezie coached her through the line." Hold out for the second part of the turn, too. Don't get anxious."
Jacqueline, who has ridden with Beezie before, explained after how much she's learned from Beezie:
Listen: Jacqueline Lubrano
To all of the riders, Beezie said, "Have some fun by challenging yourself to do different things. Maybe do 15 strides. It's a good exercise for holding out and looking in while still working out of a lot of stride."
She ended the session by commenting again why such simple exercises could be so important to the riders' education. "This time, we didn't jump big or too complicated. But we tried to get the job done perfectly," she said. "And it's not just for equitation purposes. What is the only job the horse is responsible for? To jump all the fences and not knock them down. Is it easier if you close your fingers at a fence or if you're ripping his face off at the fence? The same with the leg. Is it easier for him to concentrate if you're just closing your leg or if you're spurring his guts out and going to the whip? His job is to jump the fences. Your job is to get him there as easy as possible."
Look for more about Beezie's training session in the July 2009 issue of Practical Horseman.
Sandra Oliynyk is the editor of Practical Horseman magazine.
The training session is hosted by Bates Saddles and Equestrian Sport Productions and supported by the U.S. Equestrian Federation. In addition to Bates, supporting organizations include Purina Mills, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, Nutramax (Cosequin ASU), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Practical Horseman.
