Olympian David O'Connor works with riders over a series of tough angled fences in his lesson focused on the horse looking for their fence. David works with the riders on moving the horse's shoulders, not just his head to make sure he is able to turn efficiently and look for his next fence. Jumping down a line of jumps with two strides between and on an angle forces the riders to be aggressive while planning and thinking fast.
Up Next in Stadium Jumping
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Does Your Horse Look For Their Fence?...
Part 1: David sets up a line of perpendicular fences and has the riders jump through on an angle with four strides between each. He stresses the importance of letting the horse hunt for the fence and set themselves up behind so they are actively looking for their next fence and responding. The r...
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Does Your Horse Look For Their Fence?...
Part 3: David stresses the importance of having a slow head, which he explains to mean being able to feel what's happening and think clearly. The riders have to learn to land and already be thinking about the next fence, or get into trouble and be able to think clearly and plan out of it, even th...
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Does Your Horse Look For Their Fence?...
Part 2: David incorporates the exercise into a course. The riders struggle with the mental aspect of the line, and staying sharp enough to make the turns and land each fence already riding for the next. David explains that they need to land and guide the horse onto the line and into frame using t...