Chris Burton SJ/Warren Lamperd XC lessons

After a couple of days off following SOE last weekend on Tuesday afternoon we had a SJ lesson with Chris Burton out in his grass arena.  Monts likes a bit of grass under his feet and was jumping really well.  He didn't knock one pole all lesson.  We got the doubles and trebles right stride wise every time - they really are my nemesis as I tend to panic and either kick or pull into them.  Also did some tricky doglegs and related distances.  Jumped 3 courses and just didn't get anything wrong.  Chris had very little to say other than super which was nice!  He said he liked how I got his canter motivated again each time after we had a rest and he was pleasantly surprised by us opting for the 7 when he gave us a choice of 7 or 8 strides in a related distance.  Monty even felt like he was accepting the bit and softening in his mouth which was fab.

out of treble

into treble:

into double off tight turn

middle of treble

out of treble

first fence of course

out of treble

into treble

out of double

into double

Then Wednesday it was on to Lyneham Heath for some XC.  We had arranged to meet Warren Lamperd there. Not had a proper lesson from him before but know he is a well qualified coach and am much better with someone on the ground so thought it would be useful.  Was very frustrating to find all the coffins roped off due to the ground as that was the real reason I travelled 2 1/4 hrs and 95miles to go XC schooling!!!  Thank god the lesson with Warren was worth it or I would have been rather miffed!  Warren said he was into focusing on rider position which suited me as know it is something I need to work on.  Told him our issues and then I started with a canter round the field.  He called me over and said no point doing that.  He needs to learn to focus on me.  Pointed me straight at 2 little houses on an angle and said pop over those from where we were stood.  This rather took Monty by surprise as he is used to rather a lot more notification about starting jumping!  He wasn't very sure about going at all which was quite interesting.  Warren picked up on the fact that I lean forward and lift my heels up to ask him to go and when I don't he goes backwards so we practised going forwards from a strong position.  Then we popped over some little jumps on turns, a little trakehner forwards and back where Warren said he much preferred my second distance when I was that little bit closed as he had to make a better shape over the jump rather than jumping flat.  We did a log to sunken road to another log on a curve and I tried to press for a long one and went forwards so he chipped in and this became the focus of our session.  Me needing to keep my shoulders back, leg forward and wait for the stride to come to me but generally looking for more of a pop than a flat out of control launch.

As we couldn't do the coffins we moved on to the water and instead of easing him in gently we canter straight across the field and over a house on the top of a slope down into the water.  Kept shoulders back and he popped in a couple of short strides and it was all nicely under control.  We then went in and out of the water, jumping a brush before the water and then a log into the water and then our first little log actually in water.  All the time thinking shoulders open and keep the engine powering from behind.

Then moved on to a second water.  I was getting brave and when given the choice of 2 little logs in I went for the bigger one, sat up, but didn't have quite enough leg on and he stopped.  Because I was sat up I was able to hold my position, keep my contact and make him actually stand and look instead of spinning away and dumping me as is more usual when he stops at anything!  Disappointed he stopped but hoping he really learnt that I'm not going to let him spin away from something anymore.  My position felt so much stronger and more effective.  Jumped in over the smaller log, then the bigger log out over a skinny arrowhead, then back in and round to jump in over a decent sized boat.  All really good practice for the water at Badders.

Warren then put my stirrups up a hole and said once I was used to that they could probably go up another one too!  Finished with popping him over the corners, first right ones on a left curve then back the other way.  Kept the canter punchy, shoulders back and there was no hesitation at any of them.  Very pleased with that.  On the way back to the lorry popped him into the other water over a little brush fence and he pinged in no probs.

Video:

Very useful lesson - just need to try and remember it all now.  Most important thing is to remember that when keeping the canter punchy I mustn't kill the engine and I need to let go of the front end enough that he realises I do mean go.  Use stick behind saddle if needed at the sticky fences.  Can let him jump more open at the straightforward fences but if it's tricky, get the power and keep the shoulders back and the engine running.

Went to the gallops this morning and managed 3 lots of 5mins at 500mpm with 3min walks in between.  He was getting tired by the end of the 3rd lot but that's a good work-out session considering he hasn't done anything gallop wise since 4th March!  They have released the course map for Badminton and it will be 3.1km long which is 200m longer than last year and a whole km longer than SOE was last week so we definitely need to now up the speed so he gets enough stamina to keep up the higher speed for 6.5mins.  2weeks to go!