07/23/2025
Correct pace and track to “find” a distance.
"We all know that the secret to finding 8-10 proper jump distances in a course is to stop looking for the distances. Easier said than done, right? The best way to “find” the jumps is to maintain the correct pace and track and the jumps will come out of stride.
My struggle has always been that my ammy brain goes full on “clear the mechanism” the moment I enter the show ring. Standing at the ingate I have a plan of action, but the moment I pick up the canter that plan vanishes like ringside mimosas before the adult ammy classes. I needed something incredibly simple, that didn’t require lots of brain power, and would keep me on pace.
My pony, unsurprisingly, likes to back off in the turns. My instinct is to settle into that too slow rhythm and then find the jump on the half stride. My brain knows that it is unreasonable to ask him to leave the ground if he has no impulsion, but often I don’t realize how much we have slowed down until it’s too late. However, the flip side of that is that if I do remember to keep him going through the turn, there’s a high possibility that I will continue to build and still find the jump on a half stride because I overshot my rhythm.
Staying on my track is easy, but maintaining my pace has long been my Achilles heel. I tried counting, but it was too easy for my to get off beat without realizing it: 1, 2, 3, 4 could become 1…2…3…4…because I was matching my counting to the canter, not the canter to the counting. Fortunately my trainer at the time recognized my dilemma, and helped me figure out a method to beat my own brain at screwing things up. It’s a game changer, and in case you don’t have a trainer who can identify your ideal canter rhythm on the fly, I am here to bring you the condensed version that has saved my behind on any number of occasions!
The first key is finding your ideal jumping canter’s Beats Per Minute (BPM). I stole some tips from Dressage Land (who knew that musical freestyle would come into play in the hunter ring?!) to help you find your ideal BPM. There are a couple options, but regardless of which one you choose, warm up fully before you start. It is helpful to have a cell phone, 3 same colored polo wraps and one wrap in a different (and bright!) color, and an extra person on the ground to help you out.
Most canters will fall in the range of 95-110 BPM. My pony’s personal ideal is 104 BPM. Before you start the process, wrap one of the front legs in the single bright colored polo, and the other 3 legs in the neutral matching wraps. Track so that the bright colored wrap is on the inside front leg. Every time that leg strikes the ground at the canter, will count as one beat. Whichever method you decide, I would recommend counting a couple times just to factor in human error."
🔗 Read the full article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2020/11/12/life-hacks-for-maintaining-a-proper-pace-on-course/
📸 © The Plaid Horse / Lauren Mauldin