Planning
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Planning
To Win
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By Jennifer Barron Finding the right program When searching out a trainer, Hover stresses the importance of both rider and trainer being direct and honest about all aspects of the program. "There is absolutely no reason why you can't sit down in the beginning and say, 'What do you offer, where do you go, how much will it cost and do you think I will fit in?' " says Hover. "Everybody needs to lay all their cards on the table and be honest." For the situation to be successful, horse, trainer and student must all get along. "A trainer knows if a horse will work in his or her program," she says. "What might work for me might not work for another trainer. That's not to say it's not a nice horse, it just doesn't suit that trainer." In that case, you can find a program that fits you, then buy a horse the trainer thinks will work in that situation. Another consideration involves the compatibility of goals between rider and trainer. If the trainer you choose hauls mostly to regional shows, not on a national level, and you want to haul for high-point all-around amateur, then your goals are not in agreement. Find a situation that will better suit your needs. Making the goal Hover maintains that you have to choose one main goal to work toward - this means if you want to win horsemanship at one of the World Shows, you might not be able to haul for the year-end horsemanship high-point title. "You don't have to only achieve one of those awards, but you need to make one a priority," she says. "If the others come along, that's just gravy. If you make one goal your priority, you can deviate a little, but don't lose sight of your goal. "At the beginning of the year I have my clients write down their goals, where everyone can see them, and we stick to them," says Hover. "If something else comes along that doesn't interfere with that goal, I will allow it to continue. Say someone lost sight of the original goal. For example, a rider says she wants to be in the top 10 at the Youth World, and meanwhile it looks like she could get the high-point in trail. I won't haul the horse's legs off because now she wants to be on the high-point in trail and not be in the top 10 at the Youth World. If it works out and all is well and sound after the Youth World, then it might happen. I make them stick to their goals and sometimes they don't like that. Anytime I have ever lost sight of what I am doing, the whole thing falls apart." If your goal is to go to the Youth World, then you need to figure out how to qualify - whether on a state or national level. If you want to earn a Superior in your event, you need to look into how many points you need. For local titles, figure out when the shows are and what the competition is like. With any goal, you need to figure out the path to get there, and that is when the show schedule begins to take form. Short-term goals are not a major concern to Hover. "I have tried getting an 18-year-old kid a horse believing, 'This is your last year in youth. If you buy this big dog horse, you will win everything,' " explains Hover. "It has never worked for me. The pressure to perform with that animal, young or old, is too much. I talk about long-term goals and, for some reason, the pressure is less." Setting the dates Hover tends to go to the same shows every year because she has become comfortable with the routine and the success her riders have experienced at those shows. She gives her clients a general idea of where they will travel at the beginning of the year, but says you can never be 100 percent sure of the dates until about two months prior to the show, when they are published in the Journal. "I try to travel in small bursts," says Hover. "We are very lucky to be able to start at the Sun Circuit. It is very competitive, offers lots of prizes and large numbers. It is the perfect way to say, 'Here is a big show and this is how competitive it is. You get up at 6 a.m. and ride till midnight. That is how it is when you are an all-around competitor - do you like it or not?' " But Hover doesn't limit competition to the large circuits. "I try to get them to a few of the local shows where they can have fun and enjoy it, and it's not so exhausting." Three-year plan Amateur and youth competitors face high expectations and stiff competition in their respective divisions. The top riders of the youth and amateur dedicate a great deal of time, effort and money to earn the titles they work for. In Hover's program, these riders don't reach a peak in a single year; rather it follows a three-year process. "The first year you get a horse, even if he is a great one and is really broke, you are just getting used to the horse," says Hover. "The second year, you can get to a world-class level and be competitive. The third year, you try to reach the world champion and reserve champion spots. "I feel a lot of it is in promoting yourself," she continues. "If you get to the big shows and gain momentum and someone sees you or hears about you winning a big circuit, it is no different than an ice skater who goes to nationals, worlds and the Olympics. I don't think it has a direct effect on the judges, but it does on the other exhibitors. You start to get a feeling for who is good." Hover feels a trainer would be doing a disservice to the rider by taking him straight to the World Shows without going to any of the big circuits and shows around the country. Doing so throws that competitor in with everyone else he has heard and read about, which can be intimidating. The rider might not perform up to his potential because he doesn't believe he's at the same level as the other riders. So, if world-class competition is in your future, it is important to compete at large shows to get an idea of what to expect. Traveling as a novice rider The first year of competition, a novice gets an idea of what to expect by going to a few shows. A second-year novice shows much more frequently in preparation to advance out of the division. "The first year, I try to start a novice rider at shows with big numbers that aren't as advanced competition-wise," explains Hover. "This way, the novice gets the feeling of getting into the arena, getting his feet wet and not getting hammered. The first year, I try to pick shows that will build confidence." Some novices try to advance out of that division in one year; however, Hover doesn't agree with this practice. "I try to keep a rider in the novice for two years," she says. "Normally, you start with a very green rider and if he peaks in that year, he won't have the opportunity to enjoy what can be won as a novice in the second year." Hover says the first year as a novice rider is a good time to get an idea of "This is what we do, this is where we go, how do you like it." If the competition and hauling are too much, then that rider can compete at a different level. First-year novices travel more lightly, and in the second year of competition travel right along with the other members of the barn. "The second-year novice rider, who is at the height of his ability as a novice, travels to the larger shows to win the nicer prizes and gain confidence," says Hover. "It sets the tone to get him or her into the tougher divisions. "The novice program has worked out very well because it has allowed me to groom people to a level where they can compete," says Hover. "It isn't discouraging, and separates novice riders from the really skilled riders in the amateur and youth classes. It is a tool of advancing them through the ranks, trying to get them to the level they want to reach." Western Riding
Tips You have to know where you are to know where you're going. That's true of life, sure - but it's especially true of pattern classes. Kristy Staniforth McCann knows a thing or two about pattern classes. She cut her riding teeth on the back of a hunter/jumper and later traded jump courses for western riding patterns. Now the trainer of a world champion (Sudden Inclination, in 1997) and an amateur reserve world champ (Principle Advisor and Jan Wilson, in 1998) in western riding, McCann outlines some tips to help you hone your pattern skills. The golden rule: KNOW THE PATTERN This is the one thing about a pattern class that can affect every other aspect of your performance: If you aren't familiar with the pattern, you'll ask your horse to perform at the wrong times and places, and that will throw off your entire run. Be prepared, McCann stresses. It's not enough to memorize the pattern on paper - practice it at home. "If you've never practiced the patterns at home, you won't have a feel for the way the pattern should go," McCann says. "Maybe you've practiced bits and pieces, but you haven't gone through a whole pattern. It's really important that you know how to do the whole pattern before you go do it at the show." Tip #1: Practice control If you use every riding session to practice the complete pattern, your horse could memorize the pattern and then begin to anticipate your cues. Instead, work on separate maneuvers each day, mix them up in patterns you create and then go through the real pattern occasionally, just so you get a feel for the timing. "On a daily basis, I always have the line set up, but I don't always have the full course set up," says McCann. "Every day I practice some part of the pattern. I try to fool them a little bit to keep them under my control and listening to me. "I work on the log almost every day, but one day in particular I'll work on the lope off. I might jog over the log and then jog several circles, so they don't think that just because they've jogged over the log they're immediately going to lope off. Then I'll do my serpentine across the middle; sometimes I won't change leads, then I will change. Same thing with the line - I'll come down the line but I might change at one cone and not the others, or I might change and then head out over here a different way, just to keep them thinking." Tip #2: Think a step ahead Keep yourself thinking, both in practice and on course at the show. Once you complete a maneuver, actively think about your next maneuver and plan how to help your horse execute it. "The way I do the pattern is I look at each part as a section," says McCann. "For instance, once you get loped off, then you concentrate on going around the corner, then changing the first lead. Once you get that first lead change across the middle, think about the next lead change. Think ahead the entire time. Don't just ride through there and react as things happen. Plan ahead. "When you go to a show, look at how the course is going to be. Sometimes they will let you in to warm up when they've set the course up. You won't be allowed to go through the cones, but you can get a feel for where the cones are going to be. You can plan where you need to change leads and see how much room you've got." Tip #3: Look up To plan ahead, you've got to look up at where you and your horse are going. Looking down won't help you gauge your distance from the center or plot your corners. "You need to look up to be able to think ahead and find where you want to change leads or where your centers are," McCann says. "You can look down to see where you're at, like if you need to look down at the log or to see where your cone is. But always look back up again and be very aware of what's going on around you. Know exactly where you are in the pattern at all times. "Sometimes people lope off, look down and never pick their eyes up. They don't have any idea of where they're at. They'll lose their steering; they'll lose their cadence. They won't be in their centers. They don't have any idea where their markers are or where they should be changing leads. A lot of times, if they're looking down, they're leaning forward, and their horses will tend to speed up." Tip #4: Show confidence Even if you're nervous about your performance, sit up and ride into the arena with confidence. Convince the judge - and yourself - that you know what you're doing. "Some people aren't comfortable with forward motion, especially if they haven't done western riding before," McCann explains. "They want to just hang on to their horses and ride them really tight, and that doesn't look as good. You won't be able to get a horse to go forward if you're hanging on it. "If you can let go just a little bit, look up, sit back and look ahead so you can position yourself, that's part of showing the horse off. A person will look more comfortable and more confident sitting up and riding, than if they're leaning forward, looking down and hunched over. The body language there says, 'Help, I'm scared, I don't want to be here.' " Tip #5: Wait to lope off Anticipation and panic can make you (and/or your horse) lope off too early, even when you know you should wait. Work on lope-off patience in practice, and stay calm at the show. "When I school my horses, I never lope off early," says McCann. "I always make them get to the cone and then lope off, because the lope-off is one of the first places they'll anticipate. If they start loping off when they make their minds up, and you let them do it, they'll start testing you in other places through the pattern. "At the shows, on pattern one, I'll go over the log and go down 10, 15 feet - the furthest point I can go before I'll get penalized - and then I lope off; that way you don't have horses trying to lope off before the log or right after. On pattern two, I always lope mine off as the nose comes to the cone; between five feet before the cone and five feet after is about where I ask them to lope off." Tip #6: Square the corners Too-tight corners can affect your horse's carriage and pacing, detracting from your overall performance. Try squaring the corners during practice to help your horse's frame and cadence during competition. "I do my corners really square when I'm schooling," McCann says. "Instead of making round corners, like what you see in the diagrams of western riding patterns, I will come straight, turn, and then go again. I'll use those square corners any time I think the horse is starting to cheat. Then when I really want to show them, I'll show the corners more round. "If you turn tight corners, you have to drag the horse around, and then his head's going to come up, he'll lose his forward motion, and you won't have the same cadence coming out of the corner as you did going in. The horse will be struggling as he comes out of there. A lot of horses will slow way down on those tight corners, and then as they get going, shoot off across the center. Then you've got a big speed difference, and that's not good." Tip #7: Use the whole arena Sometimes riders concentrate so much on individual maneuvers that they don't utilize arena space. Use as much of the arena as you can to show off your horse. "If an arena is really small, you want to use every single space that you can," explains McCann. "If the arena is really big, you may not want to go as wide, but you don't want to cut the cones too tight: The wider you swing coming into that first lead change, the more room you're going to have. "In pattern two, I'll use as much of the arena as I possibly can. I'll go all the way to the walls on my turns, so when I turn, I'll go right on the rail, head across the middle and head to the rail. When I go down for the end, I'll go all the way down in the corner and around to buy as much time as I can down the line. "On pattern one, I always go all the way down to the end of the arena, even if it's a big arena; I'll go straight down to the end and then come in. It gives you lots of time to set up. The same thing on your cones - you don't want to turn across your centers. You want to stay out, because the horses learn very fast where the cones are: 'Okay, we're just going to drop our shoulder and dive in.' Anything you can do to keep control of the situation - you're steering, you're telling them where to go - will keep them right." Tip #8: Steer your horse Great pattern riders look like they never move their hands. The cues do exist, sometimes so subtle that spectators may not see them. But that doesn't mean they're not there. "You can move your hand, and it's better if you do," McCann says. "It places the horse better. You come in, you give yourself a lot of room at that first lead change, change that lead and then steer back off to the right. Give yourself time and move your horse a little bit more. That helps set the horse up better, and it helps keep the horse focused on you. "When I school my horses on the line, I often take them almost in a zigzag - a lot of steering, not bending their bodies very much, but straight lines - come way in, change leads, and head way out - so it's a big zigzag with a lot of steering. A lot of times that will help horses that want to go fast or horses that tend to tune out in the class. "As for changing leads down the line, it doesn't have to be a straight line. The straighter you are, the cleaner the lead changes will look, so I'll usually ride mine a little straighter at the World Show or someplace where it really counts. But throughout the year, I'll do as much moving them around as I can to keep them right." Tip #8: Steer your horse Great pattern riders look like they never move their hands. The cues do exist, sometimes so subtle that spectators may not see them. But that doesn't mean they're not there. "You can move your hand, and it's better if you do," McCann says. "It places the horse better. You come in, you give yourself a lot of room at that first lead change, change that lead and then steer back off to the right. Give yourself time and move your horse a little bit more. That helps set the horse up better, and it helps keep the horse focused on you. "When I school my horses on the line, I often take them almost in a zigzag - a lot of steering, not bending their bodies very much, but straight lines - come way in, change leads, and head way out - so it's a big zigzag with a lot of steering. A lot of times that will help horses that want to go fast or horses that tend to tune out in the class. "As for changing leads down the line, it doesn't have to be a straight line. The straighter you are, the cleaner the lead changes will look, so I'll usually ride mine a little straighter at the World Show or someplace where it really counts. But throughout the year, I'll do as much moving them around as I can to keep them right." Tip #9: Keep pacing even Your horse's speed should stay fairly constant throughout the pattern. Ask your horse to elevate his shoulders and round his back in practice. "A lot of mine I'll ride upright in a gag bit or something similar to keep their shoulders up," McCann explains. "I'll use my leg to pull their backs up. I have a few that I ride with leg in all the time, and I have some that I can just tap to keep them at the pace. By not ever allowing them to get flat, they learn not to be that way. "I try to keep mine really moving good, really round through the whole pattern - don't let them get flat or slow down around the corners. I tend to keep them the same pace in the corner and then don't build them too much as I get to the end of the pattern." Tip #10: Center yourself Every western riding pattern hinges on the center of the arena, the crucial spot that makes or breaks pretty lead changes. How can you make sure you're always changing leads dead-center? "For pattern two, use the log as a marker to know where the center of the pen is," says McCann. "In pattern one, you don't have the log, so you need to find something that's in the center. Look down at the end of the arena and find something that's between the two cones; use that as a focal point. "When I come across, I try to count strides, as opposed to just finding something in the middle of the arena to focus on - it's easier for me. But I don't tell my clients to try and count across the middle, because if the pattern's not set up exactly symmetrically with the arena, people can get confused, including me." A native of the Pacific Northwest, Kristy Staniforth McCann grew up the only equine-inclined member of her family. After a childhood of riding hunter/jumpers, McCann switched to western-style riding in college while working at a western barn. She then returned to her old stomping grounds outside Seattle to show and train, where she met Dean McCann, reining horse trainer and future barn partner. The pair moved their barn to Graham, Washington, three years ago; they married a year ago this past February.
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