Ryan Wood: Build Confidence Over Corners

Top eventer Ryan Wood shares his four-step plan to successfully introduce this cross-country obstacle to your horse.

Home » Competitions » Ryan Wood: Build Confidence Over Corners

Corner fences are a common element seen on nearly every cross-country course in America. Starting at Training level, horses and riders need to be prepared to answer the corner. When introducing riders and young horses to corners, I use the same approach each time, starting by building a simulated corner in the arena to introduce the concept and then move to jumping an actual corner on a cross-country course.

When introducing corners, the key to remember is that jumping corners is all about progression. First you need to establish the correct canter on the flat and then work over a simulated corner in the arena before heading out to jump a corner on a cross-country course. Only then will your horse jump it as confidently as Sarah Hughes’ Alcatraz, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, is jumping it here. | © Amy K. Dragoo

Whether you are training for dressage, show jumping or cross country, there is always a progression. You start with the basics and gradually work your way up, and it is no different when jumping corners. First, you need to have the correct seat, leg and hand aids in place, which I describe in the next section. Then you build confidence by jumping a simulated corner in the arena using a barrel and two standards, which will set you up for success when you leave the comfort zone of the arena and jump a corner on the cross-country course.

Step 1: Develop the Correct Canter

Jumping corners confidently starts with having the right canter. A corner is an accuracy test, and for these types of questions I like to tone down the between-the-fences gallop to a slower speed in the approach. You still want a forward, positive canter, but approaching at a slower pace gives your horse more time to see the fence and understand the question. Before working on the corner in the arena, practice this canter, focusing on your aids. The combination of seat, leg and hand aids you use approaching the corner will give your horse every opportunity to confidently jump it.

1. You can practice developing the correct canter in the arena or wherever you do your gallops. I start by working in the between-the-fences pace I use while going cross country—galloping forward at a faster speed. You will be in two-point with your seat out of the saddle and your knee at a 110-degree angle. Be sure to shorten your stirrup leathers enough so you can keep your backside off the saddle in your two-point. | © Amy K. Dragoo

2. Now I start to bring my upper body back and slow Alcatraz from the gallop to a positive, forward canter. This is the canter I establish before a corner. To practice, pick a marker in your gallop field, like a tree or jump. Practice slowing from your gallop to your desired canter by the time you pass the marker. Depending on how quickly you are able to slow and balance your horse, you might need to start well back from the marker. The more you practice, the easier it will be to make that transition. | © Amy K. Dragoo

3. Then I sit firmly in the saddle in a defensive seat, bringing my upper body back so it is upright. My legs are in a steady, driving contact with Alcatraz’s sides—think Phillip Dutton and his vise-grip legs—which makes it clear to Alcatraz that I want him to go forward confidently. This is the position I use four to five strides in front of the corner. | © Amy K. Dragoo

4. As I bring my seat closer to the saddle, I move both of my hands several inches wider apart to create a channel for Alcatraz’s shoulders. This is the hand position I use in the approach to the corner to encourage him to hold his line. This hand position and driving leg aid will send him forward and make it very clear that you want him to jump the corner. | © Amy K. Dragoo

Step 2: Practice a Corner in the Arena

**SETUP:** Build the simulated corner in your arena so you have enough space to jump it in both directions: Lay a barrel on its side. About 10 feet from it, place two standards close together with cups facing the barrel. (They can be closer than this depending on your level.) Rest one end of a 12-foot pole on the barrel and put the other end in the cup. Do this with the second pole and standard. Place a ground line at the base of each vertical. Put one end of the last pole on the front of the barrel and the other end of the pole on the ground, angled to the outside of the jump at approximately 100–110 degrees. This will act as a wing (or guide rail) to direct the horse and encourage him to jump. | © Amy K. Dragoo

**WHERE TO FOCUS:** To determine what part of the corner to focus on and jump, bisect the angle, imagining a line that cuts it in half from the widest point of the corner to the tip. In the center of that line, picture another line running toward you at a 90-degree angle. This is the line of your approach. The aim is to pick a “window” on the corner that includes the narrowest part of the corner—without risking a runout—and the widest part of the corner—without asking too much of a scope question for your horse. Approaching the corner in the middle of that window gives you room for error if your horse drifts on approach.

TIP >> The progression to jumping the fence as a full corner might not happen in one jump school. For the first school, you might start with the front rail angled down to the ground and a wing pole to guide the horse (see photo 3 on page 45). For the second school, you might review the first school briefly, then if your horse jumps confidently, put the pole back in the cup while still using a wing pole. For the third jump school, you can take away the wing.

1. I lowered the front pole of the corner from the cup to the ground. This creates a softer face on the corner and helps Alcatraz to understand the concept of jumping it. At this point, it is useful to have a helper on the ground who can place the poles in and out of the cups and change the placement of the wing pole. About five strides before the corner, I dropped into a defensive seat in the saddle—sitting and bringing my upper body upright. I also made sure my legs were firmly on his sides and widened my hands. The combination of leg, seat and hand aids applied together has allowed Alcatraz to confidently jump the corner. (He was a little fresh this day, which is why I am using a short release here.) | © Amy K. Dragoo

2. Alcatraz has competed up to the Advanced level, so he quickly becomes unimpressed with this corner. If he were less experienced, I would make sure he had jumped the corner confidently with the front rail lowered in both directions. If he is hesitant, I will continue to jump with the front rail lowered until he jumps confidently. Then my helper would put the front rail into the cup and I would approach again, as I’m doing here, using the same seat, leg and hand aids as I did in Photo 3 on page 45 along with the guide rail to make it very clear to Alcatraz that I want him to jump the corner. | © Amy K. Dragoo

TIP >> Horses and riders will progress at different rates when it comes to jumping a corner in the arena. The key is to advance at a pace that builds confidence in both you and your horse. If it takes three or more jump schools to reach this point, the time spent in the arena doing your homework is worth it.

3. After Alcatraz confidently jumps with the guide rail, my helper removes it and I approach the corner in the same way I did before: defensive seat in the saddle, legs firmly on his sides with wider-set hands. | © Amy K. Dragoo

4. Now Alcatraz is ready to jump the corner at a higher height, which will prepare him for the size of the actual corner once we go out to the cross-country course. | © Amy K. Dragoo

When is it Time to Move to Cross Country?

After enough jump schools in the arena with your horse jumping the simulated corner in both directions without a wing pole—he should be jumping without any hesitation—it’s time to head out on the cross-country course. Be sure to build your simulated corner so it will resemble the same height and width of the corner in your cross-country field. If you don’t have a corner at home, try and make sure the course you trailer to has good footing and isn’t too muddy so your horse won’t slip and lose confidence as he is still learning. Also ensure that your corner is staked into the ground so it can’t move if your horse knocks it with one of his legs. When you head out to a cross-country corner, bring a pole to create a wing on the corner and have your ground person place it on the tip of the corner at approximately a 110-degree angle like you did in the ring.

Step 3: Jump a Cross-Country Corner

1. I warmed up by practicing the different canter and aids described earlier and then I jump him over some simpler fences—a log, coop and table—to make sure he is jumping straight and without hesitation. Then I pick up my between-the-fences gallop, get into a two-point position and approach the corner. | © Amy K. Dragoo

2. Several strides in front of the corner, I brought Alcatraz back from a between-the fences gallop to a forward, positive canter by lowering into my light seat. Now, about four strides before corner, I sit in the saddle and bring my upper body back so it’s close to upright. I also keep my legs firmly on Alcatraz’s side and widen my hands. | © Amy K. Dragoo

TIP >> If at any time you don’t feel confident, remember that this exercise is about progression. Continue using the wing pole in your jump schools on the cross-country course. Once you feel ready to take the next step, remove the wing pole and conquer the corner in both directions.

3. Our progression pays off. Alcatraz jumps confidently and in good form. I am using an automatic release to maintain the contact with Alcatraz’s mouth. I jump the corner once more in the same direction to be sure it wasn’t a fluke. He again jumps confidently, so I have my helper switch the wing pole, and we jump the corner in the other direction. Soon we are ready to jump the corner without the guide rail. Mission accomplished! | © Amy K. Dragoo

Troubleshooting

Understand that your aids play an all-important role in successfully jumping corners. If you canter down to the corner too fast, the horse can misread the question. If you come in too weak and on a loose rein, you increase your chance of a runout.

If a runout happens, think about what happened and why. Did you approach the jump on the wrong line, maybe at too severe an angle, so your horse didn’t understand the question? Were your hands not set wide enough to create a tunnel? Were you in a galloping position as opposed to a defensive seat? Did you have both legs firmly on your horse’s sides to encourage him to go forward?

If your horse runs out while schooling corners on cross country, bring the wing pole back to return him to familiar territory he understands. It’s also a good idea to jump another fence, like a table or log, that you know your horse will be confident over before coming back to the corner. This gets his mind back to thinking about going from one side of the jump to the other.

If you horse still runs out after bringing the wing pole back, it is often easier to fix the problem in the arena as opposed to on the cross-country course. Go back to repeating the earlier steps in this exercise there. Place a wing pole on the simulated corner in the arena, drop the front rail to the ground and then start over building it back up.

About Ryan Wood

Australian native Ryan Wood grew up in Pony Club and started competing in eventing at 8 years old. He purchased his first horse, an Australian Stock Horse named Countdown, through a local newspaper for $1,000. Ryan and Countdown moved up through the levels of eventing together, completing their first CCI**** at Adelaide when they were both 19 years old.

Ryan competed successfully throughout Australia, garnering top placings at Melbourne CCI***, Sydney CCI*** and Warwick CIC-W***. He trained with and worked for numerous top riders, including Australian eventer Guy Wallace, Olympic dressage trainer Norbert Van Laak and top champion show jumpers Ludger Beerbaum and Ernst Hofschroer.

Ryan moved to the United States in 2008 and started working for Bruce Davidson before moving to Phillip Dutton’s True Prospect Farm in Unionville, Pennsylvania. He now runs his own business out of True Prospect Farm. Since moving to the U.S. Ryan has become one of the top event riders in the country. In 2016 he won the Jersey Fresh CCI***, Bromont CCI*** and the USEA Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Final at the American Eventing Championships.

This article was originally published in the December 2017 issue of Practical Horseman.