Top event riders share their tips for training horses to tackle drops with confidence

Tim Price ( NZL) riding Vitali during the cross country phase for the Olympic Eventing Competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games held at Sea Forest Cross Country Course in Tokyo in Japan between the 23rd July and 8th August 2021

From Burghley’s precipitous Leaf Pit to Pau’s rollercoaster mounds (and everything in between) the principles of negotiating drops and fences where horses can’t immediately see the landing are the same – namely giving the horse time rather than speed. In this exclusive article for H &H subscribers, Badminton winner and British eventing performance coach Chris Bartle and five-star rider Tom Crisp share their top tips, and one useful exercise to practise

Horses are well-equipped to hop up and down steps and negotiate mounds, so long as we let them use the tools that nature has given them. Jumping cross-country drop fences or when the horse cannot see the landing requires certain techniques to help a horse develop trust in the rider to allow them to use […]