The USEA Eventing By The Levels Handbook

59 Rider Skills Required at this level The coach should confirm the rider's understanding of and ability to perform all skills identified under Starter through Modified Level Show Jumping Skills. The Preliminary level rider should be able to: • Reliably recognize and produce the correct balance and energy in canter. • Consistently utilize the relationship between flat work and jumping to improve and strengthen their horse for jump- ing. • Understand and execute the rider's role and responsibility for the correct balance, speed, energy, stride length, and accurate track and line. • Effectively use coordinated aids from an appropriate jump- ing position to produce the correct balance, speed, ener- gy, stride length, accurate track/line as well as balanced lengthening and shortening of the strides. • Maintain a secure, supple, and independent seat and bal- ance with an elastic contact and connection throughout a show jumping course or gymnastic exercise at appropriate level height. Preliminary riders should be developing their training skills to include: • The ability to identify good quality vs poor quality of the horse's jumping effort. • Incorporate appropriate gymnastic exercises, including the bounce, as part of regular practice to improve the horse's balance, agility, rhythm, bascule, understanding, confi- dence, and rideability. • The ability to produce and maintain the appropriate quality of canter to ride various related distances in the measured number of strides or number of strides appropriate for their horse. • Recognizing more consistently when a distance to the jump will be short, long or average, and understanding how to react in each case. • Recovering the rhythm, balance, line of direction and speed within an appropriate number of strides and in relation to the next fence, turn or change of direction. Competition readiness at this level should include the rider's ability to: • Execute a warm-up for show jumping which supports their individual horse's warm-up requirements. • Walk, analyze, and ride a plan over a level-appropriate show jump course of 9-12 fences. • Self-evaluate performance over a course of show jumps. Exercises and Concepts The coach should confirm the rider's understanding of and ability to perform all exercises identified under Starter through Modified Level Show Jumping Exercises and Concepts. Throughout all jumping practice the rider should move between the jumping positions as appropriate, seamlessly with an independent seat and following, elastic contact. Preliminary riders should maintain a balanced stride appropriate for their respective mount in a consistently active, high-quality canter over course of level-appropri- ate fences and throughout gymnastic exercises. Exercises should be tailored to strengthen horses and riders per the required skills for the level, and to prepare them for the many variables that may occur in competi- tion. This would include exercises which: • Develop "in the moment" thinking to adjust balance and stride length, in reaction to the jump "in" of a combina- tion on one, two or three strides or a related distance on a straight or bending line. • Require the rider to vary the number of strides in a related distance as a tool to be able to identify various appropriate canters for the exercise. • Improve the rider's timing and ability to recognize the take-off distance. • Use gymnastics, including poles in combination with jumps, and grids of verticals and/or oxers which use distance and fence shape to strengthen and improve the technical qual- ity of the jumping effort of the horse, and/or which permit the rider to focus on developing and strengthening greater independence from and connection to the reins. • Employ turns, angles and lines as might be encountered in the cross-country phase at this level, and in preparation for the Intermediate level as appropriate. • Familiarize horse and riders with a variety of fence shapes and elements including skinnies, corners, and water trays to prepare horses and riders for the technicality of multiple element combinations on cross-country. • Include the bounce distance in both trot and canter to develop balance and rideability, and in preparation for a cross-country bounce fence.

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