The USEA Eventing By The Levels Handbook

67 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 Preliminary Level Show Jumping Skills. The Intermediate rider should be responsible for the complete preparation of their horse at this level, on the flat and over fences, including the horse's strength for jumping and galloping, overall fitness, suppleness, flexibility, and their understanding and ability to execute advanced footwork. To that end, the Intermediate rider should: • Incorporate into their jumping practice the strengthening, suppling and balancing exercises and movements from their dressage training. • Employ in routine practice varied gymnastic jumping exer- cises, to improve the horse's balance, agility, rhythm, bas- cule, understanding, and confidence. • Know when and how to shorten or lengthen distances be- tween poles and gymnastics to produce specific results in their horse. The Intermediate rider should be responsible for their own strength, fitness, and acquiring the level-required skills, including the ability to: • Maintain a secure, supple independent seat in various jumping positions throughout gymnastic exercises and all jumping at level-appropriate height. • Clearly demonstrate the skill and knowledge to correctly produce all aspects of the horse's rhythm, balance, ener- gy, speed, stride length and line of direction throughout all jumping of gymnastic exercises and level-appropriate courses. • Efficiently establish the appropriate rhythm, balance, ener- gy, speed, stride length and line of direction on landing, in preparation for the next fence, turn or change of direction. • Recognize if a distance to the jump will be short, long, or average, and reacting to improve or support as needed in each case. • Produce and maintain the quality, balanced canter needed to ride various measured, related distances (60+ ft) on a straight or bending line in a prescribed number of strides, AND, • Demonstrate "in the moment" thinking to adjust balance and stride length, in reaction to the jump "in" of a combi- nation or related distance. Specifically, for the show jumping phase of competition, Intermediate level riders should be able to: • Ride triple combinations as part of a course in all config- urations. • Confidently navigate a water tray or Liverpool under, in front of or behind a vertical, or under an oxer. • Walk, analyze, warm up for and ride a plan over a level-ap- propriate course. • Self-evaluate their performance over a level appropriate 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 Preliminary Level Show Jumping Exercises and Concepts. The Intermediate level rider and their coach should be able to create individualized, specific horse/rider gymnas- tic jumping exercises, which address all possible weak- nesses, strengthen muscle memory, footwork, develop correct bascule, and improve both horse and rider. These exercises have an infinite number of variations, in- cluding poles on the ground or raised, in combination with jumps, cavalletti and grids of verticals and/or oxers, turns, angles, varied distances and jump shapes. Course riding exercises should develop consistency in the horse's ability to: • Maintain a balanced, rhythmic horse-appropriate stride over a course of Intermediate level fences including mul- tiple double and triple combinations. • Produce a range of stride lengths while maintaining rhythm, balance, energy, speed, connection, and an accu- rate line of direction. • Confidently jump the Liverpool as a regular course element in conjunction with a variety of fences in the show jumping school. Exercises which prepare the horse for the increased tech- nicality of the Intermediate cross-country: • Skinny, angled and offset fences on 1-3 stride distances. • Bounce distance using a variety of fence shapes.

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