Let’s be trustworthy, who doesn’t need to choose up some coaching gems from Dickie Waygood and Laura Collett? The pair, plus grassroots occasion rider and influencer Megan Elphick, joined up for The LeMieux Grassroots to Glory Masterclass on Friday, 20 December on the London Worldwide Horse Present.
H&H was available to deliver you all of the coaching and training knowledge from the session…
1. If the coach doesn’t know the riders and horses, the session ought to begin with riders introducing themselves and their mounts.
Laura rides Cooley Iceage, a six-year-old who she cautiously admits she hopes might be her subsequent large star.
“I’ve had him a few yr now and he was very inexperienced once I bought him, however he’s been competing at novice and two-star this season,” says the double Olympic staff gold medallist and Paris particular person bronze medallist. “He’s a horse I feel an terrible lot of, however he’s very inexperienced and has by no means been in this type of setting, so this can be a superb training for him.”
Megan’s mount is her home-bred Winnie, one other six-year-old who she has competed at BE80.
“I’ve taken my time along with her and she or he had an damage this yr so had the summer season off, therefore feeling excited to be at a celebration,” says Megan. “She is a really trustworthy horse, however I’ve by no means performed something like this along with her earlier than.”
2. At elite degree, teaching could be very a lot a partnership.
British eventing efficiency supervisor Dickie says: “Folks ask, ‘Do I coach Laura?’ but it surely goes means past that. After I work with Laura it’s working collectively as a partnership as a result of along with her really feel she may give me as a lot data on what she must work on as I can see with my eyes. I wouldn’t name it teaching in a real sense as at an elite degree, it’s these small particulars you’re searching for – and getting the fundamentals proper.”
3. A leaping session begins with flatwork.
Dickie Waygood encourages Laura Collett and Megan Elphick to begin the coaching session by testing the accelerator and the brakes on the flat, saying: “I prefer to see plenty of transitions throughout the tempo. Use the load assist and perhaps voice to decelerate after which transfer on somewhat bit – Laura comes out of the saddle with a light-weight seat, however she’s nonetheless in the midst of the horse. When she collects, the load assist means utilizing higher physique posture to assist the horse wait.
“In any self-discipline, it’s vastly essential you sit in steadiness, then the horse can use you as a stabiliser to steadiness on.”
Dickie emphasises that if a rider places one foot down two inches, they might suppose they’re solely transferring 15% of their weight, however actually it’s extra like 100%, so a small motion could be influential for the horse.
4. Don’t let the canter broaden in the direction of a soar, particularly a thin.
The pair begin by leaping small fences down a line – “it doesn’t matter what number of strides, I need them to maintain the canter the identical earlier than fences” – earlier than shifting on to skinny fences.
“Strive to not broaden the canter on the way in which to a fence – if you happen to broaden earlier than a thin, you run the chance of working out,” says Dickie.
Megan Elphick and Winnie soar a thin throughout a masterclass on the 2024 London Worldwide Horse Present. Credit score: Pippa Roome
5. Look to the later fence in a line.
As soon as Laura sees her distance to the primary fence in a line, she raises her eyes to take a look at the second fence.
“The second she has seen her distance, she doesn’t have to look again on the first fence, she will be able to see it in her peripheral imaginative and prescient. She’s then trying on the second fence,” says Dickie.
6. Straightness is significant.
Dickie stresses that horses must be on railway tracks with the again legs following the entrance legs, saying: “You can not do a press up with palms out to the facet. When the horse’s shoulders are bulging out not far away and he’s not straight he can’t shorten and lengthen accurately so he loses choices and the form and steadiness of bascule. Once we come to skinnies we should have straight horses.”
Suggestions embrace not collapsing the rider’s physique to at least one facet, utilizing a leg yield to counteract falling out and utilizing “working pirouettes” to show the horse to show off the skin leg and outdoors leg.
7. Don’t attempt to catch horses out.
Make workouts progressive. Present horses the fences first if needed. Alter the query if wanted. Ask the riders what their horses are prepared for.
“Don’t educate them to run-out – that’s all the time a fear with skinnies,” says Dickie, whereas Laura suggests an alteration to a set-up through the session, an instance of how the pair work in partnership.
Dickie provides: “The subsequent half is to practise this on the facet of a hill with cross-country fences, you then take it to a contest.”
8. Leg earlier than hand when making a correction, each time.
“Don’t land and go to the within rein to show – it’s widespread sense in time of disaster, however consider the pirouette and management the skin shoulder,” says Dickie.
Each horses carry out very effectively through the coaching session with Dickie Waygood and Laura Collett – Megan teenager’s tackles some never-seen-before questions with no drama and learnt quite a bit, whereas Laura says of Cooley Iceage: “He has an awesome mind, he’s very trustworthy, he essentially needs to do the job. I cherished him earlier than and I really like him much more now.”
Dickie provides: “It is a horse to observe for the long run – be careful for this horse and be careful for Laura.”
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H&H journal editor and eventing editor
Pippa is a real eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand expertise of competing as much as British Eventing intermediate and worldwide CCI2*-L degree, and has labored within the trade on a prime occasion yard. Pippa enjoys nothing greater than immersing herself within the sport on the highest degree, reporting from the five-stars and worldwide championships, together with the Olympics.