Nothing is more heartbreaking in an otherwise clear jumping round than to have the last fence down. Top young competitor Kara Chad of Calgary, AB, explains why it happens so often, and how to prevent it.
Although the height and placement of the last fence varies for each course, there always seems to be an intimidating factor about it, especially if you are on your way to a clear round! It is the course designer’s last opportunity to catch both the horse and rider at their most fatigued point on course.
There are many techniques that the course designer can use for the last fence that increase its level of difficulty: they can set a huge, wide, square and scary-looking oxer that can intimidate both the horse and rider, or they can use an extremely tall, flimsy and delicate vertical that requires tremendous intelligence from the horse to jump clear.
Lack of Focus, or Fatigue?
I have always believed that when the last fence comes down it is the rider’s fault 99 per cent of the time. As far as I know, horses aren’t able to count the fences on course, so it would seem that riders usually make a big deal of the last fence rather than treating it like just another obstacle on course.
When I am galloping down to the last fence there are a hundred thoughts racing through my mind and I tend to lose focus. It varies for each rider; some over-think it and end up doing too much to help their horse clear the fence, and some riders tend to freeze in hopes of clearing the fence, but instead restrict their horse’s jump. It is best to simply relax and ride the last fence as if it were any other fence on course.
Another reason for difficulty near the end of the course is fitness. Fitness and proper flatwork is one of, if not the most, important aspects of achieving success in the ring. If your horse is not fit you are fighting an uphill battle.
Another possible reason for late faults is a stressed or nervous horse. Sometimes a horse will have one rail down and will lose confidence and rush their technique for the remainder of the course.
Whatever the issue, it is hard to fix in the ring. If there is a recurring issue near the end of the course, it’s best to address it by going back to the drawing board and setting up exercises – both mental and physical – at the stable that will carry over into the ring. [For example, increase the duration, intensity and frequency of your schooling sessions to improve fitness; include aerobic activity such as running to your own workout; practice focusing on a point beyond the last fence as a target.]
Stop Over-Thinking
A coach once told me to not think of the last fence as the last obstacle on course, but rather to think of galloping through the finish timers on the backside of the fence as the last task on course. This will prevent the rider from over-thinking the last fence.
When it comes down to it, the last fence is a mental test for the rider. Trying to wrangle the excitement and adrenaline pumping through my veins when I’m galloping down to the last jump is a skill I have yet to master. It began years ago at Capitol Challenge, when I was on my way to winning the small pony hunter Sunday Classic, Grand Pony Champion, and Best Pony Rider, but I completely ‘chocolate chipped’ the last fence and all those hopes and dreams vanished immediately. This ‘last-jump-itus’ is something I continue to work on overcoming, because when you nail that last fence and produce a clear round for yourself and for the team, there is truly no better feeling.
