Getting Into Eventing

Great advice Sasika!

I wholeheartedly agree that Dressage is the most important aspect to focus on. Dressage here in North America is the most competative stage in Eventing, and when you get into Novice and higher here, you are facing tough foe's and if you don't do well in Dressage, you are struggling the rest of the HT to climb the placing ladder and are relying on your competators to fault or get refusals or time penalties or even Eliminations to get up to where you want to be - and that isn't how it should be.

If GP horses can do minimally level 3 dressage, and if Jumping is Dressage with Speed Bumps - there should be no difference in your training - which is dressage being the strongest.

I learnt so much when I was in PC and I can thank my years of riding in the organization for the majority of my experience and knowledge. Heck, I am an adult now and I still apply what I obtained from my years back in PC to this day.

With how many accidents that have been occuring in the Eventing Sport world wide, it is foolish to school CC without a coach by your side helping you and watching. We all need eyes on the ground, even Olympic Riders train with eyes on the ground.

I don't think you HAVE to school xc with a trainer there all the time if you are doing training level or below, but def if you are new to the sport

I think we are to trainer oriented here !!

^ I have to say I agree.

The people doing training level and below are exactly the people who DO need trainers there all the time when they are schooling XC. There is a reason they are at the lower levels (myself included) whether it be a green rider or a green horse. Why wouldn't they want to be safe and have a coach guiding them in case something goes wrong?

Eventing is DANGEROUS. Possibly the most dangerous out of all of the disciplines. It has gotten a horrible reputation (especially in North America where accidents seem to be happening around every turn lately) and it is usually people who ride recklessly or without a trainer telling them that they are doing something wrong that get hurt- even at the upper levels.

^agreed, there is a reason eventing is the SECOND most dangerous sport in the world. I have seen rotational falls happen at BN level. NEVER EVER EVER go without a trainer. You can get killed or seriously injured at ANY level of this sport, no matter how "good" you are.

Which is the country that is insanely trainer focussed. I wonder what the stats are in Australia which is much more relaxed on the trainer issue.

So who trains the trainers?

Thanks for all your great imformation guys, I'm hoping on trying to get some more neck muscles in him, I'm hoping to start on that today.

There are trainer certification programs each sport puts on.

Great post Eventerdrew! And I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE! *stands up and applauds*

DO NOT EVER UNDER ESTIMATE THIS SPORT regardless of "how experienced" or "how knowledgeable" you are. And those who do under estimate this sport, do not belong out there.

I've been Eventing since High School, and do you think I school CC without a Coach? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! I do NOT under estimate this sport for one second, and I become infuriated at those who do not take this sport as seriously as I do. I've competed high up in the Lower Levels, and I've never schooled without eyes on the ground.

NEVER SCHOOL CC WITHOUT EYES ON THE GROUND regardles of "how experienced" you think you are.

When you think you are "experienced" enough, or "good enough" to jump CC without eyes on the ground, that is when you will get hurt - because you've under estimated those fences.

Well, my Coach competes CIC*/CCI*, and her coach competes CIC***/CCI***, and his coach competes CIC****/CCI**** and represented the U.S.A in the Olympics twice, and her coach coaches the you.S Olympic Team. And he, goes back and watches the "greats" in the sport and audits as many clinics as he can.

Even Olympic riders have coaches. Even those coaches keep themselves up to date by educating themselves through clinics and videos and watching other riders around them at their level.

That is why I NEVER have a Coach who does not take lessons.

So MIEventer what level do you compete? It is practically unheard of for an Aus event rider in the lower levels ie. Novice or below (and just for info our rankings go :
-newcomers
-intro
-prelim
-pre-novie
-novice
-CIC*
-CIC**
-CIC***
-CIC****

Anyway a rider competing between prelim and novice would never have a trainer who is 1 star. They would be more likely to have a 2 or 3 star and if they are very talented a 4 star trainer or beyond....

How is it you can train with a coach who is only a level above you etc? I realise ur coach is also being coached it just your system seems odd to me