Remembering Courses???

Ok, so I don't know about anyone else, but I have a crap memory. I can't ever remember anything when it comes to going somewhere unless its drilled into my head for a few days.

I worry that when I start showing, I won't be able to remeber my courses.

How do you memorize your courses?

I draw the course on a piece of paper. I go over it a couple of times then I get somebody to test me without looking at the paper. Walking the course helps alot to.

Are you meaning jumping courses? (You said showing but you are in the jumping thread?) what discipline...

For jumping I say the course out loud - usually saying somethign like red double turn right green jump 4 stride green oxer turn left etc and just keep repeating it so when I do the course it all makes sense

For dressage - I do the whole thing on a piece of paper and then make myself read it at least once efore I go to bed and once when I wake up ... you constantly find me drawing the course in the air with my finger as well

Showing workouts - have a set one I use if I have to else the judge tell ya (But Im not a showy)

I walk the course [if pos of course] I draw it in the sand/arena footing with my finger, I repeat it to myself, & I picture my horse & me jumping around it in my head =]

The best way is to look at the arena and have someone tell you th course. EX: White verticle with pink flowers to the outside green 6 stride, to the gray diagonal 7 stride, to the white judges line in 4. Its best to name the jumps and if it is a rollback, line, or bending line you can remember 2 jumps under 1 name :] It makes it simpler. Then go over it in your head and repeat the course to a friend who also knows it

Just do eventing...fences are numbered !! Seriously, I could never do jumpers. I simply could not remember the sequence. The numbers save my butt every time.

Isn't show jumping part of eventing?

Yes it is, but numbered fences and very straight forward courses. I'm horrible at remembering them, but I can do these!

What helps is to walk it, with a trainer. Then stand in the arena and look around and go thorough your course just turning and looking at how it goes. Then say it to someone and go over it in your head. Then watch a couple of runs to see how it is riding. That's what my trainer always has us do

When im doing my courses, I look at the actual jumps after ! Look at it on the paper. Then, I say, "inside red roll back to outside natural..." I remember my courses by what the jumps look like. (:


__2 /5 \3 __4



__8



__1 \7 /6 __



Okay, say that was your course. When you're going through it in your head say this:

"Outside pink to inside brown roll back to outside black to inside blue to inside brown roll back to green quarterline."

Doing it like ths really helps me! And I play it through my head right until I go into the arena! Hope this helpes you! :)