![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/SJJamaimo.jpg\")
Winning the 2013 Adelaide Four-Star on TS Jamaimo, who was to become Chris’ horse for Normandy. Unfortunately their WEG campaign was cut short when Jamaimo developed a colic the night before the cross country.<\/strong><\/p>\nRebecca Ashton sat in on this lesson with Christopher and took the photos…<\/h3>\n
Christopher Burton was fresh from his surprise win at the 2013 Adelaide 4 Star when I found him giving a clinic at Christine Bates\u2019 wonderful complex Willow Park at Wilberforce. Unfortunately, due to ridiculous amounts of rain the week before, most of the sessions at the Northside Riding Club clinic were confined to the 20 x 60 m indoor. This didn\u2019t stop Chris working on the basics and the lack of space actually made for more precise riding.<\/p>\n
All sessions began with Chris checking the flat work was under control and the horses were responsive to the stop\/go aids. For all those eventers who find the dressage training a drag (which is probably most!), Chris was adamant of its importance, \u201cDressage is designed to help us have control of our horses so we can jump them.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wanted the horses to respond off the voice, \u2018whoa\u2019 to stop and a \u2018cluck\u2019 to go, but supported with leg and hand to begin with. When Caitlin Foulis\u2019 green stallion wasn\u2019t responding to the forward aids enough, Chris encouraged.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay \u2018cluck\u2019 followed straight away with the leg. When you kick him Caitlin, something has to happen. He has to fart and bolt! That\u2019s what\u2019s so good about living in Australia. We live on an island; the horse can\u2019t go anywhere! In a dressage test, when I do an extended trot, I don\u2019t use my leg. I cluck just so the horse can hear, then he goes because he knows in the past that it was followed by a kick.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Debbi Jenkin\u2019s horse wasn\u2019t responding well enough to the stop aids, Chris wanted her to understand how very important this was before they could move on.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay whoa first and then use the reins to stop until we don\u2019t have to use the reins anymore,\u201d instructed the Olympian. \u201cIf you can\u2019t halt, you can\u2019t half halt. If you can\u2019t half halt, you shouldn\u2019t be pointing a horse at a jump.\u201d<\/p>\n
He really wanted his students to become riders that remained centered, rode without using the reins, and allowed the horse to just get on with the job. \u201cThe more you give, the softer he will be. You need the hind legs under more,\u201d reminded Burton.<\/p>\n
The flat work also gave Chris a chance to check on the riders\u2019 positions. Some riders wanted to flap and use their whole body to get the horse to respond, sledge hammer style, and Chris was quick to get them still and using the smallest aids possible. It\u2019s easy to form bad habits, so awareness is key.<\/p>\n With stop and go under control and horses working over their backs, it was time to put it into practice over some poles. With two poles set some meters apart, Chris wanted the riders to canter between them. \u201cYou have to get the poles within the canter stride. No matter if you have to lengthen or shorten, it has to be in the stride,\u201d he instructed. After the riders cantered over them a couple of times, the question was put to them; \u201cHow many strides did you have in between?\u201d There were some blank faces with the trainer emphasising that ninety percent of riders forget to count. “I always count!\u201d<\/p>\n The natural stride between the two poles was five, and the riders had to estimate the canter they would need to achieve this before they even started the exercise. Once the horses were balanced and happy with this, the challenge was to make the distance in six and then seven strides or stretched right out to just four, then three strides.<\/p>\n more below<\/em><\/p>\n When Rachel Temms was asked to do seven strides in between she asked, \u201cAm I allowed to curve?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! It\u2019s a centreline. This is a dressage arena. That would be cheating! Clever girl, though,\u201d joked Chris.<\/p>\n Rachel needn\u2019t have worried as she executed it without faults. Chris was impressed. \u201cNice canter! See? You have choices. Good, hey? Now you\u2019ve got your horse listening to you.\u201d<\/p>\n There were no excuses not to do this exercise. \u201cYou can do this anywhere,\u201d encouraged Chris. \u201cGo buy two poles from Bunnings. You need to be able to control your horse like this. The counting will help you see the distance and that will help the horse to jump. Until you\u2019re Marcus Ehning, it\u2019s best to practice like this. You have to understand what this exercise is about. You might get it after 10,000 hours of practice!\u201d<\/p>\n The exercise was progressed to the poles becoming cross rails, then verticals, and then the second fence became an oxer. Ali Pettit\u2019s grey horse impressed Chris with its jumping ability as the second jump kept going up higher and higher. \u201cIf your horse has ability, if you get your take off right, the jump can be as high as you like. The distance stays the same but the jump can go up,” he said.<\/p>\n The question was posed, if this had been in a competition, which number of strides a rider should aim for. Burto responded, \u201cDo the 10,000 hours of practice and you\u2019ll know which to do, but the horse always has to react off the lower leg.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris isn\u2019t an instructor to sit in the corner offering the odd \u2018good\u2019 to the rider. He\u2019s hands on and sees the benefit of getting on the horse and giving the rider a visual if they are really struggling with the concept or exercise. When Debbi was struggling with the speed control Chris brought her into the centre. \u201cSome people learn better by feeling and doing, some by watching. Bring him here and I\u2019ll do a demonstration.\u201d One horse per session had the star rider on board. He really worked on getting the horses straight, balanced and not anticipating the jumps. Chris soon had Debbi\u2019s horse flying but also stopping on a dime.<\/p>\n Lines were next to being tested with two jumps diagonally placed on a straight line. Chris stood on the line at the opposite end so the riders had something to focus on. With the jumps on an angle, it was tempting for the riders to lose the straightness. \u201cLook up!\u201d encouraged Chris. \u201cYou have to keep your eyes up and look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n Last was a little, tight course of five jumps to put it all into practice with about ten meters at the end to land and halt. Gabbi Sanderson on her palomino did a great job of it and Chris explained why.\u201cAll the jumps were just there waiting for you. The exercise we did at the start helped you with that.\u201d<\/p>\n Again Chris emphasised the rider\u2019s role of getting the horse to the jump but not doing the jumping for them. \u201cWe\u2019re on their back. We can\u2019t make them jump. Pulling on their mouth doesn\u2019t make them jump better. It makes them jump worse.\u201d<\/p>\n When Claire Earle was encouraging her horse a little too much with her spur, she had to get rid of them. \u201cYou don\u2019t see your distance so then you kick him with the spurs at the last minute,” Chris explained. “It upsets his rhythm and he knocks the jump.\u201d A still leg with the horse sharp to the aids had the problem cured.<\/p>\n By the end of the day, the ground had dried out enough for the last group to take on a few cross country jumps. Of the four riders, three had a racing background, with Kathy O\u2019Hara a Group One winner. First was the essential flat work with big, flowing lines to establish the forwardness before the speed control was checked.<\/p>\n Then it was over some small jumps. Chris seemed to like what he saw. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to teach such balanced riders. It\u2019s not so scary to watch!\u201d<\/p>\n But even then he had to warn them about letting the horses be too relaxed. \u201cKathy, I like how you lob around a bit, but if you\u2019re going to scare him, that\u2019s how you do it. Just get him up into your hand a bit more. If you have their blood up a bit, without frying their brain, they\u2019ll jump no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n The group moved onto some downhill jumps and Chris reminded the riders to leave their horses\u2019 heads alone and to just let them jump. \u201cOur job, like in track work, is to settle them on course. Let them think for themselves a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"RA_20131119_0037\"](\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/RA_20131119_0037.jpg\")
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