Part 4: Bruce works with the riders at the bank. When one rider lets his horse trip off the bank and scrape her tendons, he struggles to get her to go back down it. Bruce works with him to illustrate his mistake and assist him in building the mare's confidence again. The other rider struggles to keep his horse in front of the leg. Bruce supports him, reminding him not to let him turn away and to ride him through the exercise. They slow the lesson down, going back to walking down the bank on long reins, working on removing tension from the horses and building their confidence.
Up Next in Cross-Country
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Novice Cross Country - Part 3
Part 3: Bruce supports a rider who gets wound up as the fences push a little higher than he's been used to. He coaches him to relax and breathe, and not be intimidated by the lesson and by the horse getting a little strong into the bigger fences. He supports him with his brave mare, an they work ...
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Novice Cross Country - Part 2
Part 2: Bruce works with the riders at the water. When one horse canters right off the edge without looking and trips into the water, he creates a teachable moment. He encourages the rider to soften the reins and let the horse look at what she's doing, as this is critical for safety, especially i...
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Novice Cross Country - Part 1
Part 1: The rider warms up over some of the small cross country fences. Bruce coaches them to avoid water skiing. The mare lets the rider lean on the contact, but Bruce notes that she's avoiding balancing herself in doing this. He advises the rider not to abandon her, but coax her to soften and b...
