With only seven weeks of the year left, the 2023 show season will be on our doorsteps before we know it. With this in mind, using the winter months to prepare for next season can go a long way towards ensuring you’re ready to hit the ground running, as Kelly Ward from Noble Sports Horses revealed on episode 128 of The Horse & Hound podcast.
Based in Cheshire, Kelly Ward is one of the circuit’s leading working hunter riders and she’s won at all major shows. She’s also responsible for training some of the circuit’s most talented young riders, including her own daughter Ruby Ward, champion at the 2022 Royal International (RIHS) with the family’s 143cm contender Noble Ronan, and Elsie Lynch, supreme at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) this year with the 133cm mare Noble Peppermint.
Kelly shares some timely advice on how to gear up for the 2023 working hunter season this winter.
Kelly Ward says establish the basics
“You need to have the basics on the flat in place and then bring in your pole work,” says Kelly. “It should be a gradual progression. Some horses are easier than others, and some take to jumping easier than others. But if you take time to get the basics in place at home, it makes everything easier in the long run.”
Get out and about
Kelly emphasises that a horse should be introduced to jumping in different environments without pressure.
“Arena hires are a great way of taking horses out without the pressure of competition,” she says. “We’re lucky that we have a great outdoor school with a variety of jumps at home, but we still take the horses to other places so they can get the mileage in, have a look around, not be stressed and learn their trade.”
Take it steady
“Keep it simple; the horse or pony needs to learn he has to go through the wings,” says Kelly, aware that it’s easy to rush once you realise your horse has a jump in him. “Start with cross poles, verticals and oxers, and don’t put all the big scary fillers in straight away. Put them to the side and bring them in gradually.
“Also, the jumps don’t need to be big; you don’t need to jump massive fences at home. Don’t go too big too quickly. Grid work is helpful, too, but again keep it small so the horse isn’t flummoxed by the whole situation. Everything needs to be a positive experience.”
Learn your trade
If you’re stepping up from novice to open level next season, Kelly says the height and the width of the fences are the biggest differences between the two levels.
“The course builders are clever and the technicality increases as you step up to open level,” she says. “There will be different lines; for example, an oxer to a skinny is a common line in open courses. The tracks are more technical than they used to be, too. But again, the transition from novice to open should be a positive experience.
“Don’t rush a novice straight into the qualifiers; try and aim for restricted classes or ordinary open tracks. You want to run it so the horse doesn’t even notice [when you step up]; if you creep them into a qualifier in the right way, they don’t even realise they’ve jumped one.”
Bringing confidence back
“Don’t be afraid to drop back down if you’ve had a wobble,” says Kelly. “If you’ve jumped the bigger courses and had a blip, always drop back down; there is no shame in it. If you’ve been jumping 1m tracks, try the 80cm. We’ve all had to do it at some point and going forward it will help the rider, too. If the horse has lost his confidence then it will undoubtedly impact the rider. Keep it small for a while until you’re both ready to step back up to the level you’re aiming for.”
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