You have finished the last Eventing season on a high, having achieved all your goals.   Or you may have had a season dotted with mishap.   Whichever the outcome, now is the time to start thinking about the season ahead with your coach to asses where you are  and what are achievable goals for you and your horse.

It can be really useful to take a look at your past seasons performance.  Re- watch any video footage, read dressage test sheets- it will remind you where you are losing out on marks and those lost marks could be a recurring theme.   Things to look at may be accuracy, position, forwardness, contact.   All of which could be shaving what seems like very few marks off your test, but could make the difference on the scoreboard.

Looking at your jumping rounds, you may be able to identify why you consistently have that one pole down.   Often our memory of the round and the actual round could be quite different! improvements can be made, which could be as simple as walking your course and riding more accurate lines to your fences.

The winter is the perfect time to spend honing on your skills.   There are some great venues now offering Arena Cross Country practice, Combined Training, or Dressage practice with constructive feedback.   Going to competitions in order to practice and gain mileage is a great way to get out without feeling the pressure to perform.

Showjumping through the winter is also a great way to improve this phase.   British Showjumping tracks tend to be longer and more technical than the Eventing tracks.   You also have the option of jumping more than one round, which may be key in pinpointing your weaknesses and acting on them.

The same can be done with dressage.   You can use the first test as a warm up and then use the second test as your ‘serious’ run.   Practicing breathing techniques, and working on posture can make a huge difference to your bodies ability to perform under pressure, and can also give a different impression of your riding and how effective it is.   Some venues also offer constructive feedback from the judge immediately after the test.  This can prove to invaluable, and give you the opportunity to ask questions.

One area that is often overlooked is the rider’s own physical ability.  A lot of time and effort is put into our horses fitness regime and ensuring they have had the correct strengthening and conditioning program in order to be able to perform to their best.   As a rider, you must be able to maintain your ‘form’ as well or you risk becoming a hindrance to your horse.  You can start working on improving your fitness now, but just riding alone (especially if you are a single horse owner) is not enough to maintain your fitness levels.

Cross training can help you to achieve the results required.   Correct posture is a vital building block to correct riding, and it is well worth working on, ideally with a personal trainer who can identify your asymetries and weaknesses, but also understands the demands of riding.   Pilates and yoga can be great for improving intrinsic muscle strength and control too.