Cross-country riding
The cross-country course is approximately two and three quarter to four miles (6 km) long, comprising some twenty-four to thirty-six fixed and solid obstacles.
Obstacles usually are built to look "natural" (out of logs, for instance), however odd materials and decorations may be added to test the horse's bravery.
For example, the designer may place a fence at the opening of a wooded area, resulting in a lighting difference between the takeoff and landing side.
The first few fences of most well-designed courses are usually straightforward and inviting, such as a large log or roll-top, which helps to build the horse and rider's confidence, get them settled in a galloping rhythm, and beginning to focus on the job at hand.
Good footing is very important to most riders, as it helps decrease the wear-and-tear the sport has on their horses and avoid injury that may occur due to deep or slippery ground.
Footing is never used to make a course more difficult (for example, a fence is never purposely placed in a boggy area or one with sharp rocks).
While walking the course, riders need to be sure to pay attention to: Conditioning is an essential part of preparing a horse for cross-country.
Most riders plan their schedule around per-determined events, taking into consideration the length of the particular course, the climate in which they will have to run their horse, the speed that will be required, and the terrain over which they will be traveling (such as hills).
In extreme situations, such as when riders had to condition their mounts for the intense heat at the Athens Olympics, horses will be shipped in early to certain locations to help their body adjust.
All horses are started with distance work, at a slow speed (usually a walk or trot), to improve endurance.
This "base" of fitness is vital to ensure the horse is physically sound enough to progress to more rigorous work, such as galloping.
Through experience, a rider may gauge the difficulty of a hill and determine what its comparative worth is to galloping on a flat surface.
Conditioning on deep, heavy footing (such as right after a rain) increases the pull on the tendons, and may lead to soft tissue damage.
The rider must also understand that the muscling and improved cardiovascular fitness that is seen within a month or two of conditioning work does not indicate that the horse's entire body is at the same peak.
At the lowest levels, most horses can be trained to successfully negotiate a cross-country course and, with proper conditioning, can usually make the time.
As the rider moves up the levels, however, cross-country requires that the horse be very quick-thinking and well-trained, as the course increasingly becomes more technical and difficult to negotiate.
With proper training, the horse can develop what is referred to as a "fifth leg," or an ability to save himself from falling, even if he trips over a fence or has a "sticky" jump.
However, should the horse possess the qualities needed to get around an upper-level course, breed is considered secondary to athletic ability.
If larger faults occur, such as multiple refusals, the horse will be eliminated (E) from competition and will not be allowed to finish the course.
This prevents the rider from continuing the competition, but is often a good choice if the horse is physically or mentally over faced by the challenges.
In 2009, the Intro and Pre Novice classes were renamed BE90 and BE100 (the numbers relate to the height of the cross country fences in centimeters) in the hopes of making the sport easier to understand for the general public.
These classes are intended to help horse and rider step up to a higher level without the initial risk of the more demanding cross-country.
