How I Prepare For Hunter Under Saddle With 2015 AQHYA World Champion Jenna Jacobs
Jenna and Doodle Jump take a victory lap after being crowned the 2015 World Champions in Youth Hunter Under Saddle.
By: Brittany Bevis
Only a few days remain until the 2016 AQHA Youth World Championship Show kicks off in Oklahoma City. After months of preparation, the moment has almost arrived when each horse and rider team will enter through the Gateway of Champions in hopes of becoming the 2016 World Champion and snagging a coveted golden globe.
What better way to get some last minute advice on how to excel in the World Show arena than from riders who’ve done just that?! EquineChronicle.com is proud to present a new web series entitled How I Prepare For ______ With 2015 AQHYA World Champion _____. Stay tuned to EquineChronicle.com each day leading up to the Youth World for interviews with last year’s World Champions as they share tips on how they prepare physically and mentally for their respective disciplines, specific exercises they use to hone their skills, and their top three tips for those hoping to win a golden globe this year.
Stay tuned for How I Prepare For Showmanship With 2015 AQHYA World Champion Sydney Scheckel, How I Prepare For Working Hunter With 2015 AQHYA World Champion Emma Graf and more coming soon…
2015 AQHYA World Champions Youth Hunter Under Saddle- Jenna Jacobs and Doodle Jump
1. How did you go about preparing physically and mentally for your event last year?
“Physically, I would ride and ride and ride some more. I rode Doodle every day leading up to the World Show. I would school Doodle during the show before the World Show too, just to make sure I would be able to put him exactly where I wanted him in the show pen. I also rode other horses at the barn just as much as I rode Doodle. It made me a better rider knowing I could perfect my skill sets by riding all types of horses. Mentally, I would picture myself having my all-time best ride, being the last one in the arena, and accepting the globe. You must truly believe in yourself 100% before it can happen in real life.”
2. Give some specific exercises and routines you used to hone both you and your horse’s skills.
“Some of my favorite exercises to warm up Doodle and make sure he’s moving his best are shoulder exercises and tracking. I would long trot Doodle and track him from side to side, doing lots of serpentines and figure eights. I would try to do them as quietly as possible, pretending I was in the show pen. This helps open his shoulders up, so his trot is big and slow. This also helps with our maneuverability. Because the Hunter Under Saddle pen can be difficult to maneuver in, I wanted to make sure Doodle was on his toes and I would be able to gracefully maneuver him in any way in the show pen.”
3. What are the top three most important things to remember in this class if an exhibitor is hoping to take home a golden globe?
“#1- SHOW off your horse! Put your head up, your shoulders back, and show the heck out of your horse. Be proud. You should WANT the judges to see how well of a team you and your trusted steed are!
#2- Don’t be too stiff and work on proper Equitation. Don’t be the rider who enters the pen looking like they’ve been holding their breath for five minutes. Breathe and be able to move so you can properly ride your horse. With that being said, keep in mind the basics of proper Equitation: straight line from your ear to your shoulder to your heel, quiet hands, etc. When you’re riding properly and correctly, it’s going to help your horse move properly and correctly as well.
#3- Hunter Under Saddle is all about rail spots. Don’t be afraid to look around the pen and determine a plan so you stay out of packs and by yourself as much as possible. Depending on the size of your horse, be able to move towards the center as well as back out towards to rail. I try to show Doodle on the inside, but I do go back out near the rail during appropriate times so I’m not obnoxiously crowding the center.”
4. If you could give one piece of specific advice to help competitors looking to come out on top in this event at the Youth World, what would it be?
“An important piece of advice for this class is to be part of a team with your horse. When there are 100+ horse and rider duos in a class, the few that are truly in partnership with their horses will come out on top. Having that bond with your horse at the World Show really stands out in the show pen. However, this starts outside the show pen. As silly as this may sound, I don’t treat Doodle like a horse I’m simply going to ‘force’ to be good all the time. I treat Doodle as my equal; he’s my partner. I spend so much time with him… I’m the one who brushes, bathes, longes him, etc. I also sit in his stall with him and give him lots of treats and massages. He’s my best friend. I think this really shows in the show pen. So enjoy every moment with your horse and before you know it, y’all will start to feel like a winning team too.”
