The American Jumping star's 10 tips on how to get the best of your talents and your horse... Mclain Ward will again be at the fore as the USA begin their quest for Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ glory in Ocala this weekend. The 2017 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion is one of America’s most successful Jumping athletes and considered one of the greatest horsemen of our time. This weekend he will be joined in Florida by USA teammates Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden and Devin Ryan as they participate in the first of three North and Central America & Caribbean Division events ahead of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona in October. Tune into FEI TV and YouTube to see how they get on against Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Ireland and Mexico. Mclain helped the USA to finish second in last season’s competition, and will be hoping to go one better should the USA again make this year’s final. 'Every day you need an objective, whatever you are doing' The 42-year-old World No.3, who was at the No.1 spot last year, has been to four Olympic Games for the USA, winning two team gold medals and one team silver, and has competed in 17 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Finals. Ellie Kelly caught up with the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ champion during a DMF training clinic at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy near Toronto, to discover his philosophy on training horses and riders... Mclain Ward's 10 Tips 1. I am a stickler for correct position and it starts with the head. It is vital to keep the eye level up and look where you where you want to go next. 2. Feel means having a connection with three things: the horse’s mouth, your seat and your lower leg against the horse’s side. 3. Contact means having that feel on your horse’s mouth, but he must still go forward. There should be a direct line with the rein from the corners of his mouth to the rider’s hand. But the fingers and arm should be soft. The body should be strong with the arm independent of the body. 4. Sit in the middle of the horse and connect through your seat bones. When the horse takes off at a fence, let the wither come up to meet you, rather than you ducking forward to meet the wither. There should be very little movement from the upper body. A “snappy body” leads to a snappy take off and increases the chances of having a fence down. 5. A strong lower leg is an effective leg and keeps you stable in the saddle. Do lots of work without stirrups to strengthen the leg. But the knee and thigh should remain soft. 6. Ride with shorter stirrups. They allow you to keep a light seat and solid lower leg. 7. Vary the work but have a goal. My horses go hacking and do lots of flatwork and most have two gymnastic sessions a week. But every day you need an objective, whatever you are doing. Whether that is improving suppleness in your horses or your own riding technique. Even course walking at a competition you need a game plan. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve at this competition. 8. In training I never use flat cups or light poles as it can make them careless. I also rarely jump big fences. It’s not about the size, it is about training the right approach. For me, gymnastics is to improve confidence and technique rather than test scope.
Focus on the execution rather than the result - Mclain Ward
The American Jumping star's 10 tips on how to get the best of your talents and your horse... Mclain Ward will again be at the fore as the USA begin their quest for Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ glory in Ocala this weekend. The 2017 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion is one of America’s most successful Jumping athletes and considered one of the greatest horsemen of our time. This weekend he will be joined in Florida by USA teammates Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden and Devin Ryan as they participate in the first of three North and Central America & Caribbean Division events ahead of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona in October. Tune into FEI TV and YouTube to see how they get on against Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Ireland and Mexico. Mclain helped the USA to finish second in last season’s competition, and will be hoping to go one better should the USA again make this year’s final. 'Every day you need an objective, whatever you are doing' The 42-year-old World No.3, who was at the No.1 spot last year, has been to four Olympic Games for the USA, winning two team gold medals and one team silver, and has competed in 17 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Finals. Ellie Kelly caught up with the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ champion during a DMF training clinic at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy near Toronto, to discover his philosophy on training horses and riders... Mclain Ward's 10 Tips 1. I am a stickler for correct position and it starts with the head. It is vital to keep the eye level up and look where you where you want to go next. 2. Feel means having a connection with three things: the horse’s mouth, your seat and your lower leg against the horse’s side. 3. Contact means having that feel on your horse’s mouth, but he must still go forward. There should be a direct line with the rein from the corners of his mouth to the rider’s hand. But the fingers and arm should be soft. The body should be strong with the arm independent of the body. 4. Sit in the middle of the horse and connect through your seat bones. When the horse takes off at a fence, let the wither come up to meet you, rather than you ducking forward to meet the wither. There should be very little movement from the upper body. A “snappy body” leads to a snappy take off and increases the chances of having a fence down. 5. A strong lower leg is an effective leg and keeps you stable in the saddle. Do lots of work without stirrups to strengthen the leg. But the knee and thigh should remain soft. 6. Ride with shorter stirrups. They allow you to keep a light seat and solid lower leg. 7. Vary the work but have a goal. My horses go hacking and do lots of flatwork and most have two gymnastic sessions a week. But every day you need an objective, whatever you are doing. Whether that is improving suppleness in your horses or your own riding technique. Even course walking at a competition you need a game plan. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve at this competition. 8. In training I never use flat cups or light poles as it can make them careless. I also rarely jump big fences. It’s not about the size, it is about training the right approach. For me, gymnastics is to improve confidence and technique rather than test scope.
Focus on the execution rather than the result - Mclain Ward