Team Ireland Training Tips
We are very excited to announce that over the coming days and weeks we will have a series of top tips from Ireland’s High Performance International athletes! All episodes will be available here, via our YouTube channel, so you can look back on the tips and advice to use as and when it is safe and practical to do so (links open in a new tab).
For the latest advice regarding the Covid-19 situation, please click here.
SPECIAL EPISODE: Physio Class with HSI High-Performance Physiotherapist Claire-Maria Campbell.
Episode 1: Marcus Swail: HSI High Performance Team Vet.
Ireland’s team vet Marcus Swail of EquiVET Ireland, where he tells us the advice he is giving to the High Performance squads during Covid 19.
Paul takes us through exercises including serpentines, which he finds helpful for horses who rush over or after fences.
Darragh outlines and explains some of his favourite gymnastic exercises which he uses in the lead-up to big shows.
Shane explains how he uses previous courses from competitions to set up pole-work exercises for horses of all ages.
Episode 5: Capt. Brian Cournane.
Capt. Brian outlines turning exercises which help horses to become “self-sufficient” when taking tight turns before and after fences.
Cameron talks about using poles before and after a fence to ride a distance on a short or long stride, helping the horse to wait after a fence.
Shane takes us through a couple of exercises which can benefit horses and riders of all ages and abilities. PLUS: A sneak peek into Shane’s facilities at Hickstead…
Mark uses a combination of poles, cavaletti and bounces on straight lines and bends with a green horse, to help the horse to bend around the rider’s inside leg and to maintain the correct lead throughout.
Michael demonstrates the use of cavaletti, bounces and short doubles with three young horses, showing how approaching the fence and riding away from the fence on different reins helps the horses to listen to where the rider is asking them to go, and helps them to land on the correct leg.
In this episode Michael explains the use of placing poles before and after fences on a four-stride distance, to keep the horses rounded when jumping, helping them not to rush, and maintaining straightness between fences.
Eoin demonstrates two flatwork exercises to help horses become more elevated in front and to engage well from behind.
Richard explains the use of a course of fences incorporating ground poles and cavaletti to help the horse maintain rhythm around the course, land on the correct leg, and maintain the correct shape over fences.
Episode 13: Capt. Geoff Curran.
Geoff takes us through shortening and lengthening the canter, adding in cavalettis and fences to help make your horse more adjustable.
Episode 14: Jonathan Corrigan.
Jonathan shows us around his beautiful farm in Wellington Florida, before taking us through a Q&A and showing us his favourite gridwork exercises.
Michael shows us a simple course they have set up in his base at Carl Hanley Sporthorses in Germany.
Anthony shows us some simple exercises that we can all incorporate into our training regime.
Kevin demonstrates a training session with daughter Gwyneth riding Mark Q for some exercises to help with his lead changes.
Jenny begins by using poles in trot and canter to improve the horse’s balance, lengthening the neck and impulsion from behind.
In this episode, David shows us some of the ways he’s been keeping his horses going over the lock-down period.
Susan takes us through a simple pole work exercise to help a horse with changing their leg
