Find the distance to the obstacle
In this interview, we meet show jumper Helena Tunón, who through hard work and training has reached great heights both in obstacle height and results. In this interview, we will focus on something many find tricky, namely finding the right distance to the obstacle.
Who are you?
"My name is Helena Tunón, I am 37 years old, and I am a show jumper based north of Uppsala. I have been interested in horses since childhood, which still shapes much of my life today. Currently, I have two horses competing at the 140-145 cm level. I also have several younger talents that I believe in a lot."
How did it all start?
"I got my first horse at the age of four. It was a Gotland pony that I fell off more times than I can count. That horse laid the foundation for my interest in horses and the persistence it gave me. I started to commit seriously when I was 19, facing a big choice: to stop riding or to commit. The decision was to keep a horse and start focusing on it, alongside a full-time job. After a while, I entered a new phase of my commitment, where I reduced my work to part-time and started riding horses for others and giving training sessions for students.
I believe you have to dare to take risks to move forward. Everything you do is a step on the way to success."
"The important thing is not to say no to things but to really see opportunities."
"I have done the work myself with many horses and learned from it. Nothing in life comes for free, and this has been a very good lesson for me, and I believe it is for many others as well.
I haven't had a big breakthrough. It has gradually gotten better and better, and we have reached higher classes. But starting Falsterbo was really cool and felt like a confirmation of all the hard work. However, I think it is important not to go too fast forward, neither for the horse's nor your own sake. It is important to give it time for it to be sustainable."
"There is no pace that can go as fast backward as when you go too fast forward."
What is your favorite exercise to practice getting the right distance to the obstacle?
"My favorite exercise to practice approaching jumps correctly is an exercise that consists of only two poles. The poles are preferably placed on the long side of the arena you are riding in, with 18 meters between them. Try the first time to set a suitable gallop over the poles so that you can lengthen and shorten the strides accordingly during the next times, to increase and decrease the number of gallop strides between the poles. You should neither have to speed up nor slow down towards the first pole. You should shorten or lengthen the gallop already on the second long side. Being one step ahead is key to setting the distances to the jumps and getting a flow in your riding.
Something good to remember is that sometimes you get stuck in a vicious cycle of not getting the distance right. Then it can be good to break off and walk a lap before trying again. Sometimes it’s better to start over than to keep struggling.
I think the exercise is good regardless of your level. Hobby riders as well as elite competitors can use this exercise. If you want to make the exercise harder, you can raise the poles into small jumps. This doesn’t improve the ability to approach jumps correctly, but it can create a real jump, depending on the size of the horse."
Why is it important to have a good gallop, and how do you succeed with it?
"A good gallop is important to improve your chances of approaching jumps well and to prepare yourself and the horse in the best way.
To set up a good gallop, you need to keep your leg on and ride forward, while thinking of big strides in the turn and letting the turn slow you down, rather than you braking for the turn. You need to carry the gallop into the turn.
I recommend that instead of shortening the short side and lengthening the long side, you do the opposite: shorten the long side and lengthen the short side. If you have a good gallop, you should just be able to follow the gallop towards the jump without having to change a lot."
Do you have a favorite product from ZacZess?
Yes, absolutely! ZacZess breeches are real favorites of mine. My favorite model is Ohio Riding Leggings, but I also use several of ZacZess's older models.
We thank Helena for the interview and wish her the best of luck!
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