RIDERS revving up for the better weather and spring hunter trials are being offered practical help in Northumberland – and theoretical advice from a top class rider based in Cumbria.

Gloucester Lodge Farm near Blyth will be hosting a cross country training weekend next month. It is the third year that the centre has organised the event, which aims to help riders prepare themselves and their horses for tackling solid fences.

Gloucester Lodge’s Anne Thompson said: “The idea was developed following a number of years running unaffiliated hunter trials and seeing the way grass roots competitors approach cross country riding and how this varied enormously.” The courses, which last for two hours, cover how to prepare your horse for an event, warming up correctly, riding towards the optimum time then jumping a selection of cross country jumps, before ensuring the horse is cooled down properly.

The weekend, which takes place on March 19 and 20, is aimed at horses and riders of all abilities with jumps ranging in height from 2ft to 3ft.

Meanwhile, Cumbria-based event and dressage rider Ruth Edge is sharing some of training methods she uses with her young horses.

She has put together practical training tips for both disciplines, which include taking the young horse at his own pace and ensuring you are both schooling confidently at home before attempting to compete.

Ruth highlighted the importance of making things fun for the young event horse and also allowing time in the training plan for the horse to both physically and mentally recover.

For young dressage horses, she pointed to the importance of establishing the basics and starting competition at quiet shows which have a quiet warm up area. She also advised dressage riders to make as much use of their trainers as possible in the early days, because a correctly started horse will be easier to produce in the long run.