Rear Cross & Arm Change Practice

Kay set up this neat little exercise at the field and I've been working on it both as a Rear Cross practice where H runs along with D (red H), crisscrossing paths, and Arm Change Call Practice where H remains behind Jump 1 (blue H) and calls D to come. 

SET-UP: 5 jumps about 12' to 18' apart, staggered.  Start with less staggering, then as D masters the exercise, move jumps 2 and 4 further and further out in increments of 1 foot (see turquoise jumps for final placement).

REAR CROSSES: H (red path) runs a bit behind D (black path), crossing D's path as close to the previously taken jump as possible. As soon as D commits to 2 (feet have left the ground), H changes arms and points left shoulder and arm to 3.  When D commits to 3, H changes arms and points right shoulder and arm to 4 in a "cross over chest" maneuver.  D learns quickly to read H's directional ques, even though H is behind D.

After 5, can send D thru tunnel at 6 then run 7-11 the same as 1-5.

ARM CHANGE CALLS:  Position blue D before 7.  Blue H goes to the opposite end, calls D over jumps 7-11, indicating the bends in the course with arm/shoulder rotations.  For D to go left, H crosses right arm over chest and points left.  For D to go right, H crosses left arm over chest and points right.

To start out, position D only 3 jumps out, then 4, then all 5.  When perfected, increase the staggering of the jumps, alter the travelling distances between the jumps, replace bar jumps with other types of jumps, etc.

H can work D thru all these exercises from either end.

This can be set up for a long time and practiced in 5 minute intervals, day after day, year after year.  Great handling practice and Maxie thinks it's fun tearing around those curves and getting high praise for it.