Jumping exercise
for every rider
This is a fantastic exercise for every horse and rider and it is especially handy if you don’t have
a lot of space or many jumps. It works well with every type of horse but is particularly good for
horses who struggle to stay in a rhythm, as it channels his energy into the exercise. Rather than
entering into a battle with him to stay in a nice, even rhythm, the exercise will work hard for you.
He will soon realise it is hard if he rushes or argues and easy if he doesn’t. On top of managing
rhythm, it is also a great exercise to improve balance and straightness; it will boost confidence
and will help to improve your own eye for a stride.
It is important to note that you don’t need to hike the jumps up to get the most out of this
exercise. Keep them lower and then increase the size as you master it.
1. Set up seven uprights (60- 70 cm in height)
around the points of two 20m circles (making a
figure eight pattern).
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2. To begin set up the fence in the middle of
the figure eight as a ground pole, with a pole
on both sides of it, which will make three canter poles in a row- set them up to your horses
striding.
3. Warm up on the flat as you normally would,
ensuring that your horse is listening and responsive. Remember- any problem you have on
the flat, will only be made 10 times worse over
fences. So sort it out before you move onto the
exercise. Be careful to make sure he is bending
nicely around your inside leg which will make the
exercise easier. Once you are warmed up, then
canter over the canter poles both ways.
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4. Once you feel like the horse is going well
over the canter poles you can set the middle
pole up as an upright and jump that both ways.
5. Next- the fun part! Starting with the jump
you have just been jumping, jump that and then
make a left or right turn onto the 20m circle
and jump the following fences around both circles. This will mean changing directions when
you come back to the first fence. So think about
making sure your horse lands on the correct
lead, otherwise he will find it very difficult! If this
is a problem area for you, then practise landing
on leads, with a single fence and then attempt
this exercise.
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