JUMPING

By use of gymnastic exercises we can improve the way our horses perform.

We can teach our horses to;

• Shorten or lengthen into a fence.
• To stay straight.
• To cope with jumping on curves or circles.
• To maintain a consistent rhythm.
• To improve there jumping technique.

We will cover different exercises each month to help with achieving the above.

Shortening or Lengthening

Most horses find it difficult to shorten their stride into or between fences.

By developing a good canter, and the use of 'placing poles' (a pole on the floor) we can help a horse find the optimum take of point.

We tend to always jump from canter (although if your horse is prone to rushing to start with trot is advisable)

The first fence in a grid normally wants to be a X pole. This encourages a young horse to go forward into the grid while keeping him central.

A placing pole will help you reach the first fence correctly.

This example of a grid will improve the balance and rhythm of a horse. By keeping the same canter stride throughout, the fences should come on on an even stride.

By playing around with the distances (this only needs to be by a couple of feet each time) You can encourage your horse to shorten or lengthen his stride.

Remember it is always easier to push a horse on to lengthen his stride, than it is to shorten a horse that has not been taught how to travel in a long strung out shape.

There are numerous different combinations of bounce, upright, or spread fences that can be included.

The fences do not need to be be high. Concentrate on the horse maintaining his rhythm throughout.

The rider must sit quietly in balance with the horse allowing him to stretch or back of as necessary. Try not to 'help' the horse by picking him up over the fences. Obviously there may be times in the ring when your help may be necessary but at home, the emphasis is on the horse to learn.