Masterclass Dan Neilson
An exercise for horses of all ages, designed to keep them fresh and focus their attention
AIM
THIS is a basic exercise I use in everyday schooling but it brings into play a lot of elements you need when riding a course — direction, balance, shortening and lengthening of the stride — as well as being a good workout for horse and rider.
I like the exercise because while I understand the importance of working horses on the flat, I’m a true showjumper and I really just want to get in the ring and compete.
I find it especially useful because it can take up a good chunk of a flatwork schooling session but still keeps things interesting for both the horse and rider.
It’s also handy because it’s quite a simple pole layout, so I often have it already set up in the school, meaning I can use the exercise on days I’m not jumping.
I find it works for horses of all ages or experience levels and helps to keep them fresh in their mind
‘It helps with holding shape on a circle, and judging and adjusting speed and distance’
and focus their attention.
For riders, it improves all-round control of your body and helps with holding shape on a circle, and judging and adjusting speed and distance.
THE EXERCISE
1Lay out either two cavaletti or two raised poles on opposite sides of a circle. I usually opt for a 20m circle but you could make it larger if there is space.
2Start by getting a nice circle going in canter over both the cavaletti. With a less experienced horse, you can do the circle in trot a couple of times to get him into a nice rhythm and introduce the canter later on.
3Ride the circle evenly on both reins, aiming for an equal number of strides between the cavaletti. This exercise is useful for identifying problems on one rein, as you may find you have an unequal number of strides between the poles if your horse is weaker in one direction.
4Once you have an even number of strides between the poles, you know you’re riding the perfect circle. To ensure it is consistent, you should be able to repeat it easily on both reins.
5After you’ve mastered a basic circle, you can start experimenting with shortening and lengthening the stride. If you were riding seven strides between the cavaletti, aim for six and six or eight and eight.
6To make the exercise more advanced, you can then try riding eight strides between the cavaletti on one half of the circle and six on the other.
7You can adjust the distance by taking a slightly different line, and use leg-yielding to position the horse. This is good practice for a jump-off situation, where the jumps have remained in the same place but you need to change your approach.