Expert workout
Want to keep your horse straight between fences? Showjumper Joe Stockdale shares two exercises to control your horse’s shoulders and stop him drifting sideways
Take control of your horse’s shoulders when jumping
WHEN JUMPING A course of fences, it’s important that you have control over your horse and that he’s listening to you. Some horses anticipate fences — cutting corners or going too wide — so it’s about controlling your horse’s shoulder and preventing him from drifting in or out. If your horse drifts, it affects both his balance and the line to the fence, changing your stride pattern and your approach to the jump. If he drifts in, it means you have less space and may have to put in shorter strides to make the fence. Alternatively, if he drifts out, you’ll have too much space and will need bigger strides to make it to the fence. Either way, when your horse is unbalanced, you’re more likely to have the fence down.
EXERCISE 1
This first exercise is designed to help gain control of your horse’s shoulders and stride length by jumping cavaletti on a 20m circle. Set up the cavaletti so there’s a jump at each point of the circle (12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock), with around three strides between each (measured from the middle of each pole). Before you begin, warm up your horse on the flat in walk, trot and canter.
In canter, start by jumping only two of the cavaletti to introduce your horse to the exercise — so just jump alternate fences (12 o’clock and 6 o’clock). Aim for the middle of each fence and stay in a balanced, steady canter, remaining on the right line. This requires you to keep good control of your horse’s shoulders in order to maintain the correct line to the next cavaletti — it’s great practice for jumping a course. Once your horse is jumping the two cavaletti comfortably, add in a third fence, and then all four. To make the circle ride smoothly and effortlessly, you must maintain control of your horse’s shoulder using your outside leg (when he drifts out) and inside leg (when he drifts in). Don’t pull your horse around the circle with your reins as this will encourage him to fall out through his shoulder. Make sure that he’s on the correct bend and canter lead, flexing to the inside of the circle, that he’s listening to you and that he’s well balanced.
He must t hold himself and not drift to the outside (which will make the distance between the fences greater), or fall in
(making the distance shorter).
To make this exercise a little harder, you can play with the number of strides between each fence. Ask your our horse to collect, making the circle smaller and taking a stride out, and then lengthen the canter by moving to the outside line of the circle and adding in an extra stride.
EXERCISE 2
This ‘S-line’ exercise involves jumping three small fences in an ‘S’ shape, incorporating two dog legs (see diagram below). Using the same skills practised in exercise one, you need to ride the correct line through the combination. Ensure that you get the first fence right, otherwise the second and third parts will be affected.
Start by jumping the first fence on a straight line — ensure that the last two or three strides are straight into the middle of the fence and that your horse is balanced. As soon as y you land, look up to the next fence and make the turn to the middle element using your legs to keep your horse on the right line. On landing, look up to the third element. The key to jumping dog legs is to stay centre to centre of each fence and break the turn down into two straight lines — so, for example, three strides in a straight line away from the first fence, then a turn, and then three straight strides to the next.
It’s important to turn your horse from your leg, not your hand. It’s also vital that he’s listening to you — you are changing direction after each fence, so he must be in tune with your seat. He needs to stay in balance, correctly change his leading leg each time and stay locked on to the next fence. As the rider, remain balanced and still so that your horse doesn’t anticipate the next fence and change the line.
The dotted lines show where you can increase or decrease the line depending on whether your horse falls in or out through his shoulder. This exercise is great for getting to know which line or stride/distance your horse prefers. Hopefully he will stay balanced and land on the correct lead; if he doesn’t, get him to change as soon as possible so that he’s balanced for the next fence.