EXERCISE 1

This exercise introduces your horse to narrow gaps. Horses in the wild are prey animals, so they would generally avoid narrow spaces in case they got trapped. We need to understand that it’s not natural behaviour for them to go through a tight gap when they can see there’s a wider space available either side.

Set out two sets of wings five or six strides apart, with a gap of roughly 90-95cm between the wings. Now place two ‘tramline’ poles midway between, the same distance apart. The poles will help to keep your horse straight through the ‘skinnies’. Walk through the wings and tramlines on each rein. In walk you have most control, so you can stop your horse from running out. You want him to see only the option of going through the gap, not going around the side of the wings. Repeat the exercise until he walks through the wings calmly. Once you’ve mastered walking through, try it in trot. Build up to it by approaching in trot, downward transitioning to walk before the wings, then going back into trot after. Each time you ride it, do fewer walk steps until you’re trotting right the way through. Next do the same in canter. As before. approach in canter, trot as you go through the gap, and then back to canter before staying in canter for the whole exercise.

This teaches your horse not to rush and ensures that he understands the exercise. Now add a short pole on the ground between each set of wings. Start in walk or trot, depending on how confident your horse is, then progress up the paces.

If you and your horse feel confident, raise one or both poles to a small fence.