NEW Fix it Top showjumper Laura Renwick on improving jump-off turns
British showjumper Laura Renwick shares her top exercise for improving balance and strength for controlled turns
I FREQUENTLY see riders at the lower levels thinking that they are going fast in a jump-off, but at the end of their round they are disappointed to see what a slow time they have notched up.
The problem is that they think speed is a winning formula when their momentum has made economical turns almost impossible. Either that or they slow down to go around a corner and consequently waste time.
The key to winning a jump-off is good rhythm and controlled, tight turns, so you can take the shortest route. Watch the leading riders — they never look like they are going particularly fast, but they record great times. They shave off those extra milliseconds.
However, this can only be achieved with plenty of practice at
‘The key to winning a jump-off is good rhythm and controlled turns’
home. I have used this cross-pole/ figure-of-eight exercise for many years to address this issue. It is excellent for improving a horse’s balance and strength, assisting with seamless leg changes and helping the rider see a stride off a corner.
tackLinG tHe iSSue
1 Place a small cross-pole in the school, initially near the edge so the arena side prevents a young horse from falling out on the corners, and then, in time, move it to the centre.
2 Warm up by jumping the fence a couple of times in a straight line, then approach again in a controlled canter and jump across the fence on an angle.
3 You can start angling the cross-pole on either lead. If you have angled it from the left, you should land on the right lead and circle right, keep up the canter momentum and then angle the fence right on the next approach, followed by a circle left to complete the figure-of-eight, and so on.
4 Start with fairly large circles and carry on with the pattern until they gradually become tighter.
5 Repeat the exercise only five or six times — it is important not to overwork the horse.