1 - THE FAN

A fan is a greatly beneficial exercise that requires only a few poles. You need a minimum of three, and these can be added to in number either as your session progresses or as your horse develops more strength.

Place your poles in a fan shape at around a 30–40 angle, spaced to fit one of your horse’s trot strides over the centre of each pole on a curving line (red line). It can be set up anywhere you have the space to ride a 20m circle.

■ How to ride it

This exercise can be used to increase, regulate or decrease the horse’s length of stride, depending on where you ride through the poles.

Riding an arc towards the inside edge of the poles will shorten the horse’s stride and encourage him to lower his hindquarters and push more from behind (green line). Riding a line towards the outer edge produces a longer length of stride (blue line).

It’s important you don’t allow the horse to drift onto his outside shoulder, as this will cause a loss of balance.

■ Ride over the middle of the poles in both directions first. Then ride an outer curve, followed by an inner curve.

■ Next, vary which line you take each time you ride over the poles. This will help keep your horse’s brain engaged and his attention on you.

■ Make sure you work evenly on both reins to promote suppleness and muscle development on both sides of your horse.

■ Aim to maintain a consistent rhythm and correct bend.

■ The aids

Avoid relying on your inside rein to turn the horse around the curve as this will produce excessive neck bend and cause him to drift off your line. Support the turn with your outside aids too:

■ Inside leg on the girth.

■ Outside leg behind the girth.

■ Open the inside rein by moving your hand off the neck to guide your horse.

■ Maintain a contact with the outside rein so that your horse does not overbend. Don’t allow your outside hand to move across the neck.

■ Turn your own body as well as your head and keep looking and turning towards the next pole.

■ Why it works

Working over poles on a curve encourages engagement of the hindlegs, especially the inside one. You can develop this further by raising the poles either at alternate ends or at both ends.

Be mindful of the trot you have on the approach, the line you take and the result this produces, so that you can adjust your line as necessary the next time if you didn’t get it right or try to reproduce a good result.