Meg Elphick’s guide to course jumping

Whether you dream about reaching the top of the sport or just hope to jump a clear round every time you go out, looking at the bigger picture and working on a course riding skills is just as important as refining the details.

Pure quality

Showjumping is all about rhythm and balance, so making sure your horse’s canter is both of these things will help you ride a smoother, clearer round. Having a quality canter where you can feel your horse pushing from his hindquarters and working into a contact means he’ll be more adjustable within the pace, too. 

Try to teach your horse to listen to your seat – sitting lightly in the saddle means he needs to open up his stride, whereas when you sit deeper, you encourage him to shorten. This is particularly useful when it comes to jumping tricky distances or combinations, and you can work on this at home over a simple set of two poles down one long side, practising riding different numbers of strides between them. 

Work from home 

Putting in the time and effort at home is a crucial part of improving your horse’s performance – you wouldn’t enter into a running race and expect to do well without training hard in the run-up. 

Firstly, your horse needs to be fit enough for the job, so make sure you incorporate plenty of fitness sessions into his routine – a mix of hillwork, interval training and long, slow hacks will help. 

Secondly, think about what areas of your horse’s technique require improvement. Maybe he needs encouragement to jump straighter – if so V-poles are your go-to exercise. Or perhaps your horse needs to be quicker on his feet, and so gridwork and bounces will be your first port of call in training. There are hundreds of exercises to try that will do wonders for your horse’s skills.

Warming up

While training, think about what works well in your warm-up routine to get your horse supple, listening to your aids and prepared for action. Then, at your next competition, try sticking to that routine and assess how he performs. For some horses, a change of warm-up can lead to a lack of trust and confidence, whereas others might behave differently in busier environments and so need to be managed and ridden in a different way. 

Find your path

When at a competition, remember to walk your course with purpose. It’s no good wandering around aimlessly, just looking at the heights of fences and roughly planning where you’re going to go. Instead, take note of any areas or jumps that might be spooky for your horse, as well as distances between fences and the exact lines you’re going to ride. 

There might be related distances that require you to push on and ask for fewer strides to achieve a better jump, or fillers that might make your horse back off – either way, carefully assessing and knowing how to ride each part of the course will help set you up for success. 

Piece of the puzzle

When it comes to riding different types of fence, the fundamentals of jumping – balance, rhythm and accuracy – don’t change, but there are other things to consider when piecing a course together. 

Depending on the level you’re competing at, you’re likely to meet one or two doubles (or maybe even a treble) in your showjumping course. How they’re designed can affect how you ride them – for example, the first part of a double might be an oxer so you’ll need to approach in a more forward canter because your horse will need to stretch to reach the distance, but the second part is an upright that can easily be knocked if your canter is too flat. So, in between the fences you’ll need to sit up and press with your leg to rebalance your horse so he can neatly bascule over the upright. 

Top tip

If you can, try to take your horse out to an arena hire to get some course-riding practice in. Not only will he learn to feel more confident in new environments, you won’t have to set up an entire course yourself.

Top tip

If you struggle to remember a course, take a piece of paper or mini whiteboard with you when walking it so you can draw it out and keep refreshing your memory before you get on. Try to spend some time watching others jump – noting where problems are commonly occurring – before it’s your turn, too. 

All about you 

Remember that your aids and actions have a significant and direct impact on your horse’s behaviour and performance. If you can keep him in a clear, consistent rhythm, stay in good balance and allow him to move freely underneath you, he’ll have a much better chance at jumping a successful round. 

It helps to know your course like the back of your hand so you can prepare for the next obstacle in plenty of time and ensure your aids are effective, but it’s also important to keep looking where you’re going and stay positive as this will transfer through to your horse. 

Take your time

The time limits for showjumping courses are usually quite generous, so if your focus lies on riding a clear round and building your confidence (rather than getting placed), use your space wisely to ride a straight and accurate approach to each fence. 

However, when it comes to the second phase or jump-off you might want to cut some of the corners slightly and push on between fences to up your chances of winning. Remember to be sensible and realistic with your turns, though, as you might pick up faults if your horse can’t see the fence in time. 

Our expert: Meg Elphick is a YouTuber and event rider based in Worcestershire. She documents her training and competition journey, and has enjoyed considerable success on her home-produced horses.