Bring your A game

Having a horse who’s quick on his feet and adjustable within his paces is a crucial part of showjumping success. While a quality canter is important, if you want to jump quick, clear rounds, you’ll need to ensure your horse has a clean technique and can react quickly to your aids.

With this exercise, your horse will become stronger through his hindquarters and develop a good awareness of his surroundings, so why not give it a go and see the benefits for yourself?

One for all

This exercise is great for any horse because it’s mentally and physically stimulating. If your horse is laid back, it will naturally encourage him to be more active because he will have to work to make the distance. Equally, it can also help a horse who rushes because the poles on the ground between the fences will make him back off and think carefully about what he has to do and where he has to put his feet.

Set it up

You’ll need eight 3m poles and four pairs of wings for this exercise. In the middle of your arena, create an X with four poles and then place the wings at the corners to create a box around the X. Make sure the distance between the middle of the X and each outside pole is approximately 3m. If your horse has a particularly large stride, you can increase the distance slightly (to no more than 3.7m) to allow for this.

TOP TIP

If your horse doesn’t have much jumping experience or he’s just coming back into work following a break, work on this over a few sessions to build his confidence.

Raise the bar

This exercise can be a little spooky for horses who aren’t familiar with polework because there’s quite a lot going on in a small space, but whether or not that’s the case for you, it’s important to work your way up through the levels gradually. By doing this, you’ll be offering your horse the best chance to understand the task and, therefore, work through it carefully, correctly and confidently.

Move onto the next step only when your horse is working confidently through the level you’re on.

1. Leave all the poles on the ground and ride through in all directions in walk and trot.
2. Progress to cantering through the poles when your horse is trotting over them without hesitation.
3. Raise one side of each pole. Doing this at opposite ends on parallel poles will help prevent drifting and encourage straightness.
4. Turn the raised poles into small uprights, making sure you ride through in both directions and approach on each rein to work your horse evenly.

Discover Yazmin’s exercise for improving agility and adjustability for all horses in February Horse&Rider – pick up your copy today!