The Magazine January 2024
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Taking the lead
Posted 23rd November 2023
Create a smoother showjumping round by teaching your horse to land on the correct lead
All too often I see riders wasting so much time in their showjumping rounds because their horse is on the wrong canter lead or disunited. Both of these problems result in a lack of balance, which will affect the horse’s ability to jump a clear, effortless round.
By training at home to teach your horse to land on the correct lead every time, you can make your rounds seamless and more successful. Have a go at my exercise, and you’ll soon notice a difference.
Set it up
For this exercise, you’ll need five pairs of wings and 11 poles. Start by creating a treble with each fence one stride apart (7m), then place a pole on the ground approximately 3m in front of the first fence. Position two more fences – one off to the right and one to the left – after the final fence of the treble, leaving four strides (18m) between them.
Distance dos and don’ts
Try to avoid changing the distances to suit your horse’s stride. When at a competition you won’t have any control of the distances between fences, so you need to be able to adjust your horse’s canter to make your round clear and smooth.
If you’re struggling with making the distances, go back to the basics in your flatwork sessions and use two poles down the long side of your arena, seeing if you can increase and decrease the number of strides you ride in between them.
After you’ve spent some time working on your canter, think about the line you’re taking between the treble and the next fence – you might need to make a more direct approach to get the four strides, or ride a wider turn if your horse covers more ground.
The exception to this rule is that, if your horse is less experienced, it’s wise to tweak the distances to suit him. This will avoid knocking his confidence by asking for too much too soon. It’s better to focus on the aim – getting the correct canter lead every time – rather than thinking too much about the strides.
Discover how to ride Yazmin’s exercise and her top tips to help teach your horse to land on the correct lead in January Horse&Rider! Grab your copy today!
