Set your horse up to win with Yazmin Pinchen

The thrill of showjumping might come from the feeling you get over fences, but it’s the bits in between that set you up to win the class. So, how can you best prepare your horse at home if he’s to keep the poles safely nestled in their cups come competition day? The secret is to keep it simple, and make sure you’re asking for quality as well as quantity.

Top tip

Keep your hands wide in walk to encourage your horse to stretch down into a lower frame. Keep your leg on and make sure you’ve relaxed your hand enough to allow him to seek the contact forward.

Put in the hours

Flatwork’s the most important part of showjumping training, I really can’t stress that enough. Your job is to provide your horse with the best approach possible, and his job is to get up in the air and clear the obstacles. The only way you can do this is with a solid foundation of training on the flat. You can’t spend your entire round arguing – at the end of the day, he’s bigger than you and will always win – so it’s best you make sure you’re singing from the same hymn sheet at home and away.

For a big horse like Tommy, this is even more important, but regardless of your horse’s size you’ll struggle to string more than a couple of fences together if you’ve not built up his strength on the flat beforehand. The areas you’ll need to address are just three….

• responsiveness Every second counts on the showjumping course, so your horse should be quick off your leg should you need to make adjustments
• suppleness This simply means your horse’s ability to bend without stiffness – and some horses are naturally more flexible than others
• straightness When straight, your horse’s body will follow an even line from his nose to his tail

To give your horse the best chance of pulling off a clear round, a lot of your flatwork will need to be focused on strengthening – his power needs to come from his hindquarters, which will push him uphill. However, horses are more naturally inclined to move downhill, so the hours needed on the flat can’t be underestimated. Teaching him to sit on his hocks is so important, as well as boosting his responsiveness, suppleness and straightness.

Pick up a copy of July Horse&Rider, on sale 27 May 2021, for Yasmin’s top exercises to help strengthen your horse’s flatwork ready for jumping.