Jump clear with Jay Halim

Seeing the perfect stride every time is a skill that takes plenty of practice to perfect, and nailing your shot to each fence certainly goes a long way to achieving a clear round.

However, like anything in showjumping, the secret ingredient is your canter, and that’s something you can work on from the comfort of your arena at home. In part one we focused on how to improve your horse’s skillset, but in part two, we’ll be paying more attention to your role in achieving the perfect clear.

Learning to construct the ultimate canter, as well as training yourself to ride straight and accurate lines, is the best way to set yourself up for success. Your approach and getaway, therefore, are just as important as the jumping effort itself, and I have two different exercises to help you create the perfect before and after over a fence.

Exercise one: A clean getaway

This exercise is designed to train you to ride centrally over every fence. It’s all about setting up your line in your head and translating that to your horse through your aids. The key to a clear jump is planning, so using the guide poles before and after your fence gives you that extra support of knowing where to aim.

TOP TIP

Imagine you’re on a rollercoaster track before and after the poles and you can’t deviate from it. That way, you have a visual aid to help you look ahead and plan your route.

Set it up

You’ll need to set up a pair of poles or fences one stride apart (6.4–7.5m) with four poles to be used as tramlines before and after each fence.

How to ride it

1. Pick up a forward, active canter large around the arena. Take a two-point seat if that helps encourage your horse forward.
2. Look ahead towards the fence and make a square turn onto your line, ensuring you’re squeezing your horse up to the bridle from your inside leg to outside rein.
3. Head straight towards the fence, channelling your horse forward by squeezing him between your legs and maintaining a consistent contact down the reins.
4. Pop the first fence and push your horse forward on the getaway so he almost has to back off the second fence a little. It’s the confidence from you and forwardness from your horse that will help keep your lines accurate.

TOP TIP

Practising this exercise as poles on the ground instead of fences is the perfect way to test your eye for a stride. If you don’t make the stride between the poles, then you know you need to push the canter on even more.

Continue reading Jay’s top tips for seeing a stride and jumping clear in July Horse&Rider – get your copy today!