Add gridwork into your training regime

Are you tired of the same post-work training regime? Well, with the evenings growing lighter by the day, there’s no reason you can’t sneak some jumps into your sessions – so why not add gridwork into the mix? Your horse doesn’t have to be an established showjumper in order to benefit – grids can mean anything from poles on the ground to a more complex combination of cross-poles, uprights and oxers, which will help with a whole range of skills, including balance, impulsion and agility. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got five different grids you can set up over five sessions to help add a plethora of skills to your riding repertoire. Let’s get to it.

Gridwork exercise: bounces

If you want to give your horse a full body workout, while also improving his jumping technique, bounces are for you.  You can do any number of these in a row, depending on how many fences you have access to and your horse’s level of experience and fitness. Set up a line of three bounce distances with the final element a cross-pole and the first two poles on the floor. As your horse gains confidence, you can raise the second part.

Bounces require your horse to power up his hindquarters and lift through his shoulders, which in turn encourages him to round through his back. This is why bounces aren’t only a great strengthening tool, but also useful for improving his shape over fences. Because your horse needs to enlist some fast footwork through the line, keep the height low and welcoming until you’re both really confident. You’ll reap just as many benefits as if the fences were bigger.

For more gridwork exercises you can try at home, pick up a copy of May Horse&Rider, on sale 21 April 2022.