Plan a productive gridwork session with eventer Eliza Stoddart

 A keen and careful jumper is the top of every rider’s wishlist. But, what do you do when your horse’s energy doesn’t match up with the task at hand? With enthusiasm often comes a sharper ride, while the other end of the spectrum raises its own difficulties. Having a plan for days when you just can’t get the balance right will boost your confidence and guarantee you a positive, productive session. So, here’s my quick schooling plan that you can use and adapt to suit you and your horse.

The set up

For this exercise, you’ll need four cavaletti plus five pairs of wings and at least eight poles – three per oxer and two for the upright. If you don’t have cavaletti at home, you can substitute these for additional blocks and poles.

The exercise: part one

Horses who tend to get hot are usually ones who love their job – so you need to harness this energy into something more productive. Cavaletti bounces are great for getting a horse thinking on his feet and focusing on his job. Not only that, but they’ll set your horse up on the perfect stride pattern, letting you focus on straightness and rhythm.

Ride it This exercise is progressive, so you can stop at any point – you could even work on it across a handful of sessions. Here’s how to ride the first stage of the exercise…

1. Walk and trot over the poles on both reins, maintaining a soft bend throughout the corner and then over the poles.
2. When you’re ready, pick up canter large and focus on pushing your horse forward into a soft, consistent contact. Use a square turn to prop him up onto his inside hindleg and lift his shoulder, keeping a soft bend throughout his body.
3. Ride a straight line towards the first cavaletti, adopting a relaxed seat to follow your horse’s movement without overfolding.
4. Look for the second cavaletti, bending your horse around your inside leg to help keep him soft and stop him rushing.
5. Stay straight on the getaway and maintain a positive rhythm and repeat, before stepping up to canter.

This stage should encourage your horse to think about what he’s doing and become more agile over fences, because he’ll have to be quick off the floor to negotiate the bounce correctly.

Top tip

Use circles and lateral work to slow a speedy or strong horse. There’s no point getting into a pulling match that you won’t win.

Get more productive gridwork exercises, pick up a copy of November Horse&Rider, on sale 9 September 2021