On the bounce

Gridwork is my go-to for developing a horse’s jumping technique, no matter what stage of their career, whether they’re forward-going or laidback, or anywhere in between.

Time spent instilling the foundations – and regularly working on them – is always well spent. And it needn’t be complicated – try my simple, effective grid and you’ll notice improvements in your horse’s skills in no time.

Did you know?

If your horse tends to rush at fences, gridwork is a really useful tool to help establish rhythm and encourage concentration.

Set it up

For this exercise you’ll need 12 poles and six sets of wings. It’s a progressive exercise, and you’ll end up with two cross-poles on a bounce distance, then one stride to an oxer, followed by one stride to two more cross-poles on a bounce striding.

I set up this type of grid on the centre line in the middle of the arena so it can be jumped from both reins and directions.

The best part

The great thing about this grid is that it’s suitable for all horses, which is really handy for me when I have so many rides at varying stages in their education. It can be easily tailored to suit your horse’s ability and experience, and will work every part of his body without the wear and tear that comes from bigger fences or lots of courses.

By working through the layout gradually and keeping the fences at a comfortable height for your horse, you’ll see improvements in his agility and co-ordination.

Initial checks

In my jumping sessions, my warm-up period is all about checking my horse is connected from the back end to the front. They’ve got to be rideable and listening to my aids, so I incorporate plenty of leg-yield and transitions within the pace, and check I have control of the shoulder by riding different turns and shapes. Once I’m happy that they’re focused, straight and supple, I’ll begin jumping.

Discover the more of Laura’s gridwork tips in October Horse&Rider – out now!