My Ultimate Grid



This is an exercise that I do with all my horses and riders to help them improve their techniques and most importantly the way they work together.



I call it the ultimate grid because the first part of it is designed to help the horse develop a good basic shape and technique over a fence and to use the shoulders, whereas the second part of it is about getting the horse to come back onto his hocks and go up. It’s simple but tests the horse in all…

Jumping a Single Fence



How many times have you seen a rider approach a single fence in canter, hold the horse back and then suddenly release it and send it forward when they think they see a stride? And what happens? The horse accelerates at the last moment over the jump, lands on his forehand, runs on from the jump and has to be pulled back! Worse still they learn to rush their fences, standing off a long way and jumping flat.



Up to intermediate level,…

Following up from last week, once the horse is giving you a nice rounded stride over the second plank of our simple combination, by adding a second jump you will start to train your horse to make the link from trot to canter.



Placing the second jump is quite important — the length of one canter stride for the average horse is 12 feet or 3.6 metres. But, I want it to be a little closer on take-off to the second part.



Remember the aim is to turn a galloping machine into a…

Let's spend some time developing the correct technique and right jumping habits from the very beginning...



When you are ready to start jumping your horse, the first thing you must do is work out a way of getting the him to the fence so that he can jump it correctly.



Presenting your horse appropriately is the only way to help the horse improve his jump.



I surprise you, having said in earlier posts that canter should be a horse’s preferred pace, but I aIways…

In Part 3 of Flatwork for Jumping, we take a look at flying changes.



Before any of my young horses go to a show, I teach them how to do a flying change. In training sessions I teach them that when they change the rein in canter they automatically change the canter lead.



It is important that the horse learns to change the sequence of legs and keep himself balanced. You’ve probably all read the books on the aids to use, but my horses can’t read so I like to use a simple…

Now that we have thought about rider position, flexion, and getting the horse to move away from your leg, it's time to move on to your horse's canter.



Canter, rhythm and balance is very important for a show jumper and he should be able to maintain it without too much interference from the rider. For our sport you need a horse whose strongest pace, his favourite pace if you like, is canter as most of the work is done in canter.



Many of us over-ride our horses in canter…

Before you even begin to jump, you need to make sure you have done the groundwork to establish the foundation for success. I'm not talking about pure dressage; I'm talking about the basic skills that are vitally important to a show jumper.



There are 5 basics that will provide an excellent foundation for show jumping. Build them into your schooling program and you will see the results.



Today I will talk about the first three basics.





1. Rider…

How well do you warm up and cool down your horse?



Warming up your horse prior to working him must not only be in his body, but also in his mind, getting him mentally prepared for the work he is going to do.



Put simply, warming up is getting the horse ready, relaxed and prepared for accepting what you are going to say to him. Time spent warming up will also allow you to release your own tight muscles and warm up as a rider.



During the warm up process, you will…

Correct Fundamentals help you "do the right things right".



As a rider, you need to put the fundamentals in place so that the right things happen by habit. Good riders ride well, because their right habits are so ingrained into their philosophy and their thought processes that they do routine things without thinking.



Developing the correct habits…

Always have in your mind that horses are unpredictable animals, not machines. Our familiarity can lead to taking liberties and accidents occurring.



How many of these practices are on your own safety list?



1. Always wear clothes and boots that are designed for riding.



2. ALWAYS wear a riding helmet that fits you correctly and complies with current standards.



3. If you are young, your horse is misbehaving, you are out of practice or you…

Hello - and welcome to my first Barnmice blog.



Wherever I travel, I am asked questions about training the show jumper. It is very encouraging that so many riders are interested in furthering their education, and it is my hope that this series of training blogs will help everyone do just that.



Each week, I shall discuss a different aspect of training, referencing some of the most important points from my training books, but before I start specifically into training,…