Horse jumping training
Horse jumping training exercise
This horse jumping training exercise is for the rider that wants to push a little harder to be the best they can be. This exercise isn’t extremely complicated. However, it focuses on some of the more technical aspects of showjumping. This is not to say that if you are slightly novice you shouldn’t try this exercise. Just keep the jumps low until you’re comfortable with the exercise. Then raise the jumps to your normal level.
So I did this exercise because those bow-shaped related distances on a curve always seem to be a little trickier to ride. I felt I needed to practice them again. As well as a related distance coming out of a double combination, it always rides a little short. And you do need to practice shortening your horse’s stride through a related distance from time to time.
Watch the video of this exercise below.
How to set this horse jumping training exercise up.
This isn’t the most difficult exercise to set up. However, there are plenty of related distances, so you just need to focus on getting those right, and you should be good to go.
Jump 1
So let’s start off with the gymnastic down the bottom long side of the arena. If you haven’t already noticed I like to start my exercises off with a gymnastic, they’re a nice way to prepare your horse for the exercise to come. These are the measurements… You start off with two bounce cavalettis to establish a nice rhythm. And they’re 3 paces apart. Then it’s 7 paces to a vertical from the last bounce. Then from that vertical, it’s 7.5 paces to an oxer, and finally, from the oxer to the last vertical, it walks 8 paces.
Jump 6 and 7
Now let’s move to the line on the top long side of your arena. We’ll start with the double combination. It’s an oxer to a vertical and it walks the standard 8 paces. And then from the combination to the vertical, it’s four strides and it walks 20 paces.
Jump 2 and 3
Now let’s move to the 2 related distances on a curve. When you set them up always try and visualize the lines you want to ride and then set the jumps up at an angle that allows you to jump the jumps straight and in the middle. This related distance rides down on 8 strides, so it walks 36 paces
Jumps 4 and 5
And then we set up the other related distance of a curve. This one is a little shorter and sharper and it rides down on 6 strides, so it walks 28 paces.