Exercise 1: Forward position in canter

This is a great exercise to help you relax in the leg and let everything soften, and it will also help relax your horse when you first start cantering.

Exercise 2: Sitting trot

This is another good exercise for improving the security of your position and helping you to really absorb the movement of your horse

Exercise 3: Standing trot

Be warned – this is deceivingly difficult. This exercise is a really good test of your balance - and is also a great way of improving it.

Exercise 4: Riding a grid

This exercise is all about maintaining a good position. You need to keep in the forward position throughout the grid.

Exercise 5: Bounce to a stride

This is all about practising moving quickly and effectively from the jumping position, back into the saddle and into the forward position again.

How to avoid knock downs

When a horse jumps flat, he’s more likely to knock poles because he’s not using his body properly to arch over the fence. John-Paul Sheffield show us how to avoid knock downs when jumping.

How to rule out refusals

A refusal to jump may be as much your fault as the horse's. Learn what is going wrong. John-Paul Sheffield guides us through ruling out refusals.

How to stay straight

More often than not, this problem comes down to rider error, such as steering problems and ineffective aids. John-Paul Sheffield show us how to stay straight leading up to a jump.

How to stop rushing fences

You and your horse may have problems with rushing due to over-excitability of the horse/rider, a lack of rhythm or the rider driving the horse into the fence. John-Paul Sheffield show us how to stop rushing fences.

How to prevent late and early take off

Rushing into fences and late and early take off are two jumping problems that can be addressed with the same exercises. John-Paul Sheffield helps us prevent late and early take off.

Richard Waygood: Claire and Dotty

Event rider and Riding Master for the Household Cavalry, Captain Richard Waygood was the first serving officer to have competed at Badminton Horse Trials for over 20 years. He is a familiar face on the international circuit and has a small string of advanced rides and several youngsters coming up through the levels.

In this video Private Lesson, Richard provides training to budding eventers Claire and her coloured mare Dorothy (Dotty).

Carol Mailer: Emma and Luca

With the indoor show jumping season looming and having both had a break, Emma and her horse Luca are both a bit rusty and need some practise. Show jumping trainer Carol Mailer gives them a private lesson using grids, combinations and a course, with this in mind.

Carol Mailer: Sarah and Twilight

Show jumping instructor and long-time Your Horse contributor Carol Mailer gives Sarah and Twilight a private lesson with exercises to help Sarah get Twilight working harder. Given the chance, Twilight likes to be lazy, so Carol uses a long grid with a canter pole to improve his length of stride, before progressing to riding a course of show jumps.

Carol Mailer: Andrea and Hugo

Andrea and Hugo are preparing to go hunting, but haven't jumped since last season. Despite his 20 years, Hugo has a tendancy to be a bit unruly and keen so show jumping instructor Carol Mailer prepares some grids and exercises to slow and settle him.

Geoff Billington at Your Horse Live 2008

There’s no greater entertainer than Geoff Billington  - but his talent extends far beyond his sense of humour!

As an Olympic show jumper and winner of the Hickstead Derby, Geoff really knows his stuff when it comes to horses and jumping.

In this series of videos from Your Horse Live 2008, Geoff showcases one of up-and-coming young horses and reveals how to deal with problems like unexpected refusals!

Part 1: What's the purpose of polework?

Part 2: Get your distances right

Part 3: Riding over walk poles

Part 4: Riding over trot poles

Part 5: Riding over canter poles

Part 6: Using canter poles to jump

Part 7: Placing poles

Part 8: Related distances

Part 9: Riding combinations

Part 10: Arrowheads on the ground

Part 11: Riding a dog leg