Without a secure jumping position, you can’t expect to ride a good round. Top show jumper Laura Renwick is here to help you get it right.

With jumping, like many things in life, success depends on getting the foundations right. With the basics in place, you can build up your skills with confidence and progression comes more easily.

Exercise three – 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.

Stand up in your stirrups and try to balance. If you are too far forward, you will quickly tip and lose balance and, if you are a little too far back, you will sit back down. A simple way of incorporating this exercise into your everyday routine is to get into the habit of changing the diagonal by standing up for two strides rather than sitting down.