If you want to succeed at showjumping, a good forward canter rhythm is fundamental. Forwardness isn’t the length of the stride, or the speed of the pace, it’s a combination of balance and enthusiasm. British Showjumping coach Mia Palles-Cark shares three exercises to help encourage your horse to be forward in the showjumping arena.
Take time to warm up your horse before riding Mia’s exercises and allow them to stretch and cool off at the end of your session too.
Exercise 1: The castle
Time: 10 minutes
The ‘castle exercise’ is a great one to start off with as it helps your horse to learn to accept the rein and listen to your leg aids. This will encourage them to focus before you start the main part of your workout.
Starting in walk, you’re going to ride a rectangular shape off the track of your arena and a 10m circle in each of the four corners, ridden towards the outer track.
How to ride it:
- Turn down the quarter line and just before you reach the end, turn and ride a 10m circle. Then ride across the short side of your arena.
- As you reach the next quarter line, circle again before riding down the long side. At the bottom, do another 10m circle, turn across the short side and complete your shape by riding the fourth 10m circle.
- Ride the shape several times on both reins in walk.
- Now ride the same shape in trot.
Exercise 2: Canter poles
Exercise 2: Canter poles
Time: 10 minutes
For the next exercise, we introduce some ground poles. The aim is to ride in a consistent canter rhythm over the poles and ride balanced turns – both essential for jumping a clear round.
Set it up: Set out two poles just off the short side of the arena, 19 paces apart, and three poles down the centre line (see diagram).
How to ride it:
- On the left rein, pick up canter and ride over the two poles near the short side of the arena; then continue in canter down the long side.
- When you reach M, begin to ask your horse to bend, before turning up the centre line and cantering over the three poles.
- As you approach A, turn left and ride the exercise again, coming up the centre line and over the poles.
- This time as you approach A, make a transition to trot and turn right.
- Pick up canter again and ride the exercise twice on the right rein before having a short break in walk.
Exercise 3: Triangle formation
Exercise 3: Triangle formation
Time: 10 minutes
Set it up: Set out three cross-poles in a triangle, with five canter strides between each (see diagram).
How to ride it:
- In canter, approach the fence (a) parallel to the short side of the arena. Ride as straight a line as possible on the approach.
- On landing, ride a few strides before asking your horse to bend to the left and approach the next jump (b). When you land, ride a few strides before making a small, right-handed loop so that you’re straight for your approach to the final cross-pole.
- Jump the third fence (c), then ride back to the track.
- Give your horse a short break by walking them around the arena, before tackling the exercise again on the other rein.
- Repeat this exercise twice more, making sure to give your horse a rest in between each set.
The next step: To make the exercise a little more difficult, use planks instead of cross-poles, or turn the fence on the short side into a small square oxer.
Meet the expert: Mia Palles-Clark is a UKCC level three showjumping coach and coach educator. She has been the England Pony Chef d’Equipe since 2017 and also coaches the British Army showjumping team.
