There’s a lot to think about in a jump off. Do you play it safe, take the long route and go clear, even though you could risk losing out to a faster pair? Or do you gamble, taking tight turns to make up time and chance a fallen pole?
Here, showjumper Yazmin Pinchen McCulloch shares three exercises to help improve your jump off performance by suppling your horse, getting them to listen and enhancing your control.
Exercise 1: Adapt their stride
Time: 10 minutes
In a jump off, you need to be able to adjust your horse’s stride to a fence quickly. Practise this exercise to get their canter under control.
Set it up: Place two poles on the ground down one side of your arena, eight canter strides (29m-32m) apart.
How to ride it:
- Go large in canter, looking for the poles.
- Canter over the centre of each pole, counting the strides between the two.
- Repeat this, aiming to get the same number of strides in.
- Now add or take out a stride, altering between the two with each repetition.
- Change the rein and repeat.
Exercise 2: Supple them up
Time: 10 minutes
This exercise helps make your horse more supple, ideal for perfecting those tight turns.
Set it up: Place a small upright jump at X in your arena, so you jump over it going from B to E.
How to ride it:
- Go large in canter on the left rein.
- Ride as if on a 20m circle, looking ahead for your jump.
- Turn towards your jump, keeping a forward but relaxed pace.
- Use your inside leg and outside hand to direct your horse. Jump the fence.
- Continue along the figure of eight on the right rein. Repeat the exercise and then jump back onto the left rein.
- As you progress, gradually make the figure of eight smaller.
Exercise 3: Get them listening
Time: 10 minutes
Having your horse listen to your leg will help with communicating quick changes of direction in a jump off. Practise the following on each rein.
How to ride it:
- Canter a 20m circle on the right rein.
- Use your outside leg and inside hand to guide them into a smaller circle. You should aim for 10m.
- Once on the smaller circle, use your inside leg to push him back onto the bigger circle. Open your outside rein to guide him.
- Change the rein and repeat.
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