Working your horse over a grid has numerous benefits for both you and him. Event rider Will Furlong runs through his top tips for riding grids.
- Plan in one gridwork session every week with your horse and you’ll soon start to reap the benefits.
- Ask a cable horsey friend to help you from the ground, altering the grid for you when needed.
- Always check your distances.
- Keep your gridwork sessions short and fun.
- Only change the grid once you and your horse are happy and confident.
- To keep your horse listening to you, vary whether approach the grid in trot or canter.
- If your horse gets a bit keen coming into the grid, approach it in trot.
- Don’t do too much and over ride. Instead, keep it simple – you’re only responsible for your horse’s straightness and impulsion.
- Allow your horse to make mistakes as he’ll learn form them. On average it will take about five or six times through a grid for your horse to understand what you’re asking him to do.
- If your horse tends to land and rush off on landing, pull up in a straight line after the grid.
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