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.

  1. Plan in one gridwork session every week with your horse and you’ll soon start to reap the benefits.
  2. Ask a cable horsey friend to help you from the ground, altering the grid for you when needed.
  3. Always check your distances.
  4. Keep your gridwork sessions short and fun.
  5. Only change the grid once you and your horse are happy and confident.
  6. To keep your horse listening to you, vary whether approach the grid in trot or canter.
  7. If your horse gets a bit keen coming into the grid, approach it in trot.
  8. Don’t do too much and over ride. Instead, keep it simple – you’re only responsible for your horse’s straightness and impulsion.
  9. 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.
  10. If your horse tends to land and rush off on landing, pull up in a straight line after the grid.

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