Keeping your horse straight on the approach to a fence means he’s less likely to knock poles or refuse to jump. Showjumper Anthony Clark shares one of his favourite exercises to teach his horses to maintain straightness whilst jumping.
This exercise will test your horse’s approach and shape over the fence. It’s a grid of two uprights followed by a parallel – jumping different fences teaches your horse to adapt his shape.
Anthony uses tramlines on the middle jump to help his horse go straight and stop him from swinging his quarters out. If his hindquarters are straight and underneath him, he’ll have more power to jump. The tramlines will also slow him down and teach him to sit and wait for the jump, without needing to pull on the reins.
Set it up
Place two upright fences at a height you feel comfortable with, two canter strides (10m) apart down the long side of your school or paddock. Place a parallel oxer one stride away (5m) from the second upright. Use two poles as tramlines on the middle fence.
How to ride it
- Canter around your school, maintaining an even rhythm as you approach the grid.
- Sit up on your approach, keeping your hands soft and your leg on.
- Jump the first upright and sit up as soon as you can after, aiming for two canter strides to the second jump.
- Go through the middle of the tramlines and then jump the second fence.
- Sit up and ride one canter stride towards the oxer.
Meet the expert: Anthony Clark is an event rider who has competed at several four-star events, including Blenheim, and was selected for the Nations Cup team in 2017.
