In control of the horse

Connection and responsiveness of the horse on landing

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

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Résumé listing:

This exercise enables the rider to keep his horse responsive and under control, especially when landing from an oxer. Consequently the rider will be able to speed up, slow down, turn or get ready to jump another fence.

Niveau de difficulté:

Intermédiaire

Goal:

Riders have a tendency to lose the connection with their horse over the jump and on landing. This problem is accentuated when jumps are large fences like oxers, triple bar fences or water jumps as this profile of fences will trigger longer strides that riders can’t always control.
To teach riders to manage this lack of control after the fence, Michel has set up an exercise that will solve the problem progressively while still making the rider and the horse feel secure.

The rider will be able to practice keeping her horse responsive and under control in order to be able to slow down, speed up or get ready for another fence. The exercise also encourages the horse to remain focused on the rider’s aids whatever the goal is, after the fence.

Progress:

The session takes place in the outdoor arena with Marine who is riding her mare Amanda. First of all, Marine has to manage her mare anxiety as she’s new to Michel’s yard. This exercise is perfect for it, as it doesn’t present any technical challenge for the mare either physical or mental. However, it requires some self-discipline from the rider in terms of position and mind control as she has to stay aware of her position after the jump.

As the exercise goes on, Marine succeeds in improving the connection with Amanda. The mare is under control and steady after landing, which will allow the rider to direct the mare better when she’ll have to jump a course.

Variant / Progression:

As this exercise is not physically demanding for horses, you can practice it often, even if it means adapting the height of the jump or using ground poles after the oxer.

Théma:

RIDING LESSONS

Exercises

Keywords:

REF HAE23

In control of the horse

Connection with the horse

Controlling the landing phase

Controlling the canter

Cours associés

Cours associés:

Calm and serenity on the approach and landing fences

Constant rhythm and a cadenced canter

Calm and regularity on a precise line

Improving the quality of the canter

The quality canter

Miniature cours associés:

Improving the quality of the canter

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

Image Miniature:

Résumé listing:

This exercise helps the horse reorganize its canter between the jumps, thanks to the ground poles. This work is particularly recommended for horses with a tendency to disunite the canter (cross cantering) in turns.

Niveau de difficulté:

Intermédiaire

Goal:

This exercise helps the horse reorganize its canter between the jumps, thanks to the ground poles. This work is particularly recommended for horses with a tendency to disunite the canter (cross fire) in turns.

Progress:

Michel teaches Dominique on Aiti. He executes the exercise at the same time with Nenuphar Jac to show his student the correct state of mind and body to reach the expected goal. The rider’s priority is to correctly prepare and anticipate each step of the sequence of movements. The set–ups with the flexy jumps are useful to get the horse to reorganize his canter between fences. For that, the rider has to focus as much on the ground poles as on the jumps. He also has to be aware of his vision. As soon as the rider looks down, he ruins his position, loses his connection with the horse; his actions become disorganized and out of phase with the situation. So it’s necessary to come out on top of the exercise mentally and physically with the correct panoramic vision. The rider must be aware of everything and above all of his mind-set to get rid of all the irrelevant thoughts that could disturb his interventions.

The exercise is to be practiced on both hands of course. The rider and the horse can be more comfortable on one side than the other. Even though it’s important to accept some mistakes, as we go along, the aim is to solve the issues and to balance the right and left side work.

Variant / Progression:

The height of the fences has to be adapted to the level of riders and horses. The point of this exercise isn’t into a physical performance or into the height of fences. But rather, it is into the rider’s ability to control by his mind and his body his path, his speed and the balance of his horse.

Théma:

RIDING LESSONS

Exercises

Keywords:

REF HAE18

In control of the horse

Connection with the horse

Mental control

approaching fences

Cours associés

Cours associés:

The quality canter

Connection and responsiveness of the horse on landing

Controlling speed when jumping

Improve the jump trajectory

How to deal with emotions approaching fences

Seated and 2 points position

Miniature cours associés:

Gaining confidence in combinations

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

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Résumé listing:

This is an exercise for providing inexperienced horses and riders with confidence, allowing them to jump a number of fences knowing they are on a good stride.

Niveau de difficulté:

Intermédiaire

Goal:

This is an exercise for providing inexperienced horses and riders with confidence, allowing them to jump a number of fences knowing they are on a good stride.

Progress:

Heights: between about 40 cm and 1 metre – keep the first fence very small. The heights increase from the first to the last fence. For example: 50 cm - 70 cm - 85 cm - and 1 metre for the last vertical.
Normal short strides

Théma:

Keywords:

approach strides jumping

In control of the horse

Preparing to jump lines and combinations

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

Image Miniature:

Résumé listing:

Preparation for combinations with three or four fences providing horse and rider with experience without jumping excessively large fences.

Niveau de difficulté:

Intermédiaire

Goal:

Preparation for combinations with three or four fences providing horse and rider with experience without jumping excessively large fences.

Théma:

Keywords:

approach strides jumping

In control of the horse

Cours associés

Cours associés:

Preparing to jump combinations

Miniature cours associés:

Improve the jump trajectory

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

Image Miniature:

Résumé listing:

For horses with a tendency to jump too “big”, this exercise allows one to transform a long jumping trajectory into height.

Niveau de difficulté:

Débutant

Goal:

For horses with a tendency to jump too “big”, this exercise allows one to transform a long jumping trajectory into height.

Progress:

It is crucial to approach the fences and land perpendicularly to the line. There is no point in putting up the fences if the rider is unable to keep his horse straight and in the centre of the exercise. This exercise in particular requires a slow and cadenced working canter while approaching. One must not tolerate any lengthening of the stride. If the horse speeds up 3 strides off the first fence, the rider must circle or halt.

This form of training is effectively totally incompatible with a rider who is out of control or a horse that rushes its fences. Equally, this line cannot in practice be ridden if the rider does not maintain wide-angled vision.

Théma:

Keywords:

approach strides jumping

In control of the horse

Improve the horse’s technique

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

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Résumé listing:

It is a very good exercise for improving the horse’s jumping technique, especially for those that tend to jump with their knees beneath them. If I were obliged to choose only one exercise this would be it. I have tested it for decades and always obtained excellent results, especially with young horses, although the exercise is also useful for horses at all levels.

Niveau de difficulté:

Intermédiaire

Goal:

It is a very good exercise for improving the horse’s jumping technique, especially for those that tend to jump with their knees beneath them. If I were obliged to choose only one exercise this would be it. I have tested it for decades and always obtained excellent results, especially with young horses, although the exercise is also useful for horses at all levels. The aim is to allow the horse to improve its jumping technique. If the jump over the first fence is not very good, you will notice that the next jumps will improve as you repeat the exercise.

Progress:

The horse :
This exercise is aimed at improving the horse’s jumping technique, and above all the way it uses its neck allowing it to quickly pull up its knees (only if the rider accompanies the movement with his hands).

The rider :
You must, above all, remain centred on your reference position and keep contact with the horse because these are short distances. The eyes are of course looking towards the end of the line. You should also ensure that the horse is kept well within the axis and at the centre of the line.

Variant / Progression:

Repeat 3 or 4 times and then, for example, add a filler (or a liverpool) under the second or the last vertical to get the horse used to “strange” fences”. Since the distances within this exercise are ‘correct’, it is easy to progressively raise the fences, while maintaining heights that increase from the first to the third fence.

Number of times the exercise should be ridden :
Repeat this exercise 4 or 5 times at heights you are accustomed to.
Should you decide to raise the fences a little, raise the last fence. Stop and pat your horse as soon as he has jumped correctly.

Théma:

Keywords:

approach strides jumping

In control of the horse

jumping lines

Preparing to jump combinations

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

Image Miniature:

Résumé listing:

This exercise allows one to approach combinations with confidence; therefore, I strongly recommend it for preparing young horses and riders with little experience.

Niveau de difficulté:

Débutant

Goal:

This exercise allows one to approach combinations with confidence; therefore, I strongly recommend it for preparing young horses and riders with little experience.

The 50 centimetre cross-poles regulate the horse’s stride and allow the following fences to be approached always in the same rhythm and with the same quality canter. The oxer will be easy to raise, because the problem of the distances involved are solved: in fact, there is no other choice except to put in one stride between the first and the second fence, and 2 strides between the second and the third.
With less experienced riders it is advisable to place a distance pole (at 2.50 metres or 3 metres) in front of the exercise.

Progress:

The horse :
Having a calm and regular-paced horse is a fundamental condition for correctly approaching the line.

The rider :
It is crucial to remain calm, and to use one’s wide-angle vision. Enter the exercise at a “schooling” canter (or, if you prefer, a working canter) and take care to maintain the same quality in your canter after the line, by imagining that there is a very large oxer to be jumped further ahead. You must of course remember to ‘go with’ your horse and move your hands forward to follow the jump when approaching the last fence.

Variant / Progression:

The cross-poles placed at the entrance of the exercise can be kept and
easily put up to a height of about 1 m.
The height of the vertical will depend on the level of the horse and the rider.
The oxer, on the other hand, can be raised because it never usually presents a problem, especially when placed at the end of a line. All this on condition that the fences are raised progressively and that the horse is well rewarded every time it jumps the line correctly.

Number of times the exercise should be ridden :
Repeat a maximum of 3 or 4 times

Théma:

Keywords:

approach strides jumping

In control of the horse

Cours associés

Cours associés:

Control in combinations

Preparing for lines and combinations

Miniature cours associés:

Control the quality of the horse canter

Droits d'accès:

Abonné

Image Miniature:

Résumé listing:

What is important here is to be capable of maintaining a regular working canter while approaching, in between fences and after landing (...)

Niveau de difficulté:

Débutant

Goal:

This exercise allows the rider to control the quality of the horse’s canter:
. In 5 strides, he is cantering correctly
. In 6 strides, the canter is too collected
. In 4 strides, the strides are too long: work again on controlling the pace on the flat.

Young horses, of course, find it more difficult to shorten their canter.
In this case the rider must be less demanding and should initially establish 4 strides as his objective.

The horse
In all jumping exercises, the more the horse’s canter is round, elevated and obedient, the better the jump will be.

The rider
What is important here is to be capable of maintaining a regular working canter while approaching, in between fences and after landing. To succeed in this, ride from a distance “as if” preparing to halt after the first fence. Thus, the horse will understand that the distance is a short one. When within the line, keep your basic seat and maintain the same pace at all costs. Certain horses tend to lengthen their stride when landing after the first cross-pole, and shorten when approaching the second one. Others will do the opposite. It is up to you to keep the canter regular at all times, obtaining stride lengths that are as constant as possible.
Ride the exercise in both directions with a minimum of 3 strides in a straight line before the first fence and after landing after the second one. Once again remember your centred position!

Progress:

Solving a few problems
Riders who tend to turn quickly when landing after the second fence often “twist the horse” over the jump. Oblige your horse to remain on the line’s median axis and to jump in the middle of fences, and above all use your wide-angle vision.

If the strides are irregular, you can improve matters by using distance poles to mark each stride between the two cross-pole fences.

Cutting corners while approaching: place 2 skittles or poles forming a corridor in front of and behind the fence (10 metres before and 10 metres after the end of the line) to oblige the rider to approach and exit the exercise in a straight line.

Number of times the exercise should be ridden
This line can be jumped between 10 and 15 times in the course of one session, on condition that the horse will not have to work very hard afterwards.

Variant / Progression:

There is no progression in the height of the fences. One searches above all for progression in the quality of the canter and pace control.

Théma:

Keywords:

approach strides jumping

In control of the horse

Cours associés