Many of us worry about how to see a stride when jumping and, as a result, we interfere with the horses canter. This then affects his rhythm and balance, which inevitably leads to a poor stride in front of the fence.
Get your eye in
So how you can break this cycle? The key thing when jumping is to establish a good canter rhythm – then the stride will follow.
Up-and-coming international eventer Becky Woolven has a simple exercise that can help you achieve this, with just one pole.
“Seeing a stride is something that quite a few riders struggle with,” says Becky. “This is a good exercise to help get your eye in.”
“Come to the pole in nice strong canter that you would have when showjumping. After the pole ride a 20m circle and count number of strides on the circle. Then come around again and try to get the same number of strides – which is easier said than done.”
Find the canter
Once you’ve mastered this exercise you can make the pole into a small upright and try again.
Remember, it’s not about seeing a stride, it’s about finding a canter. By keeping an even rhythm your horse will be able to make his own adjustments in front of the fence.
For more great jumping advice from Becky, don’t miss our Masterclass Xtra: Becky Woolven which you can watch now on H&C Play.