This is a really useful jumping exercise that Scott Brash shared with H&H, to help stop your horse rushing either on the approach or landing. It should also help your develop your eye for a confident, forward-going stride.
The aim is to achieve a level, rhythmic four strides both before and after the fence.
It also helps with straightness, because the horse focuses on the pole on landing.
This setup consists of a ground pole, jump, ground pole
(Image credit: Future)
A ground pole, then four canter strides (approximately 17.5m but this will depend on the individual horse) to a small upright. This is followed by another ground pole four strides after landing.
The upright can be raised during the exercise, and built into an oxer. If you make an oxer, roll the pole on the landing side out about 45cm to accommodate the extra width of the fence.
How to ride this exercise
Before you start jumping, ride a couple of 20m circles incorporating either or both of the ground poles to get your eye in.
Tackle the line of pole, fence, pole, counting the four forward strides into and away from the fence.
Analyse how your horse coped with the line. Were the four strides each side comfortable? Did you need to push for the fence or lose balance afterwards?
Raise the fence when you’re ready. The distance will feel shorter on landing due to the bigger fence, and you want your horse still to fit in the four strides, by backing off, not veering to the side to give himself room. This will help with his straightness and engagement.
You can also build an oxer, but roll the second pole back to allow for the extra distance covered in the air.
Tips and troubleshooting
1. Rushing
If your horse rushes on landing, sit tall, close your legs and the contact softly. The pole should do some of the work, and so your horse is likely to improve on repetition.
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You want to feel your horse waiting consistently before and after the fence, sitting back on his hocks.
2. Not making the distance
You need plenty of revs. If your horse is struggling to make the distance to the fence on four strides, ask for a bigger canter and move into a more forward rhythm so you don’t have to chase.
If you get to the fence on an easy four strides, he’s more likely to land in balance, too.
3. Level up
Once you’re doing this exercise comfortably, and feel ready for more of a challenge, roll the second pole back 10cm so it’s a shorter distance on landing.
This will encourage your horse to sit back on his hocks and increase the engagement. Hopefully, this should give his stride more bounce.
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
