gridwork? anyone

ShowJumperBeckii

ShowJumperBeckii

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ok so last time i tryed to set out a grid it went bad :(

you have all seen my horse big striding 15.1hh so how many steps inbetween jumps[big steps or little?] and how big should the fences be all singles ?
iv seen some people put the last as a spread?

help? lol
 
4 of our walking strides = 1 horses stride

If you had a double jump then you should put your legs up against the jump then walk 2 stides thats where the horse will land then do 4 walking stides = 1 strided jump (so you need to decide how many strides you want)

Hope this makes sense and some help x
 
horsecrazy - that would work beautifully if everyone had the same stride, you have also omitted to put in stride for the take off ;)

BSJA, you need to work out how big a stride you need to take to equal 1 metre. Then stride out 2 strides for landing, 4 for one stride, and 2 strides for take off, so 8 of your strides = a one stride double, 12 strides = 2 stride double, etc.
 
My horse is 16.2 ish and I am 5'6 and I use 4 of my long strides to one of hers. Add two for landing and two for take off - if you start with canter poles on the ground ending in a small cross pole you should be able to gauge whether your measurements are correct. My grids usually start with a 2'6 ish cross pole, then one or two (one stride) uprights at 2'9/3ft and a (one stride) oxer at the end of maybe 3'6 max, sometimes with a 'v' pole as she is lazy with her shoulders. Hope this is of some help - you need a willing helper on the ground or you'll forever be hopping on and off to gradually increase heights/put poles up!
 
the best way to do it is to walk step by step with your horse when she is walking forward to get the idea of how long each of your strides has to be, you have two strides for landing, two for take of and four strides of you walking for one of her canter stride, hope this helps :D
 
Weezy said:
horsecrazy - that would work beautifully if everyone had the same stride, you have also omitted to put in stride for the take off ;)

BSJA, you need to work out how big a stride you need to take to equal 1 metre. Then stride out 2 strides for landing, 4 for one stride, and 2 strides for take off, so 8 of your strides = a one stride double, 12 strides = 2 stride double, etc.
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Hehe, ooops forgot that bit about taking off x
 
As Weezy said 4m= 1stride and you need half a stride for take off and landing.

What you could try is this:

Set up a grid with 3 jumps with a stride bewtween each and canter poles between the jumps. Only put one up to start with in the middle so you have a few poles before hand and after, this will help to slow her down a little into the fence. Keep them quite small so you can concentrate on keeping her slow and the jumping will be easy for her.

Do this fence a few times untill she is slow then put the one at the back up so you have pole pole jump pole jump pole and do this a few times till she is settled. You can then either have pole jump jump pole jump pole so you have a bounce or jump pole jump pole jump pole so they are all doubles. The poles will her to keep her rythem and think about her speed a little more, will also help with getting a nice stride into the jumps

I hope i have decribed that ok

Good luck!
 
Please get someone who knows (instructor) to show you how to build a grid properly, based on knowing you and your horse. if you adn the horse do not know how to jump grids, and set them out a bit wrong, at best it is not going to be a good experience for you both, at worst it is going to end in an injury to you and/or the horse. I speak as someone who landed in hospital after grid work gone very wrong (idiot instructor set up the grid wrong).

Then, once you have been shown the types of fences, distances etc, get a tape measure, a builders type that stays out, and measure the distances. I know exactly how long my stride is, but I am me, and there is a lot of difference between e.g. my long legged 5'7'' 'stride' and someone who is 5'1' stride. The best thing to do is measure your stride (e.g. so you know it is 3' - I am old school) and then with the instructor work out how many feet your horse needs for landing, stride and take off distance and get used to measuring it out.
 
Look, you need five huge, strides between the first and second elements which should be a metre high each, Then two and a half really small ones to a 50cm cross pole then four ordinary hops on one leg to a 1.20m oxer.

Don't worry, everyone. She wont take any more notice of this advice than she has of any other we've given her
c033.gif
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
but is that big steps? or little?
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Read my post again...

Also no idea why you would walk alongside your horse WALKING, you are going to be cantering not walking through a line of jumps...

TBH BSJA it is a bit of a science, you would be better off having a lesson to learn what works best for your horse. I know my horse's stride well so I can put in short and long distances and be absolutely sure that I have strided it correctly, know how to shorten and lengthen in a moment and know my horse will react - that is the key to successful grid work :)
 
brighteyes said:
Look, you need five huge, strides between the first and second elements which should be a metre high each, Then two and a half really small ones to a 50cm cross pole then four ordinary hops on one leg to a 1.20m oxer.

Don't worry, everyone. She wont take any more notice of this advice than she has of any other we've given her
c033.gif
Click to expand...

Great news- my boiler is fixed! I can have hot showers again. Now what were we talking about? :)
 
It may be best to ask someone more experienced to help you with your grid work to start with.

The 2 pace landing - 4 pace stride - 2 pace take off method is ok if you are walking competition distances but can be a bit too set in stone for grid work. For example if you are jumping smaller fences you probably won't land two paces away or need to take off that far from the fence. Also if you are trotting in to the first fence the distance will need to be shorter between the first parts and gradually longer as you gain momentum through the grid.

That is why it is best to have someone with experience on the floor so they can alter the differences as necessary.
 
8 fairly large walking strides from you inbetween the jumps. The jumps can all just be cross poles if you want, but you tend to have them the same size or getting bigger throughout the grid, don't make them smaller.
 
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