SJ strides?!

[18hhOlls&Me]

I struggle with getting the right aids for a nice SJ canter, end up with a hunting stride!! Trainer says to use leg but I keep my leg wrapped round and on consistently. He is soft mouthed. Any tips on shortening and therefore adding strides between SJ fences?? Thanks!!

 

[Rowreach]

Sit up, use your body weight and don't clamp your leg on. Have a look at some videos of good sjers (Harry Charles is worth watching) to see how they regulate the canter with their body position.

 

[SOS]

A very simple exercise would be to put two poles 5 strides apart, practice getting 5 strides in between and shortening/lengthening for 6 or 4. You may have to really push for the 4! You can then make these cavalettis. Work on using your body position to bring the canter forward or back.

This will help your canter become more adjustable. If you have a rhythmic and adjustable canter you don’t need to see a stride. In a good canter you are only ever half a stride ‘off’ and you very rarely are off. Horses don’t need to be told where to take off they need the tools to jump which is a good, impulsive, uphill canter.

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

Sit up, use your body weight and don't clamp your leg on. Have a look at some videos of good sjers (Harry Charles is worth watching) to see how they regulate the canter with their body position.

That is very good advice, I do try and use my core but am unfit after selling my last horse during lockdown....he has a lovely soft mouth so definitely will persist with using body/core. I wouldn’t say I clamp my leg on but I will try relaxing it down a bit and see if that helps. He has a tendency to like a hunting stride literally 3 or maybe 4 the other day and took off early, we made it but it’s not improving our SJ!!thanks I’ll check out H Charles I’ve not heard of him

 

[Rowreach]

That is very good advice, I do try and use my core but am unfit after selling my last horse during lockdown....he has a lovely soft mouth so definitely will persist with using body/core. I wouldn’t say I clamp my leg on but I will try relaxing it down a bit and see if that helps. He has a tendency to like a hunting stride literally 3 or maybe 4 the other day and took off early, we made it but it’s not improving our SJ!!thanks I’ll check out H Charles I’ve not heard of him

He’s Peter Charles’s son, Pete would be another one to look at.

 

[paddi22]

that pole exercise saddle over sofa mentioned it brilliant. to be honest though it's more about getting the canter right. if your horse hasn't the strength behind he won't be able to sit and compress properly, or get the impulsion to stretch without flattening. I had one horse with a terrible natural canter and it really only fixed itself by working with pure dressage instructors to work on gaining the strength and gears in the canter. after about a year of dressage doing tests with collected, medium and extended canters, his jumping was an absolute joy and it was so easy to control his canter gears and striding.

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

that pole exercise saddle over sofa mentioned it brilliant. to be honest though it's more about getting the canter right. if your horse hasn't the strength behind he won't be able to sit and compress properly, or get the impulsion to stretch without flattening. I had one horse with a terrible natural canter and it really only fixed itself by working with pure dressage instructors to work on gaining the strength and gears in the canter. after about a year of dressage doing tests with collected, medium and extended canters, his jumping was an absolute joy and it was so easy to control his canter gears and striding.

Looks like I need to crack on with some hardcore dressage training then!

 

[shortstuff99]

Count out loud the strides as you approach the fence, you will instantly know whether you are short or long and you will naturally alter to get the correct stride. It works wonders for helping to train seeing a stride.

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

Yes my trainer has been working on me with that, and I will keep doing it. It’s adjusting the canter using my core etc also that I need to work on as after a break from riding in lockdown my core is like jelly ? thanks for the advice. I do find it helpful to count and fit in that extra stride or two!

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

A very simple exercise would be to put two poles 5 strides apart, practice getting 5 strides in between and shortening/lengthening for 6 or 4. You may have to really push for the 4! You can then make these cavalettis. Work on using your body position to bring the canter forward or back.

This will help your canter become more adjustable. If you have a rhythmic and adjustable canter you don’t need to see a stride. In a good canter you are only ever half a stride ‘off’ and you very rarely are off. Horses don’t need to be told where to take off they need the tools to jump which is a good, impulsive, uphill canter.

Didn’t see this before, this I am going to try this weekend. I’ve been working on my core strength so hopefully will be more able to utilise that to shorten (or lengthen) the stride. Thank you for that exercise, I’ll see how it goes

 

[SmallSteps]

that pole exercise saddle over sofa mentioned it brilliant. to be honest though it's more about getting the canter right. if your horse hasn't the strength behind he won't be able to sit and compress properly, or get the impulsion to stretch without flattening. I had one horse with a terrible natural canter and it really only fixed itself by working with pure dressage instructors to work on gaining the strength and gears in the canter. after about a year of dressage doing tests with collected, medium and extended canters, his jumping was an absolute joy and it was so easy to control his canter gears and striding.

That. Good canter, good stride, every time. Strengthen the canter and you’ll find the stride is just magically there