Beat the rush
Struggling to contain your horse’s energy on your approach? Improve his rhythm and your eye for a stride with Piggy March’s go-to exercises
In this feature. . .
Reflect on your speed, rhythm and approach
Develop
your eye for a stride Maintain a steady rhythm
As told to Kiera Boyle. Photos: Jon Stroud
We’ve all been there. You pick up a nice, steady canter as you make your turn towards a fence. Then, suddenly, your horse takes off at lightning speed, throwing all sense of rhythm out the window, which quickly limits your options for a good stride. This isn’t an enjoyable feeling for any rider, nor will it help you make it over a fence successfully.
I had this exact problem when I first started riding Polo. Being an ex-racehorse, he’d been conditioned to canter at one speed and one speed only – fast. It’s taken over a year, but by working on a few simple exercises and over poles on the ground, he now has an adjustable, balanced canter that I can tweak to suit. If we can do it, anyone can, so I’m here to let you in on some of our secrets to showjumping success.
Our expert
Piggy March is an International eventer who’s represented Team GB at several World and European Championships, as well as winning Badminton Horse Trials in 2019.
Our model
Our Old Fella (Polo) is an 11-year-old ex-racehorse who transitioned to eventing in 2016. Standing at just 15.2hh, he came eighth at his first CCI3* at Rockingham International.