No matter how skilled you are at horseback riding, bad habits can be hard to identify and fix. Perhaps your Equestrians balance tips forward too much, or your horse’s feet have trouble gripping the ground. Practice jumping the 9 o’clock fence and cantering several strides before and after it. Be sure to ride into the ring at an excellent pace to minimize the impact of your ring walk.
Increased Confidence
Few equestrians feel confident going into any jump, especially if it’s significantly higher than they have ever jumped or something new and scary-looking. However, all equestrians must keep trying and pushing themselves as much as possible. Jumping on a lot of different things can help you build your confidence. You can also help your horse or pony develop their confidence by working with them to be more confident over certain jumps. This could be allowing them to jump it from trot (if they can) rather than walk or even cantering over the obstacle. It can also help to follow a more confident pair over the jump, as they distract the horse/pony from their nerves and encourage them to keep jumping. It’s also a good idea to look for designs of jumps that minimize sharp surfaces, as these can cause injuries on horses moving at high speeds. This is why wing standard jumps are often made with wood treated to reduce the risk of injury.
Increased Speed
A wing standard horse jump is a great way to build speed in your horse. They add a width to the jump that encourages the horse to make an effort to clear it. These jumps also help to desensitize horses to competition fences. You can purchase these jumps at an equestrian supply store or build them yourself. The materials you need are a wooden surface, wood hedges, and pinless jump cups. If you want the jump to look solid, paint it with white exterior house paint. It is essential to measure the distance between your wing standards and consider the size of your horse’s stride when doing so. Too far apart and your horse may not be able to make it over; too close and you might encounter a ‘chip in,’ where the horse tries to add a half stride or two before takeoff. This can be dangerous for both horse and rider.
Increased Flexibility
As an equestrian, you understand that your horse needs to be physically fit. You must also maintain physical fitness and routines that improve suppleness, strength, and flexibility. These are necessary to develop the correct balance and unity with your horse. A lack of flexibility in your upper body and lower legs can create problems in the saddle. Perhaps you collapse into your waistline on one side or push through your hips, causing your weight to be heavily concentrated in a single area. These are just a few examples of improper rider positions that can cause problems with your horse. To help you develop greater flexibility, try a few easy exercises. For example, gently picking up your horse’s front leg, similar to how you would pick out a hoof, and holding it for 10 to 15 seconds can help increase the flexibility of that front leg. This can help prevent the muscles from locking up when the horse is asked to move in a different direction.
