Jump A-Round

Desperate to ride your first clear round or looking to brush up your skills so your round looks totally effortless? Check out our top tips to help you achieve your showjumping goals!

Get prepped

Use your warm-up time wisely and make sure your pony is completely in the zone before starting your round. It’s no good going into the competition arena with him half asleep and not listening to your aids! Include lots of circles to get your pony supple, transitions to get him laser-focused on you and pop a few fences to make sure his muscles are fully warmed up.

Conquer your canter

The quality of your pony’s canter is really important when it comes to riding a clear round. If you can maintain an even canter rhythm, you’ll find it so much easier to hit the perfect stride and your pony will pop over fences with ease. Aim for your pony to be powering from his hindquarters, so include polework and riding up hills in his training routine to boost his strength. Work on developing a positive, punchy canter, but don’t mistake this for going fast. Think impulsion, not speed!

Ace your approach

Setting up your pony on a good line to each fence is essential and your responsibility, not his! Think about riding a smooth turn onto your approach and maintaining a clear rhythm all the way into the fence. Keep channelling your pony straight with even aids and try not to change anything – for example, his pace and stride length – when you’re a few strides out, as this might put him off the task ahead. Allowing your pony to see the obstacle in plenty of time is sure to contribute to riding a fab clear, too.

For more top tips to help you jump your best round yet, check out the Spring issue of PONY – on sale now!