Jump clear with Pony Nuts

Even if you’re lucky enough to have an arena at your yard, you’ll definitely end up riding on grass at clinics and some comps. So, learning how to ride on grass is super-important! Here’s my simple guide to jumping each element of a course clear – plus stringing them together to make sure you leave the poles up every time.

On the turn

Making smooth turns before and after each fence on the course will help your round flow and make your pony’s job of jumping the fences clear much easier. This is even more important on grass, which can be slippy and a bit tougher for your pony to keep his balance on.

So, focus on using all the space available in the ring to help you keep the punchy canter you created in your warm-up and get a better approach to each fence. There’s no reason you can’t make tighter turns on grass in a jump-off, but focus on bending your pony around your inside leg and keeping a contact through your outside rein to help keep his shoulders up through the turn. If he motorbikes around them, he’s more likely to slip!

Top Tip

Practise riding your pony on grass at home to help build his confidence, strength and balance.

Grab a copy of September PONY, on sale 28 July, for more top tips from Gracie.