Interested in what everyone’s favorite go-to grid exercises are for their horses. Measurements would be awesome too (math is hard, y’all).
My jumper is large and quite fond of his forehand. Looking for some new ideas for gymnastic work to make him use his rather large behind better. Always interested to hear what has been successful for others. Thanks!
One of my go-to exercises is a one stride set with large crossrails (quite large - like top of the standards large) with a placement rail before, in between and after. Depending on the horse’s stride length and how much you want it to compress I would set it at either 18 or 20 feet, with placement rails at 9 or 10 feet.
So it would go placement rail, 9 feet to the crossrail, 9 feet to a placement rail, 9 feet to a crossrail, 9 feet to a placement pole.
This keeps them super straight and really makes them rock back on the hind end. I personally think it produces a better effect through the hind end and haunch than straight bounces because it’s a little more practical - while I like bounces for certain things I think they can back off or get a bit stabby up front with them. I like the above exercise because you’re really riding a one-stride, so it’s more fluid, but the high crossrails and placement rails gets them to really rock back and use their bodies.
You’ll need to place with the distances a bit depending on the horse’s stride and whether you want to trot or canter in, but don’t make it too long - I’d say no longer than 22 ft cantering in, otherwise you’ll lose the benefit. You want it to feel short enough they really have to use themselves well - but not so short that it’s impossible or that they lose the fluidness.
One more - set a single jump in the middle of the long side, with a placement rail 4 or 5 strides before (depending on space) and another placement pole 4 or 5 strides after. The goal is to be able to ride in and ride out with the same amount of strides before and after. This really gets the shape of the jump and the balance before and after the jump correct.
If your jumper loves his forehand, he’ll probably land and want to drag you or land and be unbalanced and rangey. If you’ve set them as 4 strides, the 4 riding up to the jump may be easy, but getting an equally even 4 on the back side probably won’t be as easy. It’s deceptively simple unless your horse is well schooled in consistency, balance, and straightness. Play with the single jump to accentuate the problem. If he’s having trouble containing himself initially, set a single tall vertical. If he finds the vertical easy, set an oxer to challenge him on the backside. Once he does that well, widen the oxer or set a triple bar. Or get 4 strides on the way in and add a stride for 5 on the way out. Or ride in leaving out in 3 and get four on the backside. This one came from Greg Best and I love it!
Gymnastics should be set a bit short to teach correct form and balance.
My favorite simple gymnastic is a cross rail bounce, one stride to vertical, one stride to oxer. I always have a placing pole at the beginning 9 ft out, and I always trot in.
Based on a 12’ stride, you’ll have:
pole - 9’ - xrail - 9’ - xrail - 18’ - vertical - 21’ - oxer
I usually find these distances are good for up to 3’ fences.
Here is a good general measurement chart:
I set a very simple grid last week for my students, to help them work on better corners/balancing out of turns, and balancing throughout a line of jumps.
I set a small cross pole very close to one end of the arena, one stride to a vertical, two strides to a log jump (no standards…just an 8 foot wide rail resting on log piles (meant riders had to actually ride to it a bit), two strides to an oxer, and then one more stride to another cross pole set at the other end (our indoor is only about 156’). The idea was they had to make sure their horse had a balanced canter with good impulsion to make the turn to the first jump and then have power to make it down the rest of the line, rebalancing again for the final jump so they don’t splat into the end wall. Jumped it both ways. (we were working on following releases). It worked out quite well. Helped the horses stay focused and balanced because the riders had to stay focused and balanced.
Pinterest is your new best friend!
I don’t understand pinterest, but I have it, and man I’m glad I found it. Look up grid work, and you’ll get TONS of ideas, with spacing put out for you, which I also love. I am not good with feet and distance, I understand it, but second guess myself, and rewalk the lines way too many times. Anyways, I found one exercise on there yesterday and I’m so excited to give it a ride tonight.
(Hope the link works, it’s a neat grid)
3 trot poles, to an x, one stride to a vertical, one stride to an oxer, great set up for a horse that rushes in.
Oh man, Pinterest grids have become my thing lately. I just moved and don’t have my horse with me yet. So I’ve been obsessively searching for creative small grids I can do. Not that I can do them yet but its slightly fulfilling my need for horsey things while simultaneously driving me nuts since I can’t try them out with my horse. :lol:
Bounce, bounce, bounce, vertical. 9" spacing on all.
Bounce 9’, two stride 30’ to oxer
Trot pole 7’ to cross rail 19’ to vertical 21" to oxer
I was just wondering where you see the 18’ on the graph - I too have looked at this chart many times as a reference and I have been confused by the measurements. I always thought that a 1 stride was 18’ - 12 for the horse’s stride + 3 for landing + 3 for take off = 18’… How would you ride the 21’ section? Forward 1 stride?
The 18’ is generally used for trot in, 21’ if you canter in (of course, taking into account your horse’s stride length and the goal of the exercise). It does make a little note of subtracting 3’ at the bottom of that page.
As a sidenote, I totally read, “My horse loves his forehead,” and was really wondering how the gridwork was going to help. Oops. 
As Pally said!
The second one-stride is 21’ in my gymnastic because you’re technically coming off a cantered fence.
The biggest point of gymnastics is to let the horse figure out their feet and distances. I don’t “ride” gymnastics and push or hold for distances - you’re not supposed to and shouldn’t have to. I trot in, maintain a light contact and quiet body, and let the horse figure it out.
Ahhh gotcha! Thank you for clarifying. (sorry I honestly can say I didn’t read the whole way through! I’m at work shhh) and wanted to quickly write the exercise down!
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