Handy and adjustable exercises

[grandprixer]

Excuse the pun lol but I’d love to get some more flat exercises for my jumper.

He’s a really good boy for the most part, but being a big WB he’s not the handiest horse. For example, he’s really adjustable in terms of stride length, but it takes him a few strides to compress or stretch. And he turns fairly well, but because it takes a few steps to balance, the turns are generally bigger than they would be if he was more balanced.

He’s never going to turn and burn like a QH, but I’d like to get him sharper. What are some of yalls favorite exercises for this? Preferably on the flat or with as few jumps as possible.

[Willesdon]

Circles are your friend. Also transitions between the gaits and within the gait.

Two I find useful:

Start on a 20m circle and gradually decrease the size by spiralling inwards down to about a 10 or even 5 m circle then increase back out to 20 m. Particularly coming out it is easy to feel each step the horse takes as a response to your leg. It get harder walk, trot and finally canter.

In the first corner, do a circle. Incline out and do a circle on the other rein to meet the track at B. Incline back onto track and a the second corner do another circle on the original rein. Same at 3rd corner. Then incline out to do a circle on opposite rein to meet the track at E. Incline back to track and do a fourth circle in the 4th corner. Basically 10m circle at each corner and a 10m circle on the opposite rein half way down the long side.