Capatoki Video Series

Capatoki Lesson 11 - Jump with a pole on each side.

Today I demonstrate the simplest of grids. It is a pole on each side of a fence. I like to use a soft pole on the landing side as there have been some nasty accidents when horses have landed on a pole.

I trot in straight at a working trot, not too slow nor too fast. This horse is inclined to suck back a little, so I soften my hands in front of the fence and ride forward to it.

I start over a low crossbar. Always start at a comfortable height for your horse. Their confidence is your priority. When your horse is happily jumping the fence, you can then gradually build up the height.

I set the poles about 2.5-3m from the fence. The exact distance depends on your horse, height and ground conditions. The Strides Distance Calculator can help you here.

If your horse makes a mistake, try again and see if they learn. Knocking the occasional rail is a good learning for your horse, but successive knockdowns is not. If your horse knocks the rail more than three times in a row, you will need to make an adjustment. Either by the shifting the placing poles, increasing the groundline and/or lowering the jump. This is a widely popular exercise is used by many riders & trainers and regularly used as a warmup.

This series will include many exercises used in Strides Exercises, for more information visit Strides Exercises

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