Hello everyone!

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I am pleased to bring you the first training tip of 2020. As we ramp up our at-home practice, many riders try to prepare for combinations, especially if they are heading to the jumper ring. Don’t let the 12’ stride rule trick you! Many course designers will catch out the unwary by making their combination distances tight, as it is far easier for a horse to stretch out on their forehand than compress their stride and jump off of their hind end. We set our combos short at home—21’ or so—to make our horses practice backing up. And we do a lot of verticals, especially jumping out. It’s an exercise that works whether you are on a baby or one with a little mileage (see videos for a first-timer and one farther along). This exercise set as a 1-1-3 stride (21’-21’-44’).