Adding in some small jumps on a circle gets the horse to think about things differently, move their feet differently and respond in a relaxed manner to new stimuli. The ride should flow smoothly even if things around the horse change. Chelsea focuses on keeping a steady rhythm and tempo. Later she adds transitions to improve the horse’s responsiveness.
Up Next in Stadium Jumping
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Novice Level - Trotting Fences Warm-Up
William finds trotting a crossrail beneficial for the horse's footwork to be jumping from a short distance with no speed. By approaching it in walk and then trotting just a few strides before the jump, the horse is forced to actually look at the jump and think about it.
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Novice Level - Figure 8 Over a Jump
They continue their jumping warm-up by cantering a vertical on a figure eight pattern of going left, jumping and then turning right. William wants the riders to keep it simple and focus on canter rhythm and straightness.
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Novice Level - Jumping Courses - Part 1
With the horses warmed up, William has them progress to riding a course. He wants them to focus on the horses being straight and forward but controlled. He also wants to make sure the riders sit up tall with their shoulders back and looking down the line.
