Flatwork training is as important to the show jumper as jump schooling. A balanced, rhythmic and elevated canter is essential if the horse is to jump successfully. Whatever it is you are jumping, your chances of clearing the jump safely are mainly based on the way that you make the horse approach the jump. The horse must be able to negotiate corners and turns whilst keeping his rhythm and balance, so he/she needs to be supple and responsive.
How much actual jump training you do depends on what suits your horse. Naturally careful horses are best not jumped too often-just enough to keep them in practice and their muscles toned up. A horse whose technique needs refining may be jumped up to three or four times a week. Many good horses have been damaged that way, either jumping too much, or jumping too little.
Jump training rarely involves jumping huge fences. It basically concentrates on improving the horse's technique and ability over smaller fences-this reduces the risk of injury of loss of confidence. Gridwork is used to make the horse more supple, and to influence his technique and shape he makes as he goes over a fence to maximize his/her chances of jumping cleanly.
The distances between fences in a grid can be shortened to encourag the horse to shorten up his/her stride and snap up his/her front legs up quickly and neatly as he takes off. They can also be lengthened, to teach the horse to lengthen his/her stride and jump.
Poles can be rested on the fence or on the ground in such a way as to encouragethe horse to stay straight as he jumps; many horses have a tendency to veer off to the left or right. Gridwork also gives you a chance to concentrate on refining your own position and improving your balance.
The ability to lengthen or shorten your horse's stride and to act quickly when he/she jumps into a combination or related distance in a different way than planned, is an essential skill for the successful show jumper. Some riders have a natural eye for a stride, which means that they are able to gauge whether or not they need to alter their horse's stride length to come to an ideal distance to jump from. Those who aren't born with this skill can develop a good eye by pracitising riding different distances between fences at home, and getting a feel for the pace at which they need to approach the first fence in order to fit in the required number of strides to the next fence.
Among the most important atttributes the rider needs are patience, a cool head and confidence-if you have all three of these, you will no doubt succeed in whatever equestrian sport you do!