[JumpsxGlory]

I need some exercises that will help with getting Olly to frame up better when jumping and with just general jumping form.

Thanks in advance!

[GriffinsGirl]

My last horse used to jump with sloppy front legs (uneven). The exercises that worked well to tidy her up were grids with bounces in them (tight ones), or a 3 jump grid with a small vertical to a VERY wide square oxer, to another small vertical with distances set tight (like 18 feet for my 16'2 hand horse) - this forces them to tighten their frame, then stretch it out, then tighten it again (very effective!). Make sure you have an experienced person on the ground to help you out!!

[Shotgun93]

Lots and lots of bounces and one stride jumps. Also place a lot of ground poles on either side of the jumps. I also like to change the distances between jumps, so my horse learns exactly where is feet are and if he practices doing a lot of odd-distance jumps, he will be more likely to get us out of tight spot.
I also like what GriffinsGirl said about spreads and verticals, very good to practice too.

[zorse]

What the others suggested is good.
Another thing you can do to tidy up form is to put up a vertical, but have it a few holes higher on one side then the other. You can also put up a really big xpole (like to the top of the standards. It'll teach him to remember where his feet are.

[GriffinsGirl]

I just remembered another thing we used to do to really get them lifting up their front feet carefully...but it's hard to explain...wish I could draw a picture. Well, I'll try and you can let me know if it makes sense:

Use "V" poles. Start with a regular oxer or vertical, then set up 2 poles as "wings" to that jump. That is, put them at 90 degrees to the jump with one end up on the vertical pole you're jumping over, and the other end on the ground forming a sort of chute. Gradually move the high ends of the wing poles inward until they almost touch, so what your horse sees as he comes into the jump is a "v" shape with the wide end toward him and the narrow end right in the middle of the jump. This also helps to draw him into the centre of the fence. Don't know if that made any sense??

[zorse]

Ah yes griffin..we use that too.

[Threedaychick]

Bounces are good for sharpening front ends, but do be careful because they can start to make a horse land to early with its back legs in anticipation of the next effort. I love V poles. Also a pole placed diagonally across a square oxer helps. For getting a horse to look through the during the jump, I like to put a placing pole 9ft from the landing side, so the horse lands, and does a canter stride over it. Or you can try rolling the back ground rail out a little. Here are some of my favorite jumping exercises:
- A double bounce, two strides to a square oxer - or you can do a vertical(not too wide), two strides to a double bounce.
- The "cartwheel" Three jumps with 3 tight strides between set on a circle of about 18m. That gets you and your horse thinking ahead, and practice at turning in the air and using an outside rein.
- A triple bounce made out of tall X's.
Those are some of the one's I use the most.

[GriffinsGirl]

Threedaychick, those exercises sound awesome! I'll have to try them in Spring! I always forget about using tall X's to get a horse really looking and jumping carefully - they really do work amazingly well.

[showjumper]

lots of shortening and lengthening of strides on the flat, really teach him to com up and back on his haunches, slopp in fron usually means that they dont have te impulsion from behind to propel them wit power over the fence x

[i_luv_moth]

one striders and bounces keep them on form. also some spreads....dunno what you call them..Oxers?sorry lol but they will help with back legs(moth was pathetic with her back legs but after a few spreads they were nice and neat)

also to keep striding nice, just do canter poles and put them further out so he has to adjust with them, then the next day put them in abit so he has to collect