Adjust and go
HAVING A FORWARD, balanced and energetic canter is key to feeling confident and helping your horse achieve a clear round. According to Irish Olympic event rider Jonty Evans, being able to feel what canter you have before you start your round is a vital skill.
“I like riders to be able to feel that the canter they have has all the right ingredients for jumping a clear round, and these exercises help to identify and maintain the correct canter,” says Jonty. “It will not only improve your horse’s jumping ability, but also their rideability.”
During this session, Jonty asks two grassroots riders, Julie-Anne Chapman on bay gelding Joey and Lucy George on the coloured Tom, to work through a series of exercises that focus on the length and size of the canter, as well as how powerful it is.
“These exercises will show the riders which canter they should have and how to get it, so that when they go into the ring, they know which canter they need,” says Jonty.
