Dutch show jumper and MD athlete Mel Thijssen shares one of her favorite riding exercises, which is designed to help the horse balance itself. Mel will take you through it herself!

This is how you do it:

“Start by putting up a sequence: a vertical, two cavaletti, an oxer, and another cavaletti. The distance between the vertical and the set of cavaletti should be about 10.5-11 meters, with 6.5-7 meters between the two cavaletti. The distance from the cavaletti set to the oxer should be another 10.5-11 meters, and finally 6.5-7 meters from the oxer to the cavaletti.

This exercise is carried out in canter. You ride the series starting with the vertical.

The purpose of the exercise is for the horse to learn to balance itself. It’s perfect for a horse that tends to lean in your hand.”

“The purpose of the exercise is for the horse to learn to balance itself. It’s perfect for a horse that tends to lean in your hand.”

– Mel Thijssen

“By adding small cavaletti instead of poles, the horse must focus on the next fence. This helps teach the horse to naturally balance itself.

It’s important to start this exercise with small jumps, for the horse to get used to it. Then, you slowly begin to increase the height of the jumps to match the level of your horse.

Another important thing is to keep the horse straight on the jumps. A tip is to frame the jumps by putting poles on the ground along the sides before and/or after the fence. This way, the horse gets a bit more guidance leading up to the jump, which will keep them a bit straighter.”

Download the exercise here