It is important to set the grid to your horse’s striding and ability.
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tool for addressing many problems horses and riders face, gridwork and gymnastic exercises consisting of precisely placed poles and jumps are a common sight in a hunter/jumper’s arena. We spoke to trainers Lexie Lohrer of Wildwood Farm in Westford, MA, and Meredith Stimson-O’Connell of Madison Show Stables in Merrimac, MA, on how to begin using such exercises and their benefits. So, what is gridwork? In short, it is an exercise made up of a line of poles and jumps spaced at different intervals. Because the arrangement is fully customizable in terms of ground poles, raised poles, small jumps, and large jumps as well as the distances between each obstacle, how a person sets the course determines what can be worked on over the grid.
Setting the grid Before setting up a grid, make sure you have a measuring tape on hand. Ponies and horses have different striding, so it is essential to set the exercise correctly for your horse’s specific stride length. “The most important thing to remember when working a grid exercise is that measurement is key,” says Lexie, noting that setting a grid for one horse doesn’t necessarily mean it is correctly set for another. Because grids aren’t foolproof, our experts agree that it is also important to begin using a grid with a professional before heading off on your own. “Improperly setting a gymnastic [line] can ruin the confidence or even injure a horse or rider. Always, always work with a professional,” warns Meredith. “You want to be careful not to over-face horse or rider by setting the exercise improperly or too difficult.” As with all new things, it is important to start small. A long line of jumps can be overwhelming to horses and riders at first, so begin with a few simple set ups before (quite literally) jumping in. “It’s not necessary to have six jumps in a row or even six poles in a row right from the get go. You can start as simply as two or three trot poles, and then two or three canter poles, eventually moving up to small cavaletti, and then jumping,” explains Lexie, who advises gradually increasing the difficulty. “Make sure your horse is used to the formation before jumping through the whole thing by building it up jump by jump. Starting
small and working your way up is vital for success.” “The best way to introduce gridwork to a horse or rider is to work with a professional and start simple, low, and with no questions in the distance between fences. As the skill level raises, so can the fence height and technicality and adjustability,” adds Meredith. Although the set up varies, Lexie recommends keeping the beginning of the line simple and then increasing the difficulty as the line continues. “I always set jumping grids one jump at a time, building them up slowly so you are jumping the first jump to a pole, then two jumps to a pole, and so on and so forth,” she explains. “This helps the horse understand what is coming without over-facing them.” Both experts warn to not use gridwork too much, as the exercises may be physically and mentally tasking for both parties. “You must remember, when working with a gymnastic, there are several jumps in a row, so every time you jump one gymnastic line, you are jumping several jumps,” cautions Meredith, who prefers to keep the training sessions relatively short and sweet as not to overdo it. “Drilling any exercise can be detrimental to your horse. You wouldn’t go to the gym and do leg day every day, so you don’t want to school a grid every day,” adds Lexie.
the BenefitS Incorporating grid exercises into a lesson or training session can be beneficial for horses or riders, depending on different aspects of the layout. Modification of the July 2018
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