Horse&Rider Magazine - November 2025

PART 2: JUMPING

In good balance

Improve your horse’s jumping technique with Ros Canter’s effective exercise

EXPERT

Ros Canter has multiple 5* wins to her name, including Badminton, Luhmühlen and Burghley in 2025, and helped Team GB secure gold in Paris, 2024. She became the Individual and Team European Eventing Champion in 2023.

If you’ve been reading my training content in recent issues of the magazine, you’ll know that I’m a firm believer that using simple, effective exercises can bring you great results. The exercise I’m about to talk you through is no different – there’s no need for complicated set-ups or heaps of equipment to hone your horse’s skills, so let’s get started.

Two cavaletti

Two poles

A pair of wings You need...

DID YOU KNOW?

If you don’t have cavaletti, use poles on the ground or on small blocks instead.

Set it up

One of the great things about this exercise is that it’s quick to set up and doesn’t take up much space, all while making your horse think on his feet. Position an upright fence anywhere in the arena (as long as you have some room around it for a straight approach) and place the cavaletti at a bounce distance (3–3.7m) either side of the jump – adjusting accordingly to suit your horse’s stride.

Balance benefits

Improving balance takes time, but with the right exercises your horse will...

• have improved co-ordination

• become stronger

• develop a better jumping technique

Aim

of the game

For this exercise with Henry, I’m going to keep the distances a little shorter because I want him to lower his neck, bring his nose out and push with his hindlegs underneath him – all with the aim of teaching him to bascule neatly over the fence.

In this feature Improve proprioception

Test his agility

Develop jumping technique

Retraining focus

Henry used to be a hurdler, so he’s got a ski jump reaction, meaning he tends to jump with his head up and nose out. Don’t get me wrong, we want horses to have their noses out when jumping because it means they can see further ahead, but at the moment Henry runs too fast and with his head a little too high. This means I need to tweak exercises to help him learn a different technique.

Levelling up

Part four: Elementary

Move on to more challenging movements building on your established dressage skills

EXPERT

Tania Grantham is a rider, trainer and polework specialist, as well as a writer and the host of podcast Poles, Piaffe and Prosecco. She is also the author of Inspire Dressage Polework Journal

Elementary builds on the foundations already established at Prelim and Novice, but it’s quite a step up, with several new movements that require a greater degree of suppleness and selfcarriage, and it’s the first level that asks the horse to show collection. The new movements include rein-back, simple changes and lateral work, and my exercises will help you to understand, train, perfect and present them.

You need...

2 poles

Exercise

Halt, rein-back, proceed in...

In this sequence, the judge is looking for...

• balance

• contact

• immobility

• straight strides

• diagonal pairs clearly defined

• balance

fluency

Halt at the end of the tramlines and rein back between them. Why it works

Tramlines help with the location of the halt and straightness of the rein-back. How to ride it

Ride a trot to halt transition towards the end of the poles. The halt must be fully immobile and settled before the reinback. To ask for rein-back...

• slide both legs back along your horse’s sides, keeping your heels down

• use a light squeeze of one leg and rein, followed by the other leg and rein, and

In this feature

Halt to rein-back made easy

How to introduce simple changes

Refine your lateral work

keep alternating for the number of steps you want

• keep your shoulders over your hips and encourage your horse to move backwards by pushing the saddle back

• maintain a light, soft contact with your fingers, asking your horse to stay round.

At the end of the rein-back, your horse shouldn’t halt – he must move directly forwards. When you want to stop moving backwards, slide your legs forward to their normal position. As he slows, apply your aids in the correct tempo for the pace you wish to proceed in.

DID YOU KNOW?

A simple change means a change of canter lead through walk.

The muscle of emotion

Understanding human anatomy can help you have a more relaxing and enjoyable ride

EXPERT

Ali Williamson is a qualified and experienced Pilates and Equipilates instructor with a particular interest in rider posture.

You’re probably familiar with the term hip flexors and have a general idea of where they are and what they do, but did you know they can have an effect on the emotions – in particular, the nervous ones – we experience as horse riders?

Photos: Jon Stroud

Hip flexors explained

The hip flexor group is made up of two muscles – the psoas (pronounced so-ass), which is dominant – and the iliacus. Their job is to flex the hip, bringing the thigh and the front of the torso closer together.

In order to move the bones, they must contract (shorten). At the same time, the opposing muscles (the hip extensors in your buttocks and the back of the upper leg) lengthen to allow the movement to occur.

When you’re in a seated position such as riding, driving, or sitting at a desk, your hips are in flexion and the hip flexors are held in a shortened state. And

Instinctive reaction

Muscles react to signals that are sent from the brain through the nervous system – some intentional and others sub-conscious. If a continuous subconscious message is being sent to the hip flexors to contract, over time the muscles will adopt a shortened position. And while stretching may give temporary improvement and a feeling of relief, it can’t resolve the problem until the brain is able to stop sending these instructions.

So why are these messages being sent? To understand why the psoas has this effect on our emotional state it is important to examine the role of this muscle beyond its primary physical action as a hip flexor.

all this time spent in flexion can cause the muscles to become tight. Short, tense hip flexors often cause riders to adopt a hollowed back, and it’s often suggested that stretching the flexors will solve the problem, but that’s not always the case.

DID YOU KNOW?

The name psoas is derived from the Greek word for loins.

Hip flexion

Hip extension

Calmly confident

Building your horse’s confidence takes time, but you’ll both reap the rewards of his positive mindset

EXPERT

Anna Haines is a clinical animal behaviourist and freelance equine behaviour consultant. She has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare, specialising in equines.

Whether we keep horses for competition or simply as field companions, it’s in our and their best interests to do what we can to help them develop into calm, confident individuals, well equipped to cope with daily life and routine handling. The benefit for them is that their sense of

general wellbeing improves enormously while, for us, time spent in their company becomes so much more enjoyable.

Healthy curiosity

Confidence is one of the most desirable traits to have in your horse, since he’ll be safer, more curious, willing to try new things and better able to cope with life’s challenges. Whether it’s staying calm during a veterinary examination, exploring unfamiliar environments or tackling new obstacles, confidence stems from trust, both in you as a handler and his own ability to navigate the world. Creating confidence isn’t about eliminating fear entirely but helping your horse to learn that he can handle unfamiliar situations, that you’ll listen to him and that learning is safe, rewarding and fun.

Creating confidence is about helping your horse learn he can handle unfamiliar situations

Fulfilling the three Fs

Horses have three fundamental needs...

• friends – interaction with companions

• forage – the opportunity to continually graze or eat fibrous foodstuffs

• freedom – as much access to turnout as possible

Research suggests that horses able to fulfil these needs on a daily basis are more likely to be calmer, happier, healthier and more confident than those who do not. This helps them maintain an internal homeostasis, allowing them to better perform when required and cope with whatever life throws at them.

EXPERT

The grass is greener

Sustainable pasture is vital for horses and nature. Ruth Dancer explains how to safeguard its future

With winter approaching, we’re all asking ourselves what kind of weather lies in store. Will it be endless rain, freezing temperatures or a mixture of both? We’ll also be wondering how it will affect our pasture. Aside from the unpleasantness of wading through a boggy, poached field, there’s a more concerning aspect to the damage done to our paddocks in bad weather. Contrary to common assumption, the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and that means every part of our natural world is at threat, including our grasslands and every living thing that depends on them.

Grassland restoration

connect wildlife and pollinators to other habitats, acting as natural flood defences and sequestering carbon (and with a higher level of resilience than trees). But, despite covering approximately 40% of the UK’s land and, with no specific taskforce or plan to restore or protect what remains, grassland’s role as an important part of our national natural capital has been long forgotten. Fortunately, attitudes are now changing and equestrians can be part of the solution for restoring this ailing ecosystem.

Healthy grass, healthy horse

TOP TIP

Before making any changes to feeding habits or pasture, consult your vet or nutritionist to ensure your horse’s specific needs are met.

Grasslands, including paddocks, are valuable to nature in a number of ways – creating corridors to

Beneficial plant list

Some horse-friendly herbs and flowers to look out for include...

• ribwort plantain: a rich source of calcium, selenium and anti-inflammatory compounds, it also supports digestion

• fenugreek : high in nutrients, including protein and fat, and an aid to digestion

Biodiverse grasslands are good for sustainable farming (including producing high-quality hay and straw) and for grazing horses, as species-rich pasture is nutritionally beneficial. Incorporating this kind of sward in your paddock not only creates greater resilience in the field and soil, it also provides increased browsing interest for horses. Wild flowers and herbs can offer benefits to your horse, too. We’re well accustomed to feeding our horses more variety and nutrition through supplements and enhanced feed, so incorporating into the paddock some of what nature has on offer is a natural addition for many.

• cow (or sheep’s) parsley : high in iron and vitamins A and C

• sainfoin: high in omega-3 fatty acids that boost the immune system

• kidney vetch: a good source of trace minerals

• lady’s bedstraw : contains trace minerals

• meadowsweet : good for supporting digestion

SIMPLE CHANGES

Developing and maintaining a diverse range of plants in your paddock plays an important part in strengthening soil structure, helping minimise topsoil loss.

• lucerne/alfalfa: a nutrient-dense legume that contains digestible energy, protein calcium and less sugar and starch than most grasses

• sheep’s burnet : a good source of trace elements

• dandelion: high in potassium, calcium and magnesium, and a natural diuretic

Ruth Dancer is Director of White Griffin, an equine environmental sustainability business that supports the industry in developing strategies to help protect the natural environment.

Our grasslands are under threat, and therefore every living thing that depends on them

Gear Guide

AUTUMN/WINTER

Horse&Rider Magazine - November 2025

Published on Sep 25, 2025

DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd

The November issue of Horse&Rider is out now! This issue we have the last part of our training series with eventing golden girl, record-breaker and -setter – and soon to be second-time mum – Ros Canter. Her incredible success belies her simple, straightforward training ethos, which makes her all the more inspiring. Meanwhile, resident equine behaviourist Anna Haines is back this issue with a fascinating insight into how to boost your horse’s confidence, and the benefits it can have for you, as well as your horse. It’s a must read, so pick up your copy to get started. The sudden shift in weather last month caught many of us off-guard, but it’s definitely time to dust off those autumn jumpers, coats and rugs. If you’re anything like Editor Louise, you’ll have looked at a favourite (ancient) item of clothing and realise that no, it really isn’t going to last another season. Not to worry, though – Assistant Editor Sarah has been hard at work rounding up the best options for all the essential autumn/winter kit yo

Horse&Rider Magazine - November 2025

PART 2: JUMPING

In good balance

EXPERT

Aim

Retraining focus

Levelling up

Part four: Elementary

EXPERT

DID YOU KNOW?

The muscle of emotion

EXPERT

Instinctive reaction

DID YOU KNOW?

Calmly confident

EXPERT

EXPERT

The grass is greener

Healthy grass, healthy horse

TOP TIP

Beneficial plant list

SIMPLE CHANGES

Gear Guide

AUTUMN/WINTER

Contents

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