A riderless sport horse negotiates a series of ground poles and small jumps, finding his wings along the way. This is free jumping, where the obstacles are aligned in a row down a chute positioned on the long side of an arena. It’s fun to watch, yet a bit mystifying too. How does one teach a horse to free jump?

Here, Ciaran Thompson, head trainer at Spy Coast Farm, a sport horse breeding and training facility in Lexington, Ky., shares his knowledge on this subject.

Why Free Jumping?

Thompson lists a number of reasons to free jump horses. These include assessing jumping talent, showing a client how their horse is progressing, as a marketing tool for selling young jumpers, building confidence in an older show horse, or helping a horse through fear of certain types of fences.

“It’s a great way to give a horse time to figure out jumping fences by himself so he gains confidence,” explains Thompson. “Then when it comes to doing it under saddle, he already has a greater understanding. He’s used to it without the influence of a rider, so it’s not sensory overload. It gives him the best chance possible of becoming a confident and capable jumper down the line.”

In the spring of their 2-year-old year, Spy Coast free jumps the colts they are considering as stallion prospects to sort out which will be gelded. This allows them not only to observe the individual colt’s jumping talent, but also assists in evaluating each colt’s temperament and trainability.

“With stallions, you want to be looking to pass on all the best traits that you possibly can,” says Thompson.

In addition to all of these reasons, free jumping can be a fun way to bond with your horse, as long as you prepare properly. Thompson offers the following step-by-step advice.

Study the Process

To observe the process, you can go to breed inspections, young horse shows, and/or clinics on free jumping. Take notes and ask questions. Volunteer where needed and learn by doing.

Pay attention to how horses going through the chute react to different jumps, handlers, the longe whip, and other cues. Observe where their eyes and ears are focusing. Learn to read their body language to predict whether the horse will go through the chute willingly or if he is thinking about stopping before a jump. See if you can tell if the horse feels relaxed and confident or rushed, confused or panicked.

Facilities & Equipment

A smaller arena is better for free jumping so the horse doesn’t wear himself out in between jumping passes. It also makes the horse easier to catch. Thompson says something on the order of a standard dressage ring dimensions (20 meters by 60 meters) would work well. A larger arena can be subdivided for free jumping, and an indoor arena is generally better than an outdoor for this purpose.

◆ You’ll need enough poles, jump standards and jump cups to build the jump chute, with extras built into the count.

◆ For the sides of the chute, additional jump standards can be turned sideways and used with extra rails, or stand-alone fence panels may be used. The materials should be safe if the horse runs through them. Things such as yellow plastic caution tape, carpenter’s saw horses, tall potted plants, traffic cones, or stacked straw or shavings bales may all be useful chute barriers.

◆ Thompson says they use three handlers when free-jumping at Spy Coast: one to lead the horse into the chute, one along the middle of the chute to keep the horse on track and moving through, and one to catch the horse on the far end.

◆ Enough lead ropes and longe whips so that each handler has both.

◆ Cord or leather lace (about 36 inches in length) to loop through the near bit ring to lead the horse up to chute that easily slides away for quick release.

◆ Bucket filled with feed or treats to entice the horse to stop and be easily caught after each jumping pass.

◆ Quick release snaps on rein ends to easily detach/attach them to bit rings. These are great for inspections or any time you are free jumping the horse in a bridle.

◆ Camera or video camera to record the session.

Jump Chute Construction

There are a number of variations on the theme for free jump chute building, but they all use similar distances between poles and jumps:

◆ 9 feet between the placing pole on the ground (which encourages the horse to trot into the chute and sets him up for takeoff) and the first cross-rail fence.

◆ 21 feet from the cross-rail to the first vertical

◆ 22-24 feet to the final fence, which eventually becomes an oxer.

The distance between fences may need to be adjusted for horses with different stride lengths. Watch to see if the horse struggles to make a too-long distance or has hard time fitting into a too-short distance as he travels through the chute.

There also need to be points along the inner jump chute wall that can be quickly opened (to at least 4 feet wide) on the takeoff side of each jump in case a horse gets flustered and stops in the middle of the chute. This allows a handler to enter the chute, calmly catch the horse, then lead him safely out the side. The horse can then be prepared to re-enter for another try.

Introducing Free Jumping to the Horse

Thompson stresses that the horse should lead well, respect your space, and know how to longe and/or free longe before teaching him to free jump. He should know voice commands and consistently follow body language and whip cues.

At Spy Coast, they first lead the horse calmly through the chute (with no jumps up) and reward him with food from a bucket placed at the far end, well after he’s left the chute. He cautions that they don’t want the horse to get used to stopping for a reward immediately after the final jump, but rather the horse should get used to landing and traveling away from the jump before getting his treat.

At the same time, they tell the horse “whoa” so that he can equate the word with stopping at that spot and the reward. They do this with the horse a few times, then trot him in-hand through the chute with a reward again.

Thompson explains how they progress slowly from going through the empty chute at liberty and then introducing ground poles and later jumps in the chute. They start off with just a single pole at the end.

“From there, we build it up to where we have three poles down and maybe the placing pole at the beginning,” he says. “Then we lead the horse over the poles until he is comfortable with that. Then we add a small cross-rail at the end so he moves down through the poles and pops over the cross-rail. When the horse is confident with that, then we make a second cross-rail, then a third. Usually they get the whole idea and seem to say, ‘Oh, I’m popping around and going to the food.’”

Over time and several sessions, they build up to verticals and oxers, and perhaps later the jumps become higher and wider, depending on the experience and age of the horse at the time. The handlers should also be well-versed in helping the horse safely progress beyond poles and cross-rails.

Thompson emphasizes that throughout the process, the horse needs to remain quiet. Don’t rush him through the chute by pushing too hard with voice, body language or whip. If the horse makes a mistake, then go back down a level and start again until he is confident.
He advises keeping the jumping sessions short, no longer than 15 to 20 minutes.

Safety Tips

Thompson says that communication between the humans in the ring as a horse is free jumping is key for safety. If possible, he would like to have the horse track be separated from the middle of the ring all the way around, not just in the jump chute, so that there is a safe place for people to be.

He advises that one person keeps an eye on the horse at all times while others are resetting the jumps to avoid a horse running in before the chute is ready and potentially running over a person or hurting themselves.

Handlers should all have longe whips—not only to direct the horse through the chute, but also to push him away from the handler and other people in the ring. Caution should be taken when catching a horse, since they can sometimes spin and kick out at the last moment.

Thompson uses protective legwear (tendon and bell boots) on horses with shoes, but doesn’t usually use them on younger barefoot horses, since he wants to be able to evaluate their jumping without any effect on style that the boots might cause.

Reading the Horse

Over time, you’ll be able to see when your horse understands what is being asked. At this point, you’ll know you can safely progress.

Some horses need to have the jumps changed more often to keep them thinking about the task and not rushing through the chute. Others need more time to figure things out at a lower level. Some will need adjustment in distances between jumps or extra ground poles placed to assist them in jumping better.

Thompson points out that as a young horse develops, his jumping style may change a bit. He also shares that there are horses that, no matter how carefully you prepare, consistently want to speed through the chute. Those horses may learn more by jumping under saddle.

Find full instructions on setting jump chutes, including diagrams, here.

About the Expert Ciaran Thompson is the head trainer at Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, Ky., in their Young Horse Development Center. Growing up, he was an active member of Pony Club in Ireland, where he received his A rating. He has been at Spy Coast Farm since 2017, starting as Young Horse Trainer, developing 2- and 3-year-old horses, and has been Head Trainer since 2022, overseeing the production of horses from their first rides under saddle to competing at FEI events in both show jumping and eventing.

The post Introduction to Free Jumping appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Although horses are naturally athletic and many can boldly jump over obstacles of astounding heights and widths, there are also those who aren’t quite so sure why they should put themselves in such a compromising position.

A horse may stop at a jump for all kinds of reasons. He may be afraid of the jump itself, or his fear may be more related to what he has experienced from the rider when jumping; sometimes a rider’s lack of confidence relays to the horse, or the horse has been the victim of numerous bad distances.

Jumping from a distance that is too long or too short puts the horse in a physically difficult spot, and he may not want to keep jumping. It’s also common for riders to cause further discomfort to the horse in the air after a bad distance, sometimes accidentally pulling the reins, falling back into the saddle too early, or falling forward onto the horse’s neck.

Allow Your Horse a Thorough Investigation

No matter the cause of the horse’s anxiety, the answer to getting him comfortable jumping again is to go one step at a time, creating enough new positive experiences to outnumber the negative experiences he has had.

Start by allowing your horse to investigate and sniff the jumps. Done at a walk either mounted or unmounted, this is easy to do at home but also a valuable aspect of schooling shows. The horses that benefit from this most are those that hesitate before leaving the ground or that jump with a peek when they do go over.

Once the jumps have been thoroughly inspected and sniffed at the walk, flat your horse very close to the jumps and their fillers. Trot and canter just alongside each jump, never pointing him at the jump, but making sure he feels relaxed having the jump close to him. If not, he may need to stop and sniff the jump again.

Next, place flower boxes or other fillers perpendicular to the plane of the jump in between the standards and off to the sides, creating a chute toward the center of the jump. Trot your horse back and forth through the fillers until he is moving confidently past them.

From there, make a small cross-rail with the rails and filler. At a schooling show, this may be where you need to start if taking out the fillers to trot through is impractical. This is also a good place to start for those horses that are more concerned with the distance than the jump itself.

Walk or slowly trot your horse over the jump so that he can have time to process the idea of jumping over filler and so that you can easily follow the motion of him going over the jump. Be sure to praise him when he goes over.

Once your horse is happily taking you to the jump (this is important—he should be moving confidently toward and over the fence), try cantering it. I would caution against making it any larger than a small vertical, as you risk another setback to his confidence. Remember, you must make a large library of positive experiences.

Stick to Small Stuff

For horses that have stopping issues at jumps rooted in too many missed distances, it’s important to honestly evaluate your riding. Your horse may need a tune-up with a trainer or more advanced rider for a few rides, or you may need to accept dropping down to jumping ground poles and small cross-rails until your eye becomes more consistent.

Adjustability of the canter is also crucial for these horses so that you become more familiar with your horse’s proper jumping canter and so that the horse is well-versed at moving forward off of your leg and coming back to your hand.

Some horses may have trouble with combinations or lines specifically, and the same concepts apply. Small jumps and a patient rider will do the trick over time, and it’s important to keep encouraging the horse to go forward, even when the striding is not quite right, so that he eventually gets the confidence to open up his step.

When the jumps are small, it’s completely fine for a horse to add a step, whether it’s two strides in what should have been a one stride, or six in a five, especially when the horse has a history of refusals.

Eventually, with repetition, he will begin to get the correct striding, but this is another process that should not be rushed if you want the lesson and the confidence to stick. Take the time to meet your horse where he’s at and build his confidence back up piece by piece.

This article about training a horse that’s stopping at the jumps appeared in the August 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Solutions for a Horse Stopping at Jumps appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Picture this: You are cantering around the corner, peacefully counting the rhythm of the canter, when suddenly a few strides out from the jump, your horse takes over. Out of seemingly nowhere, he is scooting toward the jump, the distance has disappeared, and he’s launching himself as if he wants the jump to be over with as quickly as possible. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone!

As with any training issue, it’s important to rule out any medical explanations. These horses should be looked over by a veterinarian and perhaps other specialists, like a dentist or chiropractor.

With pain/discomfort off the table, rushing is almost always rooted in anxiety. Your horse may find jumping stressful for any number of reasons. He may feel overfaced by the size of the jump, by the speed at which he’s approaching the jump, or by the complexity of the course. He may also have experienced a lot of missed distances or a rider who was unbalanced and accidentally punishing his jumping effort.

Keep it Positive

In order to reverse the effects of these negative emotions and experiences, from this moment on, your horse must have a consistent positive association with jumping. This will most certainly take time, and you as the rider should expect to be patient and allow the process to take as long as it takes.

While usually I prefer that horses only jump twice a week, many horses that rush do better jumping five to seven jumps or so every day so that it feels less like a special event to them and more like a standard routine.

The jumps should be low. Even if your horse has plenty of scope, he should be presented with only small jumps until his anxiety subsides. (I consider small jumps to be cross-rails through 2’3″). It’s OK if your horse just needs to go back to ground poles or even trotting and cantering through empty standards.

There should not be any right or wrong in these exercises. That extends to leads/lead changes, breaking of gait, or any of the details that normally would be important when jumping. Your horse is feeling enough pressure from the jump alone, so it’s better not to add any pressure through other expectations. (Many young or green horses are most concerned about the lead change that they know is coming after the jump.)

Gradual Introductions to Start

Begin by walking over ground poles or tiny cross-rails. The slow speed gives your horse plenty of time to assess and negotiate the obstacle. Tiny is preferred so that he has less chance of hitting it and scaring himself.

After he has walked over regular rails, add towels, flowerboxes, or other small fillers to continue to build confidence. Once all is going well, you can move up to a slow trot. If trotting leads to rushing, go back to the walk.

After your horse has mastered relaxed trot jumps from a slow trot, you can test the waters by adding speed with a regular trot or the canter. However, when adding speed, it’s important to also capture the horse’s attention with something other than the jump itself. Give him a job unrelated to the jump that happens to occur near the approach or landing side of the jump. Some examples include circles, figure-8s, and transitions.

The key is to not make this feel like a punishment. Whatever you are asking your horse to do, you should ask about five strides before or after the jump so that there’s space for him to breathe and relax as he approaches the jump, jumps, and lands.

Exercises to Try for a Horse That’s Rushing Jumps

Two of my favorites are a downward transition five to six strides in front of the jump and a figure-8 after the jump, either in trot or in canter, with a simple change.

From here, you can string a course together with lots of circles or transitions interspersed between the jumps. The more turns the better, since long, straight lines are not the best idea yet. It’s hard to influence your horse to rebalance on a straightaway without using a lot of hand, which is counterproductive to relaxation.

Once you have made it to the point where your horse is ready to canter some jumps, a good option is to canter a jump on a circle and allow your horse to fall into a rhythm. By creating the same track to the jump and facilitating the same striding over and over, you allow your horse to relax into a predictable pace and not worry about his takeoff distance.

After your horse has built a confident foundation in these exercises, you can begin to ride regular courses again. Just keep the concept of relaxation at the forefront so you can continue to help your equine partner let go of his anxiety surrounding jumping.

This article about training a horse that’s rushing jumps appeared in the July 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How to Train a Horse That’s Rushing Jumps appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The 30 riders returning for the 2024 Paris Olympics individual jumping final today faced a really tough track co-designed by Santiago Varela from Spain and Grégory Bodo from France―higher, wider, longer and requiring a faster pace. Only three went double clear in the first round, requiring a jump-off for medals: Germany’s Christian Kukuk on Checker 47; the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten on Beauville Z, and Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat on Dynamix de Belheme.

When the last fence of the jump-off had been jumped, the medals were set: Kukuk gold, Guerdat silver, and van der Vleuten bronze. The USA’s Laura Kraut was eighth with Baloutinue and Karl Cook was 16th with Caracole de la Roque.

◆ Final Results
◆ First Round Fence-by-Fence Analysis
◆ Jump-Off Fence-by-Fence Analysis

For more coverage, visit our 2024 Paris Olympics main page.

For broadcast information, go to NBCOlympics.com. All equestrian coverage is streamed live and available for replays on Peacock.

Thanks to CareCredit for our 2024 equestrian coverage.

The post 2024 Paris Olympics: Show Jumping Individual Final Results appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In an exciting first day of individual show jumping competition, two of the three U.S. riders qualified to move on to the Paris 2024 Olympics individual jumping finals tomorrow. Seventy-three riders attempted the course co-designed by Santiago Varela from Spain and Grégory Bodo from France today. View the order of go here.

The course included 14 numbered obstacles and 17 jumping efforts. The time allowed was 79 seconds, and the course was 525 meters long with a prescribed speed of 400 meters per minute. Included in the track were a water jump, and one double and one triple combination.

◆ Course Map
◆ Fence Description

Leading the way for the USA, in both the order of go and in the standings, was Karl Cook riding Caracole de la Roque. They entered the ring 11th in the order and blazed around, jumping clear and within the time (76.97).

Entering the arena 35th in the order for the USA was Laura Kraut and Baloutinue, who jumped well, but had an unfortunate rail and rattled a few others. They finished on a quick time (73.22), however, which in the end allowed them to qualify to move on to the final as one of the faster four-fault rounds.

The final rider for the USA and 60th to enter the ring, McLain Ward riding Ilex, jumped a gorgeous round, but had the most unlucky twist of fate when the top rail of the final fence fell. Their time was slower than 12 other four-fault rounds (75.50) so they just missed the cut to compete in tomorrow’s final, finishing in 34th today.

There were 20 clear rounds posted today, including Cook’s and Caracole de la Roque’s. One horse and rider combo accrued only one time fault. Nine riders who had four penalty points qualified, including Kraut. Finishing first in the standings today as the fastest clear round was Julien Epaillard of France with Dubai du Cedre. To see the final results and who else qualified for the individual final, go here.

The top 30 horse and rider combinations move on to the final tomorrow. Riders in tomorrow’s individual jumper final will start again on a zero score, so it really could be anyone’s day.

The individual final and medal ceremony are tomorrow, Tuesday, August 6, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Central European Time (4:00 a.m. – 6:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time).

◆ Individual Final Order of Go
◆ Individual Final Course Map
◆ Individual Final Fence Description

For more coverage, visit our 2024 Paris Olympics main page.

For broadcast information, go to NBCOlympics.com. All equestrian coverage is streamed live and available for replays on Peacock.

Thanks to CareCredit for our spring and summer equestrian coverage.

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The U.S. Jumping Team captured their third consecutive Olympic silver medal today in the Show Jumping Team Final here at the Château de Versailles in France. In addition to Paris 2024, they also won silver in the Tokyo 2020/21 Olympics Games and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. Great Britain won gold today with a total of two penalties (their last Olympic jumping team medal was gold in 2012 in London). Home country France took the bronze on a score of seven penalties (their last Olympic show jumping medal was gold in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro).

About the Course

Co-designed by Santiago Varela from Spain and Grégory Bodo from France, the course today was a bit more technically challenging today according to some of the riders. It was a bit longer in length too, yet the time allowed was the same as yesterday. There were 14 obstacles with 18 jumping efforts, including two doubles (which was one more than yesterday) and one triple combination. Time allowed was 79 seconds, the course length was 310 meters, and the prescribed speed was 400 meters/minute. Fence heights ranged from 0.9 meters to 1.65 meters. There was no water jump today, but there were liverpool jumps (essentially a “pan” of water under or behind a set of standards and rails). Many French landmarks and cultural items were incorporated into the design of the jumps again; there was one jump that looked like the base of the Eiffel Tower and one with standards that looked like the Arc de Triomphe, for instance.

Olympic Show Jumping Team Final Summary

For today’s Team Final, the qualified teams (9 teams, 3 riders each) started this morning with a clean slate. (There were supposed to be 10 teams, but at the very last minute the Mexican team had to withdraw due to a “veterinary issue” for one of their horses, Carlos Hank Guerreiro’s horse Porthos Maestro WH Z, leaving nine teams and 27 riders on the start list). Any jumping or time faults a rider incurred were added to their team’s cumulative score and the lowest score won. The teams competing today were: Belgium; France; Germany; Great Britain; Ireland; Israel; the Netherlands; Sweden, and the USA.

After two riders for each team took their turn around the course and the scores were tallied during a ring grooming break, the final rider from each country jumped the course in reverse order of the standings (so, the top teams’ riders went toward the end in the final group). That put riders from the Netherlands, Ireland, USA, France, Sweden and Great Britain as the final countries to go in the last group.

When others dropped rails, but the USA’s McLain Ward and Ilex and Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Jefferson left them up, the medals were finally decided. Even though Brash and Jefferson had a time fault, they carried Great Britain to a two-point victory. France’s Julien Epaillard and Dubai Du Cedre took one rail down, but no more, so their team had the bronze in front of a very appreciative crowd.

U.S. Team Steps Up

Team members Karl Cook (making his Olympic debut riding Caracole de la Roque), Laura Kraut (four-time Olympian—plus a year as an alternate—riding Baloutinue) and McLain Ward (six-time Olympian riding Ilex) earned their red, white and blue stripes by laying down two days of stellar team jumping rounds. They carried on a long tradition of U.S. show jumpers winning Olympic hardware.

Yesterday, the U.S. team finished on only six faults in the qualifier class, which easily put them into today’s team final. Today, starting on zero again, they only had four penalties to take the silver. Each day, two of the USA’s team riders jumped clear and within time, with the third rider only having one rail down. In the qualifier class yesterday, McLain Ward had one rail and two time faults for the total of six. Today, Laura Kraut and Baloutinue pulled one rail, but finished well within the time allowed.

Yesterday Kraut admitted to being quite nervous before her ride, but today she felt more confident, “Today I’m great. I’m disappointed I had one down, but he performed beautifully. I’m surprised that he had that down, but he kind of looked at it a little bit and I had maybe too much momentum. But other than that, I mean, he didn’t put a foot wrong. He’s the best.”

Cook had been the traveling reserve rider for the U.S. team with Caracole de la Roque, but was called up to compete in the very early hours of yesterday when Kent Farrington’s mare Greya horse showed signs of an allergic reaction (Greya is reported to be doing well now). Cook and Caracole de la Roque stepped up beautifully, producing two double-clear rounds in two days and making it look easy in the process.

The pair had also been members of the U.S. team for the Santiago Pan American Games last fall. At that time, Caracole de la Roque was still a fairly new ride for Cook and he was still figuring out the best way to ride her. They have really gelled since then and he rides her in a hackamore in competition (although he uses a different bridle on her in the warm-up ring, then switches to the hackamore).

Cook talked about the course and his horse after his ride today, “It’s a really tough course out there, as it should be―longer, bigger, wider, more careful, more technical than yesterday. It requires you to ride on the track that suits the stride you have. She’s such an amazing horse [Caracole]. She stuck with me the whole time. I couldn’t be happier. I felt more confident today, starting with a bigger canter and not having that fear that I’m going to have no ride-ability.”

After the USA won silver, Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland reflected on their team’s Olympic performance, “Arguably we came here with the strongest U.S. team in the last three Olympics. We had a strong one in Rio, but this team was stronger and certainly a stronger team than we had in Tokyo. What they pulled off in Tokyo was great.”

“We have three of the greatest riders that have ever ridden for our country on this team, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward,” Ridland continued. “And then we brought him, [Karl Cook]. But what that is, is that’s the present and the future. The first thing he [Karl] said when we talked about him travelling was, ‘I’m here to do whatever I need to do to help the other three do whatever is needed for the sport.’ Well, guess what? He did. Because that is, as McLain said, that’s one of the hardest things to do to get a last-minute [call up] two hours before.”

Ridland marveled at the venue and the crowd in the grandstands, “There’s not an empty seat in the house. This is the sport at its best. It was an amazing Games. I hear the President of France was here for the whole event. I mean, it just doesn’t get any better.”

◆ Show Jumping Team Medalists
◆ Full Show Jumping Team Results
◆ Show Jumping Final Course & Fence Description

Dressage Returns Tomorrow

Now the show jumpers will get some well-deserved rest for two days as the dressage horse and rider team pairs return to contest the Grand Prix Special Test to determine the Paris 2024 Olympic team medals. Thirty horses from 10 countries are slated to compete. The competition runs from 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Central European Time (4:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time).

◆ Grand Prix Special – Team Final Order of Go
◆ Grand Prix Special – Team Final Start List

For more coverage, visit our 2024 Paris Olympics main page.

For broadcast information, go to NBCOlympics.com. All equestrian coverage is streamed live and available for replays on Peacock.

Thanks to CareCredit for our spring and summer equestrian coverage.

The post 2024 Paris Olympics: Three Times Olympic Silver for U.S. Jumping Team appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In an exciting finish to the 2024 Paris Olympics team show jumping final, Great Britain’s riders all jumped clear, but incurred two time penalties to grab the gold ahead of the U.S. team, who captured silver with only four penalties. The home nation, France, finished on seven penalties for bronze.

Laura Kraut and Baloutinue, the lead-off pair for the USA, brought down only one rail and stayed within the time allowed to start the U.S. team out with four faults. The USA’s Karl Cook riding Caracole de la Roque, the middle rider to go for the U.S. team this afternoon, jumped clear and was the fastest (75.88) for the team. Team anchor rider McLain Ward on Ilex jumped clear as well in 76.57 to add no penalties to the team’s score.

This is the USA’s third consecutive Olympic silver medal, with the other two being in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016 and in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021. Great Britain last won show jumping team gold in London in 2012. The last Olympic team show jumping medal for France was gold in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

◆ Show Jumping Team Medalists
◆ Full Show Jumping Team Results
◆ Show Jumping Final Course & Fence Description

For more coverage, visit our 2024 Paris Olympics main page.

For broadcast information, go to NBCOlympics.com. All equestrian coverage is streamed live and available for replays on Peacock.

Thanks to CareCredit for our spring and summer equestrian coverage.

The post 2024 Paris Olympics: Show Jumping Team Final Results, USA Wins Silver appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Many times, I have seen riders canter to the first jump of a course and have it be less than stellar. But then they land, change their canter, and lay down the ride of a lifetime. I have named this “first jump-itis.” The cure is to establish a quality canter right away so that you can approach your first jump with impulsion and confidence, rather than using it as a reminder that you didn’t quite have enough pace.

Mastering the Canter Transition

It all boils down to a need for better preparation. First, examine the canter transition itself. In a lesson, you can’t use the whole ring to get going, as you and your horse are going to be exhausted before you even get to the first jump. In a group, you will get reprimanded for wasting time. At a show, you are only permitted an opening circle or 45 seconds, depending on your discipline.

Before you ask for the canter, be sure your horse is responding to your leg by developing a marching walk. This walk will feel as though your horse is truly taking you somewhere, not as though you are begging him to take each step. If the squeezing leg aid is not enough, don’t hesitate to give him a kick or tap him with a crop behind your leg.

Once the marching walk is established, use your inside leg to step your horse over toward the rail for a few steps, getting him thinking about his hind end.

Next, bring your outside leg back for one or two steps at the walk, then squeeze to give the canter aid. Be sure to sit tall and stay back (not throwing or perching your body forward) throughout all of this. The best transitions into the canter have an uphill, lifted quality to them, and this will be difficult to achieve if your weight is forward over your horse’s shoulders.

If your canter transition tends to involve a few (or many!) trot steps, be sure to do your homework to correct this. Your horse should move directly from the walk to the canter. Should the situation call for cantering from the trot, you can set your horse up to canter in a similar manner as described above but in a sitting trot. The whole process, once practiced, will take less than 10 seconds.

Canter Quality

Now that you have the canter, focus on its quality. It’s always better to have a little more pace in the canter than you think you need, as that will allow for you and your horse to have more options to choose from if you need to adjust as you approach the jump.

If your horse is being responsive to your leg, it will be easier to ask him to move up for a longer distance or collect for a tighter distance while still maintaining a springy energy to the gait. This indicates continued engagement of the hind end, called impulsion.

What typically happens when your first jump goes poorly is that the canter lacks impulsion, so you’re left with only the options of hoping to get to the jump at a good distance or to chip in to a tight distance. The option to move up to a more forward distance is not available if you never tuned up your horse to engage his hind end to be responsive to your leg aid.

Practice Makes Perfect

Remember, there’s no situation where a canter lacking impulsion will be useful. Whether there is a scary filler in the first jump on a hunter course or a tight turn after the first jump in a jumper course, a slow, weak canter won’t help to answer the question at hand.

A great exercise to actively practice building your pace to the first jump is by only jumping one jump: Set up a jump on both quarter lines of your arena, one for each lead (see opposite page). Make the jumps a comfortable height for you and your horse, 3 to 6 inches lower than the highest you regularly jump, or your competition height if you show.

For hunters, practice an opening circle and then head straight to the jump. Once you’re consistently meeting the jump with power in your canter off of each lead, increase the difficulty by adding in some attention-grabbing filler to the jump or make the jump an oxer.

For jumpers, don’t allow yourself more than half the ring to cultivate the canter you need. After being successful with the exercise from both leads, add a cone about 42 feet (three strides plus landing) beyond the center of each jump and turn before it to simulate a jump-off track.

Congratulations, your canter is a success!

This article about canter quality for jumping appeared in the April 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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As things continue to get more expensive, it’s no surprise that lots of riders have looked for creative ways to afford to keep doing what they love, whether that’s recreational trail or national competitions. Sponsorships can look appealing on the surface – I could get paid to show my own horse? Sounds too good to be true and that’s because, for the most part, it is. Here are the ins and outs of becoming a sponsored rider in the equestrian world (and what you really get you of it).

What is a Sponsorship?

If you grew up in the sports world, the word “sponsorship” may excite you. You think of million-dollar Nike deals being made with hard-working athletes just to wear their shoes during a game and talk them up online.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be paid to show your horse? Unfortunately, in the equine world, this type of sponsorship is definitely a unicorn – rare, hard to find, and even harder to get.

“Almost every sponsorship we’ve seen within our clients are product sponsorships,” shares Aaron Taylor, president and founder of NewStyle Digital, a marketing and advertising agency with many clients in the equestrian world, including both sponsored riders and companies with sponsors. “We really haven’t seen any monetary sponsorships, which even include globally-recognized riders. Because the equine world is so niche, most brands within the industry cannot necessarily afford to pay their athletes. However, they do offer product sponsorships that are very first-class.”

Most equestrian sponsorship deals are for product: you receive free product in exchange for using the items and talking the company up on your social media, in interviews and while competing.

While it might not sound complicated, sponsorships are not something you should go into lightly. After all, businesses are expecting something in return for the free product they have given you, no matter how low the price point.

Does Being a Sponsored Rider Affect Your Amateur Status?

Most organizations including the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), allow amateurs to be social media brand ambassadors or social media influencers who receive remuneration in the form of goods and even cash. However, it’s always best to double check the rules of every organization you plan on showing under, as rules change yearly.

If you find your organization does not allow amateurs to have sponsorships, then you have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to give up your status for a bit of money or free product.

“I think that no rider should lose amateur status over receiving free products from a company as a sponsorship,” shares Taylor. “I understand that when a rider is technically getting paid [in money] they should have to deal with this issue. As an example, college teams are sponsored by brands and they get free products, this doesn’t mean that they should all lose their amateur status. There are many influencers who are sponsored by brands that don’t even actively compete. Should they be considered professionals? My advice here would be to not lose amateur status over some free stuff, it really just isn’t worth it.”

On the flip side, if you find someone willing to foot your entire show bill, including lodging and transportation, you may decide it’s worth losing your amateur status within the organization you show under, if applicable. And while extremely rare, some people have luck asking family members, bosses or – in the case of youth – their parent’s bosses for sponsorships. Youth usually have better luck with this approach than adults, but you never know – your boss just might like the idea of sponsoring you on the weekends. In these cases, the companies are doing it more for the “giving back” aspect then getting something out of it, and are usually happy with logo placements on trailers and stalls.

Why Become a Sponsored Rider?

The first question you should ask yourself is why do you want to be a sponsored rider? If the answer is just to get free stuff, you may want to rethink your plan.

Think about what made you purchase your latest saddle pad or show shirt? Did you see it on Instagram or TikTok being used by your favorite equestrian? Brands have quickly adapted to the influence social media has on their customer’s buying habits.

“Many [sponsored] athletes receive custom products to their specifications, and at any time,” explains Taylor. “The good thing about this dynamic is that when you see a sought-after athlete wearing or using a specific product, they’re using that product because they like it, and not because they’re being paid to use it.”

This also means that businesses are looking for riders who can help them increase brand awareness and, ultimately, their sales. “Most companies and brands sponsor athletes that have leverage where they do not,” Taylor adds. “That leverage could be their social media following, their industry presence or their stats.”

Advice From the Professionals

Allegra Peardon, 19, is a sponsored rider who competes in jumpers with Fédération Equestre International (FEI), Fédération Française Equitation (FFE) and USEF. She has almost 35K followers on her TikTok account.

Peardon reached out to companies herself for sponsorships, but also had companies contact her.

“The goal was to make more connections in the horse world and get my name out there as well,” Peardon says about why she decided to get sponsors. “It’s always good to have a relationship with different types of businesses because it helps you get your name out as a rider while supporting brands that you believe in and stand behind.” Her current sponsors are Equisite Elements of Style and Purvida Healthy Horse,

Her advice to anyone thinking about going after sponsorships is to make sure you research the companies and pick ones where you genuinely like the product.

“My second piece of advice is that you shouldn’t look for sponsors just for benefits on your part,” she says. “A sponsorship works both ways. Being sponsored is great, but you also need to be committed and ready to establish a strong connection before anything happens. Once you find a company that you appreciate and would love to support, that’s where the magic happens.”

“I think the most helpful advice we can give a rider looking for sponsorships is the realistic expectation of what they’re going to get out of it,” says Taylor. “Essentially, you’ll be getting free products and maybe even featured on their website, social media accounts or advertisements. If you’re set on finding a sponsor, I think approaching brands that you personally love and use are where you should gravitate towards. More than likely, your sponsorship benefits will primarily include free products, and the last thing you would want to do is not like the product you’re getting.”

Also read- Common Legal Issues in the Horse World

Next Steps to Becoming a Sponsored Rider

Still want to be a sponsored rider? Having some kind of social media following is helpful. Elizabeth Tinnan is a mounted archery competitor, trainer and clinician. She has 5.4k followers on Facebook. Being from a more niche sport, you may think there is not a lot opportunity for sponsorships, but she is currently sponsored by Steve’s Archery Leathercraft, Stonewall Saddle Company and Wild Montana Leathercrafting. All three of these are product sponsors.

“The sponsorships I have were obtained by reaching out to each company or through my testing, feedback and support for their products,” explains Tinnan.

“Just like other non-equine sports, companies sponsor athletes who are winning, who are well-known or have a large audience that they would like to reach,” says Taylor. “As for social media followers, there is not an exact number of followers you would need to have on any particular channel. However, your following should be large enough (and also engaged enough) to display that you are someone with influence on their followers.”

And while you can go it alone, research companies and reach out to them on your own, you may decide that for your dreams, you need someone in your corner. That’s where a company like NewStyle Digital comes in. They help riders get sponsorships as well as help companies find riders to sponsor. They may be a good place to start if you are not sure if your profile is ready to take on sponsorships.

“We will typically review their physical and digital ‘resume’ and image to see what may need improvement,” shares Taylor. “From that point, we can provide services or suggestions to help them in their search for sponsorships.”

At the end of the ride, sponsorships can help an equestrian become more well-known, and of course give you some cool perks in the way of free products. But you have to prepared to think of it as job, with duties and time commitments that you need to follow through with or you will lose them. Coming at it from this perspective and not just “I want free stuff or a way to show my horse for free” will help ensure success for both rider and company.

This article about becoming a sponsored rider is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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There is often a misconception among jumping riders that in order for a practice course to be interesting or beneficial, it needs to be a lengthy, complicated track. While it’s important to test yourself and your horse in this way, it’s also important to take time to return to basics and use practice tracks for jumping. By using a course that is easy to remember, it frees your mind up to focus on the details. This course is also a great idea for anyone that is making do with a limited number of jumps or a smaller riding area.

The jumps are to be set up as pictured in Figure 1. The jumps can be any height that you and your horse are comfortable with, even if that is just ground poles. Feel free to switch up the order and direction in which you ride the jumps, but for the sake of our discussion, I will be using the course described in Figure 1.

Ride a Practice Course Three Ways

There are three different styles in which to ride this jumping practice track: hunter, equitation, or jumper. When practicing more of a hunter-style course, your goal should be to establish a tempo and then stay on that tempo with only tiny adjustments.

Your inside leg should be used to create an inside bend and to push your horse out into every turn, going all the way to the rail. Use your corners to re-evaluate your rhythm and make sure you are not slowing down nor speeding up. It is easy to gain momentum after the first one or two jumps!

Next is the equitation style practice track. If possible, give yourself markers of some kind. Place the markers as shown in Figure 1. Now the goal is to execute the same track in a tighter space, turning just outside the markers for all of the turns during the course, including before the first jump and after the final jump. Now your organization skills are starting to be put to the test as the questions arise faster due to a shorter time between jumps.

The last track to try out is the jumper practice track. This time you will be turning before your markers from the equitation track, or you have the option to move them in closer to the jumps to challenge yourself. Your focus should now be on the responsiveness of your horse as you move through a tighter track with a faster rhythm. Remember not to cut your corners so tightly that you sacrifice straightness. Your horse should be straight for the last two to three strides before the jump in order to give him time to properly prepare for takeoff.

Other Points to Address

This exercise can also be used to address problems specific to certain horses and riders. If your horse tends to rush toward the jump or immediately after, the practice track allows for halting after each jump.

Horses that can be wary of new or different jumps can be acclimated by placing different fillers underneath the jumps. Because the track is simple, it is easier for the horse to negotiate the potentially scary obstacle in front of them rather than also dealing with a prescribed distance in a line or a tight turn before or after the jump in question.

Because of the simplicity of the track, this is also a great time to experiment with how small changes in your body affect your horse. Examples include shifting your weight slightly in the air to help your horse land on the correct lead, adjusting the timing of your half-halt in the turn, and experimenting with the strength of your leg and rein aids while turning.

If you or your horse already prefer a certain style of riding over the others, I encourage you to branch out. Not only will it contribute to your growth as a rider, but your horse will also benefit from doing something different.

When riding your jumper on the hunter track, they will start to soften in the corners and refrain from rushing as they realize they aren’t being asked to turn quickly and find the next jump. This softness will greatly improve your ability to adjust your horse’s stride length.

While riding your hunter on the equitation or jumper practice track, your horse will start to become more responsive to the aids as the turns come up quicker, which comes in handy when you need to make small, invisible adjustments on course.

After riding all three jumping practice courses, it is very likely that you come across something that you or your horse find difficult. This creates a great opportunity to select future exercises that specifically target these problem areas.

This article about jumping practice courses appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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