With every stride, press your horse forward with your leg. Close your hip angle and soften your contact with his mouth. Yet if you’re like most riders and realize your horse wants to add an extra stride (or two) between the poles, you’ll need to lengthen his stride. Open your hip angle, settle a little deeper into the saddle and steady slightly with your hands. If you discover that your horse runs out of room between the poles, daring to leave out an entire stride, use your aids to collect him. But this will still give you a clear idea of your horse’s normal canter stride.” “They’re just poles, so the horse’s arc won’t be much more than just a canter stride. “I set two ground poles about 66 feet apart, which should ride in five strides,” says Smith, who notes that the distance is about 6 feet shorter than the traditional measurement because they aren’t actual jumps. Then you can gauge whether you need to lengthen or collect your horse’s stride for an actual course. Smith suggests cantering over poles on the ground that are set at a distance mimicking a simple line. It’s always good to practice lines at home before going to a show so that you can learn to adjust your horse’s stride between jumps. “If you’re used to cantering on a 10-foot stride, and setting lines at home according to your comfort zone, you’ll get to a show and be suddenly surprised,” she says.
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