In this exercise from his video series on EQUESTRIAN+, top U.S. hunter rider and trainer Geoffrey Hesslink demonstrates how to use three raised cavalletti on a curved line to learn how you can manipulate your pace and track to achieve more collected and forward lines in the hunter ring.

“This exercise can really help your horse become more adjustable,” he said. “And it’s an excellent training tool for riders because it keeps your eye moving and teaches you how to use your track, pace and momentum—all those good things that we need for the show ring.”

To set this exercise up, position three raised cavalletti (the height isn’t important here; you just want them slightly raised so your horse creates a little shape over them) on a curved line in the center of your arena so you can easily ride it from both directions. When you walk it, Hesslink notes that it should walk a very forward four or a very tight six, so it’s right on the half stride.

“The footage between the jumps stays the same,” he said. “But you’ll learn how do a variation of different stride numbers between each by collecting and lengthening your horse’s stride and by changing your track. I hope you have fun doing it.”

Here’s a highlight of Hesslink’s top tips on how to navigate this exercise in five, four and six strides and how to increase the difficulty with stride and track variations. Try incorporating this exercise into your regular training routine to improve your and your horse’s overall performance in the hunter ring.

Warm Up on the Flat

“When you’re warming up on the flat, practice collecting and lengthening your horse’s stride to make sure he’s listening to you. I ask Stewie to lengthen his stride by getting into a light seat or two-point position and then encourage him to almost go on in a hand gallop. Then, I’ll sit up and ask him to collect.

“Next, I’ll do a few upward and downward transitions to make sure he’s on my aids and doesn’t break to a trot when I ask him to slow and collect the canter. I don’t want him going sideways or looking around. He should go straight and forward when I ask him to extend. If you do this flatwork correctly, it will set you up for success when doing this exercise.”

Finding Five, Four and Six Strides

“To begin, I have my riders practice doing a set number of strides riding this exercise in both directions to encourage the horses to use the muscles on both sides of their bodies evenly. Like we talked about in the warm-up, this exercise requires you change your pace. You need to have a forward canter for the four, a collected canter for the six, as well as what I call a normal or ring pace for the five.

“Doing the exercise in five strides is going to be the more natural stride. In the six stride, your horse will have to collect himself and sit more on his hind end to add the extra stride, so you’ll want to slow your pace and use the wider track. The four stride will be the opposite. You’ll want to ride a more direct line and take the bend out of the curve per se. It’s also important that your horse is engaged, paying careful attention and looking for the next jump for those more forward rides.

“Ideally, you want your horse to land on the lead you’re tracking on, but if he doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world. You’re not going to get the lead you want every time in the show ring, so it’s important to practice and work through those moments.

“When collecting a horse for this exercise, it’s crucial that you don’t lose the quality of your canter. While it’s tempting to just pull on your horse’s mouth to get him to go slower, you want to make sure he continues to engage his hind end. You don’t want him to ‘tranter’ where he’s going more in a four-beat canter. He needs to maintain a true three-beat canter, which requires him to use his core and back muscles to make his stride physically smaller with sacrificing the quality of the gait.”

Up the Challenge With Stride Variations

“After doing the four, five and six strides in both directions, I have my riders start to do different variations of those strides to make the exercise more challenging. So, we might do four strides between the first and second cavalletti and six between the second and third. Then, we might do a five to a four. This is where your track really comes into play. The more direct the line you take the less space you have to make the four stride. When you take the wider or outside track, the more space you have to fit in the six strides.

“Again, make sure you establish a true canter for the forward four stride, but here it’s even more important that your horse is balanced. You don’t want him too low or inverted. Make sure he’s focused and his attention is on the jump in front of him. That way, he’s able to do the more direct track. If he’s a bit distracted going in at the more forward canter, he’s more likely to land on the wrong lead than when he’s collected.

“Riders of all levels in this sport utilize this exercise or some variation of it because it’s so beneficial for finding your pace, eye and track. But it’s not easy. It’s a very difficult exercise, so it’s important not get frustrated. It might seem simple, but every horse is different and tends to prefer one way of going over the other.

“When you work on bending lines like this, your approach to the first element is very important. For example, if I’m doing a six to a four, I might approach the first jump from the outside track and then move to the inner track across the jump to eliminate some footage to make the second part of the line in the more forward four strides.

“On the other hand, if I’m doing a four to a six, I would approach the first element from the inside track and then hold him straight or even slightly out on an angle to ensure I have more space to kind of exaggerate the line to allow the collection for the six to appear almost invisible.

“From the rider’s perspective, it’s essential that you remain balanced and centered on your horse to help him land on the correct lead after each jump. If you’re unbalanced or meet the jump at an awkward angle or you’re out of stride, your horse is more likely to land the outside lead which will through you off and create a domino effect. From that point, it’s going to be pretty hard to complete the exercise correctly. I hope these tips were helpful to you and your horse!”

About Geoffrey Hesslink

Geoffrey Hesslink owns and operates Hesslink Williams farm in Wellington, Florida, with his partner Brendan Williams. He is one of the leading hunter riders in the country and is a top trainer for juniors and amateurs in hunters, jumpers and equitation. Some of his most recent accolades include being named 2023 Pennsylvania National Horse Show Leading Hunter Rider, winning the 2023 $100,000 WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular at Traverse City Spring and placing second at the 2023 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, both aboard Drumroll. And in 2022, he piloted Mon Tresor to the win in the prestigious $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular. 

For More:

• To watch Geoffrey Hesslink’s full lesson on changing your pace and track on a curved line of three raised cavalletti on EQUESTRIAN+, click here.
• To check out his lesson on how to ride gymnastics to improve your hunter rounds, click here.
• You can also watch his brand-new training lesson on how to execute proper hunter lines here.
• Learn how Hesslink fosters a positive training environment to instill confidence in both his students and horses here.

Coming soon: Be on the look out for more video training lessons with Hesslink, a barn tour of his stunning facility in Wellington, Florida, and for our exclusive interview with him and his longtime friend and business partner Bethany Lee, founder of My Equestrian Style.