We have a favorite exercise that helps riders improve their skills to ride the correct track from jump to jump. The exercise is called the S-curve, and as the name suggests, it’s made up of three jumps that create an S-shaped pattern. As you work through the exercise, you’ll practice adjusting your track and pace in different ways to change the number of strides between fences.
Lexy Reed rides Good Boy, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by Macy Kate Young, through this track-riding exercise that improves adjustability and suppleness. | © Sandra Oliynyk
By changing the track and pace, your horse’s adjustability will improve, and the frequent lead changes over the jumps will require him to use both leads equally, which will help him be more ambidextrous and supple. Plus, it’s a good exercise to practice and be comfortable with if you compete because you’ll see variations in many handy hunter and equitation classes.
This exercise is also really customizable—you can make it very simple or difficult depending on your level and your horse’s level. We’ll explain how in this article.
Setup
To set the three jumps for the S-curve exercise, check out the diagram below. We like to set the fences as verticals so the exercise can be jumped in both directions. You don’t need to make the jumps big to benefit from the exercise—you can use poles, cavalletti or crossrails.
Start the setup by placing the middle fence of the exercise on the centerline of your arena. With your back facing that fence and centered on it, walk a curving line (for six strides, about 84 feet) to the right and set the second vertical. Place this jump so it’s perpendicular to the middle vertical and so its center is where you finished walking the line. Next, return to the middle fence and stand on the opposite side from the second fence. On this side of the fence, again with your back to it, walk a curving six strides to the right and set the third jump, perpendicular to the middle vertical.
The nice thing about this exercise is it can be easily modified. So if your ring isn’t big enough to fit this striding, you can absolutely set it for different striding. Five strides (72 feet) or even three strides (48 feet) would work well. Keep in mind if you are using poles or very small jumps, the striding will be slightly different. Poles set at 84 feet would be seven strides instead of six.
1. Lexy has ridden to the center of her first jump and is already looking at the second jump. Since she wants Good Boy to land on his left lead, she is using a slight opening left rein and has put more weight in her right stirrup. | © Sandra Oliynyk
Ride the S-Curve
In this exercise, your goal is to jump the center of all three jumps while making the curve of your track the same on both sides of the middle jump. Your horse should change his shape and lead in the air over the middle jump. The first jump is at one end of the S-curve. The second jump is in the middle of the S-curve. And the third jump is at the other end of the S-curve.
Introduce your horse to the exercise one section at a time.
1. Canter the first and second jumps on a big circle to the left a few times. Focus on keeping your pace consistent. Stay in the middle of your horse and centered in the middle of the jumps. Control the turn from the first fence to the second by using your outside aids to balance your horse and inside aids to guide him around the circle. Don’t worry about the number of strides your horse gets.
2. Next jump the second and third jumps on a big circle off the right lead. Follow the same directions as when you jumped the first and second jumps.
2. Lexy continues to the second jump by balancing Good Boy with her outside leg and guiding him with an opening inside rein. | © Sandra Oliynyk
Don’t be afraid to really simplify things. Start over poles or really small crossrails if you need to. You can also start by trotting in and cantering out or cantering in and trotting out. Start as simply as you need to and try to master each level before making the exercise more difficult.
Once you and your horse are confident and doing the two sections well, ride the whole exercise.
Ride the entire line.
1. After you have introduced your horse to the exercise one section at a time, pick up your horse’s stronger lead, and establish a good canter rhythm. Think about keeping your pace consistent and your horse balanced. In this example, we’ll start with your horse on the left lead.
2. Stay in the middle of your horse and approach the first fence, looking at and riding to its center.
3. As your horse takes off to the first jump, look at the second jump.
4. Over the jump, control the turn by balancing with the outside aids and guiding with the inside aids. Use a slight opening inside rein and put weight in your outside stirrup. This frees up your horse’s shoulder so he can land on the lead you’re asking. So if you want your horse to land on the left lead, use an opening left rein and put more weight in your right stirrup. Make sure when you are using the opening rein that you are following the horse’s mouth softly and not pulling back or pulling his head to the side.
5. Continue your S-curve to the center of the second jump.
6. As your horse takes off to the second jump, look at the third jump. Try to map out a track so you keep the track the same on both sides of the second jump.
7. Over the second jump, again, control the turn by balancing with the new outside aids and guiding with the new inside aids. So if you jumped the first two fences on the left lead, now you want your horse to land on the right lead. Use an opening right rein and put more weight in your left stirrup.
8. Allow your horse to jump the center of the third jump.
3. Here, Lexy has switched her aids—her inside (left) leg has now become her outside leg and she’s using a nice opening, guiding rein to let Good Boy know where he’s going next—to the third
and final jump just out of the frame. | © Sandra Oliynyk
After you have ridden the exercise in one direction, reverse and do the exercise from the other direction. Depending on your level and your horse’s level, you can either ride the two separate sections before putting the S-curve together, or you can start by riding the whole S-curve. Remember to take your time, especially if your horse is inexperienced.
How many strides?
At first, the number of strides you get between the jumps is not important, but see what stride comes up naturally and keep track of the number. When you do the exercise from the other direction, take note on whether the number of strides stays the same.
It’s OK if you get a different number of strides between the first and second jumps and the second and third jumps. And it’s OK if you get a different number of strides when you reverse direction. As you practice this exercise and you and your horse become more confident, it’s also normal that he takes bigger and bolder steps and takes fewer strides between the jumps. For example, the first time through, you may get six and seven strides, then five and six.
Troubleshooting
The biggest challenge with this exercise is getting your horse to land on the correct lead. One of the most common mistakes is that riders tend to lean toward the lead they want their horses to pick up, instead of leaning away from it. If you lean toward the lead you want, you’re going to free up the opposite shoulder, which is actually asking the horse to land on the wrong lead.
Also, if you’re looking down or not where you’re heading next, the horse may not understand which direction he’s headed. This could result in the incorrect lead. If your horse lands on the wrong lead, ask for a change and continue. If your horse doesn’t have a flying lead change, you can do a simple change or hold the counter lead. Keep working to apply your aids correctly and clearly, and he will soon get the idea.
If you continue having difficulty getting your horse to land on the correct lead, simplify it. For example, if your horse doesn’t want to land on the left lead, jump the first line on the circle to the left until you’ve mastered that. Then, try adding in the second part of the exercise again.
Once you are comfortable with the exercise, you can increase the difficulty by playing with the track and pace to affect the striding more precisely.
Change Your Track and Pace to Increase Difficulty
There are two ways to change the number of strides between the jumps: by changing the length of your horse’s stride or by changing the track. You can practice both with this exercise. When you’re jumping on a curve, changing your track by just a little can add or subtract a stride.
To change the track, continue to jump the center of each jump but alter the track on the bending lines. First, use a strong outside leg to ride a shallower curve and shorten the number of strides. Even by going slower and shaving the track a bit, you can still get the same number of strides. Then, change the track by pushing your horse off your inside leg and riding wider turns and straight lines to the jumps.
Once you have played with changing the track, you can also work on shortening and lengthening your horse’s stride on the different tracks. By changing the number of strides, you’re working on getting your horse completely adjustable. One thing to keep in mind is to aways start with what is easier for your horse before working on what is more difficult for him. For instance, if your horse has a shorter stride, it’s going to be easier to add strides. If you have a big-strided horse who likes to go forward, it’s going to be easier to leave the strides out.
These are some variations you can try: Ride six strides to six strides in the regular S-curve track. Then try six to seven and six to five. Then you can mix up both lines and try a five to a five or a seven to a seven. To make it really difficult, you could do a five to a seven, where you’ll be riding the five-to-five line on a very shallow curve, but you’ll have to really shorten up your stride to get the seven.
About Lexy Reed and Vanessa Brown
Lexy Reed grew up in Ocala, Florida, where she trained with Don Stewart Stables and Quiet Hill Farm. As a Junior, she was named Best Child Rider and Grand Junior Hunter Champion at the Devon Horse Show. Reed later earned championship titles at the Capital Challenge, Hampton Classic, National Horse Show, and Washington International Horse Show. In her last two years as a Junior, she competed in jumpers, where she won several grands prix. After her Junior career, Reed moved to Holland where she competed internationally for 10 years. Now based in Wellington, Florida, she owns Two Goals Farm with business partner Keri Kampsen. They specialize in the import, training and sales of hunters, jumpers and equitation horses.
Vanessa Brown is based in Wellington, Florida, at Derby Lane LLC. She specializes in the development, sales and leases of quality hunters and equitation horses. Brown also teaches and conducts clinics nationwide.
To watch a video of Lexy Reed demonstrating this exercise with Vanessa Brown’s on-the-ground guidance, subscribe to EQUESTRIAN+ (equestrianplus.com). Use code LEXY15 for 15% off your first month’s subscription.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Practical Horseman.
