| Everyone knows how important stretching, using | | | | are unfamiliar with the routine. Initially poles are used in |
| different muscle groups as well as constantly working | | | | place of jumps, allowing the horse and rider to trot |
| on increasing and maintaining flexibility is for humans. | | | | through, focusing on having the horse develop control |
| Not surprisingly it is equally if not more important for | | | | and flexibility in approaching the poles and then later |
| horses, regardless of the type of work that they will | | | | the jumps. Poles are then combined with low jumps, |
| be required to do. Sport or jumping horses and those | | | | allowing the horse both a warm up as well as a |
| that are competitively ridden need to work on flexibility | | | | prelude to the actual gymnastics program. This trot |
| and muscle development just the same as pleasure | | | | jump, which is often done as an isolated exercise, |
| horses that are used for the occasional weekend | | | | helps cue the horse and also helps the rider to focus |
| event or ride. | | | | on correct positioning, following the horse and using leg |
| The great news is that working any type of horse | | | | control to help the horse with carriage, balance and |
| through a gymnastics routine will increase the horse's | | | | landing. |
| control, energy levels and flexibility. It will also help the | | | | The benefit of using a gymnastic type approach to |
| rider focus on the horse's position during the jump, as | | | | training is that the positioning of the jumps and poles is |
| well as how to improve their own riding skills. Since the | | | | strategic. They are placed so that the horse is cued to |
| goal of the gymnastics program is to increase the | | | | transition weight to make the jump, plus it also |
| horse's balance, jump and landing as well as increase | | | | encourages the horse to continuously be thinking about |
| the self-carriage of the horse, injuries and stress on | | | | what he or she is doing. Through these controlled but |
| the horse will decrease through the use of gymnastics | | | | low level jump exercises the horse and rider develop a |
| as a core part of training. | | | | unified sense of balance and control, with the horse |
| All horse gymnastic programs start with basic, simple | | | | also developing an increased flexibility and response to |
| jumps and trots between jumps, ideal for horses that | | | | the rider. |