Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week, we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect, and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: How would you help a rider who struggles with their track in bending lines?
Here are their answers:
“The first exercise I use to help riders improve their track in the bending lines involves 3 cavalettis, or small jumps. Use one single as the first jump and the other two making an option to do a bending line to the left or the right, both using the same first jump in the line – setting each one right in-between 7 and 8 strides (you can make this shorter or longer, but I like to set it right in-between a number to give the rider two options depending on the track they chose). Before starting, I have the riders walk both 7 and 8 options on foot, to get a visual of the inside and outside route in the line that will change the striding. Then, on horseback, have the rider jump the first bending line. They can stay out for an 8 or stay in for a 7, then continue to do a nice big turn around to come back down it on the other side, picking a track beforehand and getting another 7 or 8, depending on where they chose to ride the line, and then halt. I always have them count out loud. This can also be done trotting in the lines and adding a stride.
Another great exercise, if the arena room allows, is using 3-6 cavalettis. One side of the arena uses 3 cavalettis, making 2 continuous bending lines, one after another. The first line is a 7-8 strides, jump two starts the second bending line, which is 6-7 strides. It’s very important that riders count out loud. They continue around to the other side of the arena, where the same set of bending lines, one after another, is set again, and they continue through those, counting out loud. Walking these beforehand will also give a great rider visual and help them understand where they land off the jump and how choosing an inside or outside route will determine their striding.”
-Emily Chamberlin
“When helping a rider who struggles with bending lines, I like to break it down into the 3 different tracks they can ride—inside, middle, or outside. Many riders who struggle tend to land, stop looking ahead, and then have trouble directing the horse after the jump.
One exercise I use is placing 3 cones between the fences to represent the different tracks. It helps riders develop their eye, understand how their landing affects the track they should take, and learn to look up and make a plan immediately after landing instead of reacting late.” -Erica Eckenhoff-Cannuli
“One of my favorite exercises to practice how to ride a bending line is to set 3 cavalettis. The first one is angled out of the corner, bending to the second one on the quarter line in a normal 5 strides, which is then ridden as a bending to the third cavaletti angled out of the corner in a normal 5 strides (think of the 3 cavalettis in the shape of a ‘C’). I then have riders practice middle-to-middle track in 5 strides, outside-to-outside track in 6 strides, then inside-to-inside track in 4 strides. Once riders can master going between the middle, shaping, and the direct track, I move on to mixing the tracks. We will do 5 strides to 4 strides, then 4 strides to 5 strides…etc. This exercise can be done off both leads and set with different strides depending on the size of your arena. The key is for riders to keep horses connected and on the correct lead throughout the exercise, regardless of what track they are taking. Very advanced riders can continue this exercise on the counter lead, working on holding the counter canter while manipulating the track in the bending line.” -Brittany Friesner
“There are a few reasons why a rider may be losing the track in their bending lines, so first, we need to identify why this is happening. It’s usually because the rider is too heavy in one rein over the other, or the horse pushes through their leg. It’s always best to go back to the basics with your dressage work to keep horse and rider even in both directions.” -Ryan Genn
“One of the ways I teach riders to ride bending lines is by keeping it simple. I explain the three different tracks and use cones to guide them while they’re jumping. The cones help riders clearly see and feel each track, allowing them to better understand the line, balance, and track they need to maintain throughout the exercise.” -Terry Gonzalez
“Riders who want to feel more confident with bending lines can work on these three things: focus, balance, and riding the corners to set up the tracks. Bending lines are a gift if you have a horse who can be difficult to adjust in stride, but they can also be a curse if you have a horse with a very stiff or crooked direction. I always advise teaching your horse the basics in flatwork, like shoulder-in and leg yields, to help them understand movement off the inside leg to the outside rein in both directions. This can also help with teaching the horse to land the lead when they feel inside leg pressure at the girth in front of the take-off stride to the jumps.
Focus and Balance somewhat go hand-in-hand. The rider should be able to carry a ‘soft eye’ in the approach to the fences, using their peripheral vision to see the top rail of the fence and looking at a focal point past the fence to line up their approach and their track on the landing. If the rider is carrying their eye forward, keeping their chin parallel to the ground, they will more easily land with balance into their leg and heel. Landing into the leg and heel allows the rider more upper body control and an independent hand that does not need to use the neck for balance. Practicing the ‘out-of-hand’ release, keeping a following contact with a straight line to the mouth in the air while keeping the hand off the neck, will allow the rider to better control the position of the track on the landing with their leg. I like to have riders practice the driving rein (thumbs on top of the reins facing the bit) with the out-of-hand release while jumping a fence on a circle and counting my fingers as I stand in the center of the circle to improve their balance and focus.
Once you can control your focus and balance, you can really start to feel the inside leg on the landing to give your horse the right amount of shape to the bend. Bending lines come in many variations. Picture a dotted line from the center of each fence to the point where they meet. You then have a picture of the curve. In a Jumper class, you may choose to ride a more direct route instead of a curve to eliminate a stride. Again, this is something you have to evaluate as you walk a course. What you are also evaluating as you learn the course is how you want to ride your corner to the approach of the first fence in the bending line. Depending on the angle of the bending line, you have three options in the corner.
Option 1, you can turn slightly ahead of the perpendicular line to the fence to position your horse with more inside leg to outside rein at take off, if the line is more of a rainbow curve, or you have a horse that will really want to cut in on the landing, taking you off your desired track.
Option 2, you can square up your turn to the first fence, riding the perpendicular track to set up a curve that rides a center-to-center track, keeping the horse on several straight strides to the center point of the line, and then several straight strides to complete the out of the line.
Option 3, you can go slightly past the perpendicular line to the first fence to set up a slightly diagonal angle into the line pressing the horse off the corner with the outside leg, then moving that leg forward to the girth at take off to ask the horse to change lead in the direction of the bend. You can practice this exercise with corners over a single cavaletti and teach the horse to anticipate what track is coming on the landing by how you set up the corner. It’s amazing how fast they learn to know where they’re going on the landing by how you make the corner in the approach!” -Michelle Guglielmo
“Solutions for this are a lot of fun! Bending lines offer many options to improve balance, suppleness, and straighter loading of the horse’s body. Firstly, eyes on the second jump of the line before you’re over the top of the first jump, so you lead your track deliberately. Then, feel what your horse needs upon landing—more outside leg? Less inside hand? Your shoulders back as a reminder to shift weight to the hindquarters? And apply. Use the grace and generosity of the bending line to squeeze the horse forward and straight if needed, or push out for more time and strides if that will help their balance and rhythm. Think of bending lines as gifts of checking in with the sensations your horse offers and having a little bit of time and track to give them just what they need to improve or maintain for the remainder of the course.” -Rachel Maloney
“Bending lines can be very intimidating for jumper and hunter riders when viewing a course chart. I would work with the rider who is struggling with bending lines, at home, over caveletti on a bend, finding the center of each element. Then, break the line up into two parts, take off and landing, and take off and landing, connecting it all back into one smooth line. This exercise will give the horse and rider confidence to follow the track they find between the two jumps with rhythm and balance.” -Genna Marano
“When planning how to ride a bending line, there are a few key elements to keep in mind. First, consider where you land—this is crucial. Next, identify which lead you are in. If you land on the outside lead, decide whether to hold the counter canter or perform a flying change.
If you’re struggling with the bending line, a great training aid is to set ground rails in the middle of the arena—for example, five steps to the right and six steps to the left on both sides. Begin by matching your landing—if you land left, ride left; if you land right, ride right. Once you have that consistency, introduce the lead change, and then hold the counter canter as needed. By staying deliberate with each step, you’ll build confidence and rhythm in your bending lines.” -Steve McAllister
“I would work on bending lines with poles and practice counting, keeping energy the same, but experimenting with the track to come up with different striding.” -Debbie McCarthy-Connor
“For me, I was very fortunate growing up—I showed the hunters, jumpers, and equitation, and I was able to practice track riding. I think the most important thing is repetition and practice at home to get yourself confident in learning the rhythm, line, and track needed for various bending lines.” -Carlee McCutcheon
“I typically encourage riders to think of a broken line as two separate lines. So if it’s a bending six, know whether you want to turn at stride 2, 3 or 4. So, for example, in a bending six, you would land off one jump, go straight for the first two strides, then turn, and then you would have another straight 4 strides to the next jump.” -Robert Mendoza
“Bending lines challenge riders because they have to manage turns, distance, strides, and jumps. Often, riders over-focus on one piece (usually the jump) and lose the horse’s balance in the turn. My advice is to ride the shape of the turn the whole time: use your eyes early, keep outside aids engaged, and hold the horse’s balance through the arc. When you maintain connection and rhythm through the turn, the distance usually appears naturally.” -Bryn Sadler
“First off, bending lines can be one of the most challenging aspects of a course. Assessing where you are and making the necessary adjustments in the moment can be difficult, even for the most experienced riders.
I always tell my students to walk the course or just the tricky lines TWICE and develop a clear mental image of how they plan to ride the track. Understanding your horse’s stride and recognizing whether they tend to drift in one direction or another are also major factors. I encourage riders to study their track carefully, know their line, and have a clear picture in their mind of exactly how they need to ride it.
If something unexpected happens while on course—for example, your horse lands and shifts more than anticipated, or you get pushed out to the outside track when you intended to stay on the inside—you will be far more prepared to make the necessary adjustments if you have already done your homework beforehand.
Having a clear plan and mental image can truly set you up for success.” -Jennifer Strickland
“This all comes down to basic skill set of lateral work. All my students need to know how to leg yield their horses at the very least. We work on leg yield in walk, sitting trot and even canter via shallow loops. Great ways you can get your legs more effective is also by riding without stirrups. Often times we rely on the reins way too much for steering so being able to steer with leg and seat is key. On occasion, with younger horses especially, a simple guidance track with poles/cones can help, as well as establishing good rhythmic canter prior via bounce poles for example. At the end of the day if the balance and rythem is there with the horse as well as the rider, the bending line will become easy.” -Laura Kotimäki-Hurd
“I teach my riders to ride a bending line like an angle. If we are able to walk it, we count strides and pick a point on the top of the angle and then ride back in for the rest of it.
So say it’s a 5, so we ride 3 direct, and touch that tip and then two back in. It’s worked very well and helps the rider be very accurate. It doesn’t actually look like your turning it just gives the rider a visual point to hit before they head to the second part.” -Daphne Boogaard
“I like to set a bending 7, place a rail or block on the inside track to force a clear decision: either ride the wider bending track for 8 strides or commit to a more direct bending 7. I find that it prevents riders from drifting between options and helps them stay accurate on their chosen track. The goal is to encourage early commitment, better balance through the turn, and a more intentional, efficient ride to the second jump.” -Mel Spadaccini
“I would have the rider walk the line.( after the arena has been dragged is the best )If it comes up long or short make them walk it till it comes up on a 12 foot stride. They should Look at the line they walked, get on the horse and practice concentric circles on both leads till they feel no resistance on the inside rein. Now they are ready to ride the line they walked. Riding the line they walked will feel different off the two leads and will need to be practiced till the horse and rider can stay on the line with a consistent 12ft stride. Concentric circles on a 12’ stride help horse and rider to keep the flow on a bending line.” -Tami Masters
