Training

Jumping Lessons: Advanced Bounce Grid Exercises

This gymnastic builds on the simpler bounce grid presented earlier; the element of trotting creates a high-intensity squat workout for your horse!

Two images of a bay horse jumping through a grid.

By: Holly Grayton | May 2, 2025

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. jumping lessons: advanced bounce grid exercises by: holly grayton. this gymnastic exercise is for more advanced horses and is a nice continuation from the simpler bounce exercise we posted previously. we have added in the element of trotting as well, which will make this grid a high-intensity squat workout for your horse! setup:. pole – 9’ – crossrail – 18’ – vertical – 10’ – vertical – 10’ – vertical – 10’ – vertical – 21’ – vertical – 21’ – oxer. as always, we like to start with the gymnastic broken down to the basics, from which point we can build it up progressively. in this case, start with only the pole and first crossrail to make sure the horse is comfortable with the trot jump. it is a great opportunity to solidify the timing and execution of the trot jump, remembering the horse needs to make a quality canter transition over the pole to ensure a good jump. advertisement scroll to continue with content if the horse is slow to think canter, encourage with a cluck or light touch with the crop behind the leg; if the horse rushes the transition, be sure to ask for a downward transition as soon as you land to remind the horse to stay balanced and thoughtful. repetition early on is useful to make sure when all the elements of the gymnastic are built up we aren’t struggling with the foundation of the exercise! as soon as you are comfortable with the trot jump, start adding in elements one at a time, and repeat each phase as needed to clarify. the rider should focus on a couple of simple things. first of course, their own position. the gymnastic is short and asks the horse to work hard with the squat-like effect of bounces, so it is crucial that the rider stays in good balance following the horse. this is always done through a secure position, stretching down into the stirrups, with short enough reins to make sure the elbow is always in front of their body and can control the opening and closing of their hip angle over the jumps as needed. over bounces, the rider will stay elevated out of the saddle – yet again only possible (without compromising) through a solid and secure leg position. another thing the rider should focus on is the straightness of their horse. because the gymnastic is short, watch that the horse doesn’t start to shift to their weak side to help, rather than properly sitting, rocking back and collecting to push. if you have a horse that is shifting one way, first try a gentle correction with an opening rein, backed up by guide poles as needed. this allows for clear correction without the rider compromising their position. once all the elements are in, you can raise the vertical and oxer (the last two elements) to add some complexity and difficulty, but we don’t suggest those get too big or wide at the distances set. for advanced horses and riders who see an advantage to jumping a bit taller or wider, we recommend making lengthening the distance after the bounces by 1-2’, depending on the situation, and remind riders to be thoughtful about how many repetitions the horse has already done. the exercise has tremendous value without getting too big, as the focus is on technique and fundamentals. it should also be noted that if you have a greener horse, this gymnastic can be simplified by leaving out the final bounce element, or the final jump. it’s important to feel what your horse is telling you about what they are ready for. &&>

This gymnastic exercise is for more advanced horses and is a nice continuation from the simpler bounce exercise we posted previously. We have added in the element of trotting as well, which will make this grid a high-intensity squat workout for your horse!

Setup:

Pole – 9’ – Crossrail – 18’ – Vertical – 10’ – Vertical – 10’ – Vertical – 10’ – Vertical – 21’ – Vertical – 21’ – Oxer

As always, we like to start with the gymnastic broken down to the basics, from which point we can build it up progressively. In this case, start with only the pole and first crossrail to make sure the horse is comfortable with the trot jump. It is a great opportunity to solidify the timing and execution of the trot jump, remembering the horse needs to make a quality canter transition over the pole to ensure a good jump.

Scroll to continue with content

If the horse is slow to think canter, encourage with a cluck or light touch with the crop behind the leg; if the horse rushes the transition, be sure to ask for a downward transition as soon as you land to remind the horse to stay balanced and thoughtful.

Repetition early on is useful to make sure when all the elements of the gymnastic are built up we aren’t struggling with the foundation of the exercise!

As soon as you are comfortable with the trot jump, start adding in elements one at a time, and repeat each phase as needed to clarify.

Jumping Lessons: Advanced grid exercises

The rider should focus on a couple of simple things. First of course, their own position. The gymnastic is short and asks the horse to work hard with the squat-like effect of bounces, so it is crucial that the rider stays in good balance following the horse. This is always done through a secure position, stretching down into the stirrups, with short enough reins to make sure the elbow is always in front of their body and can control the opening and closing of their hip angle over the jumps as needed. Over bounces, the rider will stay elevated out of the saddle – yet again only possible (without compromising) through a solid and secure leg position.

Another thing the rider should focus on is the straightness of their horse. Because the gymnastic is short, watch that the horse doesn’t start to shift to their weak side to help, rather than properly sitting, rocking back and collecting to push. If you have a horse that is shifting one way, first try a gentle correction with an opening rein, backed up by guide poles as needed. This allows for clear correction without the rider compromising their position.

Once all the elements are in, you can raise the vertical and oxer (the last two elements) to add some complexity and difficulty, but we don’t suggest those get too big or wide at the distances set. For advanced horses and riders who see an advantage to jumping a bit taller or wider, we recommend making lengthening the distance after the bounces by 1-2’, depending on the situation, and remind riders to be thoughtful about how many repetitions the horse has already done. The exercise has tremendous value without getting too big, as the focus is on technique and fundamentals.

It should also be noted that if you have a greener horse, this gymnastic can be simplified by leaving out the final bounce element, or the final jump. It’s important to feel what your horse is telling you about what they are ready for.