First Place Fundamentals

From tightening your girth while mounted to seeing a distance, learn to master the fundamentals with Practical Horseman OnDemand trainers.

If your goal is to ride better jumping rounds, mastering the fundamentals is a great place to start! Nations Cup show jumping rider Sloane Coles, 5* FEI Grand Prix jumper rider Kama Godek, successful hunter trainer Louise Serio and renowned hunter/jumper/equitation trainer, judge and author Holly Hugo-Vidal explain how the fundamentals—like finding a distance and rider position—can help improve your rounds.

Subscribe to Practical Horseman OnDemand and check out the First Place Fundamentals playlist to start mastering your foundation.

  1. Adjusting the Girth While Mounted: Sloane Coles demonstrates how to correctly adjust your girth while mounted. The foot should go forward, but don’t take it out of the stirrup
  2. Rider Position—Full Seat and Half Seat: Holly Hugo-Vidal describes the different types of seats—three-point, two-point, light seat and driving seat and how to use them.
  3. How to Walk a 12-foot Stride: Kama Godek explains and demonstrates how to practice and then walk off a standard 12-foot stride.
  4. Long and Low Hunter Warm-up: Louise Serio believes flatwork is an important part of any ride. In her warm-ups, she likes the horses to go long and low with forward impulsion from the leg.
  5. Seeing a Distance (Part 1): Hugo-Vidal has a rider on a green 4-year-old Thoroughbred trot two standards set on a diagonal. The rider focuses on keeping an even rhythm.

Practical Horseman OnDemand members can watch the full playlist here.

Not a member? Watch free videos here.

To sign up for Practical Horseman OnDemand, click here.

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