Team Tottie Showjumper Jemma Kirk, who reveals her ten top tips for grid work.

10 Top Tips to Grid Work

1.  Grid work will help to improve a horses balance, rhythm and impulsion.

2. Before you even begin to think about going down a grid you must make sure you have a good canter rhythm.
   
   
3. Always begin grids very simply with poles on the ground
    
4. Make sure you have correctly measured out the distance between the poles or the jumps
    
5. When your horse is confident and can maintain the same rhythm down the poles then you can add a small jump at the end of the poles.
   
   
6. Always begin small to give your horse/pony confidence. 
    
7. Try to make sure you always jump down the centre of grids and keep your horse straight.
    
8. When your horse is jumping down a grid try not to help them too much just keep a little leg on and let them do all the hard work.
   
   
9. If you have a horse that always seems to make up too much distance when jumping doubles or related distances you can shorten
   the distance slightly in your grid to teach them how to shorten their stride.
   
   
10. Like your approach to a grid your rhythm should remain the same after it. This should make jumping a course easier as your horse will be use to maintaining a good canter.

If you want to learn more about Team Tottie or follow their progress, please visit the website www.tottie.co.uk .