AMA: How Do I Transition Smoothly From Jumping to Dressage?
What’s the best way to handle training transitions between dressage and jumping if you’re an amateur eventer?
We asked Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast host and five-star eventer Jessica Payne to answer this one:
“When it’s time to warm up for jumping, your horse should still be working like you’re warming up for dressage. More show jumpers are focusing on the flatwork these days because it helps develop strength in the horse and the quality of the gaits. Horses jump better when they’re moving better.
So when we warm our horses up for over fences work, they’re still round and working through gait transitions. I think it’s important to keep it consistent for the horse. You want to keep that connection, and just add jumps in between.
You never want to let them go around without that connection – where their head is up – because that just causes confusion. The horse doesn’t understand why it gets to go around like that to jump but not before dressage.”
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