German show jumper Ronny Riemer shares how to put an entire course plan together using his instructions on circular approaches, finding distances, stride options on a related line and various options for correct distances on a bending line.

German show jumper Ronny Riemer covers various options to ride a distance on a bending line. He explains how to be on an inside track for direct approach or an outside track and what scenarios would determine your best distance.

German show jumper Ronny Riemer explains how to approach a jump on straightaways and circles and how to find a good distance using the track without interfering with the horse’s stride length and pace. He also explains how different distances can work out depending on the course and your horse.

German show jumper Ronny Riemer shares how he walks courses and comes up with a plan, including how he measures distances, analyzes strides, determines options for bending lines and approaches combinations, for calm and confident rounds.

Horses do not like to be out of balance, and Ronny feels that the rider’s balance is extremely important to help the horse’s balance. He talks about how a rider should utilize their upper body, leg and hand to be in balance themselves, which helps the horse be in balance. He feels that the rider’...

Once properly warmed up, Ronny has the riders work on riding a 5-stride line. The concept is still the same to go straight before the first jump, between the two jumps and then after the second fence. A canter pole before the first jump allows the horse to have one stride before the jump and find...

Get to know show jumper Ronny Riemer. Find out how he got involved with horses, why he came to the United States from Germany and gain some insight into his training philosophy.

The last part of the warm-up consists of two cavalletti set seven strides apart. The goal is to have a steady rhythm and straight approach to the first jump, stay straight between fences, arrive straight at the second jump and then go straight afterwards for several strides before turning.

After warming up on the flat, Ronny starts implementing the first jumps. To start, there is a trot pole to a small cavalletti. They move on to a ground rail to higher cavalletti. The focus is on being straight before and after the fence so that the horse is straight in front of the jump and then ...

The next step is to do the single cavalletti at canter. The principle remains the same where the rider wants a rhythmic canter and once out of the turn, a straight approach to the fence. The horse should be straight from the shoulders to the ears. Going straight after the fence is important so th...

They finish the warm-up by implementing downward transitions from canter to trot to further help the horse’s hind end come under himself and the shoulder’s come up. This also helps prepare for the over fences work when horses need to listen to the rider for collecting and extending between fences.

Ronny explains what he likes to see in the flat warm-up, which is a loose, forward horse that flows from the hind end into the rider’s soft hand. When viewed from the side, the rider should have a shoulder, hip, heel alignment. He wants to activate the hind end first before connecting with the hand.

Ronny gives a brief introduction to his series of fundamentals on the flat and over small fences. He then shows and explains the equipment used by the demonstration riders and horses.

In the warm-up, they move on to the canter utilizing the same principles of getting the horse forward and relaxed. The time it takes to warm up a horse depends on the individual so it’s important to know your horse and what he needs.

When warming up over jumps, Ronny feels that the number one priority should be a straight, rhythmic horse with a straight approach and a straight departure. They start with a crossrail, then move on to a vertical and an oxer. He would like to see a forward rhythm through the turn prior to the jum...

Ronny talks about how he rides a five-stride line. It is important to land and organize in the first few strides then not interfere with the horse’s rhythm the last two or three strides before the next jump.

Ronny tends to ride his courses from feel rather than walking the course and pre-determining his lines and number of strides between fences. He says you need to know where the horse is coming from, where the horse is right before the jump and where does the horse have to go next.

In his second group at Equitana USA 2021, Ronny asks the group to warm up at the trot. He is looking for a soft connection in the reins, a balanced rider tall in the upper body and a strong connection in the rider’s leg. He is also looking at the horse’s length of step. He wants the horse’s legs ...

When considering a distance, the horse’s straightness and rhythm are the two most important factors. Ronny has the riders do an exercise using ground poles shaped into triangles to focus on straightness and rhythm.

Ronny has the riders jump a small crossrail. Once through the turn, he wants the riders to connect with both legs and both reins to ride straight to the fence. He reminds the riders that their legs will do more to create a straight horse. Their hands will not.

The riders put Ronny’s tips into action while riding turns and rollbacks. He wants the riders to step into the outside stirrup, open the inside rein and use the outside rein against the neck. This helps the horse do a tighter turn while keeping the same tempo.

Ronny watches the horses extend and come back in the trot and canter with the emphasis on coming back in balance to be able to correctly execute a rollback. He would like to see more body influence than hand when bringing the horse back.

Ronny states that confidence for the horse can come through the rider maintaining a steady rhythm. He shows an exercise with two triangles of ground poles, which help the rider see how straight and rhythmical the horse is in the approach. The focus is on a forward rhythm while keeping the horse s...

Ronny considers the riding aids as the natural ones we have – the rider’s body (which should receive the biggest emphasis), the rider’s leg and the rider’s hand (which should receive the least emphasis). The rider’s body balance is the strongest aid on the horse.