It’s easy for event riders to neglect training over coloured poles in favour of cross-country schooling practice. But whereas a little rub on a fixed fence or brushing through a hedge is part and parcel of efficient cross-country riding, most of us need to adjust our skills to learn how to stop a horse knocking down jumps when each one costs four penalties. We need to sharpen our showjumping reflexes (both horse and rider’s) so that our hard-won, speedy clear across country is not nullified by rails down. The boldness of a natural cross-country horse doesn’t always translate to the jumping ring, where a careful bascule and pinpoint accuracy are required. How to stop a horse knocking down jumps: warm-up exercises{"content":"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