Understanding stride length, rhythm, and distances is the key to safe, confident, and consistent jumping, for both horse and rider.

Showjumping is as much about rhythm as it is about height. The best rounds don’t happen by luck; they’re built on a rider’s feel for pace, stride, and distance. Knowing how far to place poles or fences apart is what keeps horses confident and riders in control.

Every horse has a natural stride length, influenced by its build, balance, and training. When you watch a smooth round, you’ll see a rider who has found and maintained that rhythm, adjusting subtly between fences without breaking the flow. Too short a stride and the horse chips in; too long, and it flattens over the jump, risking a knockdown. Understanding distances provides a framework for training safely and progressively.

Building from the ground up

Before tackling any jump, start with poles on the ground. They teach the horse and rider to see a stride and establish rhythm without stress. For a horse of around 15.2hh and taller, trotting poles are typically placed about 1.2 – 1.7m apart. That’s roughly the length of a horse’s natural trot stride. Adjust slightly shorter for ponies and longer for big-striding horses.

When you introduce canter poles, space them between 2.7 – 3.4m apart. This helps the horse learn to stay even in the canter, and is invaluable for teaching riders to count strides consistently, which translates directly into riding related distances.

A useful rule of thumb is that one horse stride in canter covers about 7m, though this varies depending on pace, surface, and the horse’s experience. It’s why riders learn to “walk the course,” pacing out distances to know what rhythm they’ll need between jumps.

Poles before and after jumps

Placing poles helps guide a horse’s take-off and landing. Set them about 3 m before and after the fence to encourage correct bascule and improve your feel for a stride. Use them over small fences to teach young horses to judge their jump and remind experienced ones to lift cleanly.

Understanding related distances

Once your horse is balanced and confident over single fences, it’s time to explore related distances, two or more jumps placed in sequence to test stride control. Knowing the standard distances between jumps allows you to plan combinations safely. For horses, it’s recommended:

• One stride: 6.4 – 7.5m
• Two strides: 9.4 – 11m
• Three strides: 13.7 – 14.6m
• Four strides: 17.4 – 18.3m
• Five strides: 20.1 – 22m

These figures are starting points, not absolutes. In practice, a shorter distance teaches collection and adjustability, while a longer one encourages a more open stride. 

Bounce fences and combinations

Bounces, where the horse lands and immediately takes off again, build agility and strength. Set them 3–4.3 m apart, starting small as they require quick reactions. In combinations, an oxer to vertical shortens the stride, while a vertical to oxer opens it, so adjust your leg or half-halt accordingly.

Safety and setup

Safety is essential when building jumps. Check footing, secure wings, and use safety cups on back rails. Place flat cups in front, safety cups behind so poles can fall easily. Fillers, planks, and ground lines guide the horse’s take-off, while slightly offset “false” ground lines encourage a cleaner jump.

Walking the course

Whether you’re jumping 60 cm or 1.20m, walking the course before your round is essential. Most riders pace out about four human steps per horse stride (roughly 90 cm). When walking from fence to fence, count the strides and decide where your horse will take off and land. This helps you choose the right canter: collected for a short distance, forward for a longer one. Riders often describe it as “riding the line.” 

Adjusting for ponies and young horses

Pony riders need to shorten distances slightly. A 13.2hh pony will find a 7m distance too long, so reduce it to around 6m for a one-stride line and adjust for longer combinations. Likewise, green or young horses benefit from slightly shorter distances while they build confidence and power. The goal isn’t to make them stretch or rush but to teach them to jump smoothly and balanced. Over time, you can extend distances.

Developing your eye

Good riders develop an eye for a stride, that instinctive feel for when to move forward or wait. Train it by counting strides, watching the horse’s shoulder, and sensing when the rhythm feels right. Exercises like trotting poles to a small cross-pole or canter poles to an upright teach both you and your horse to read distances subconsciously. The more you practise, the more consistent your take-off points become.

Bringing it all together

When you combine technical understanding with feel, distances stop being numbers and start becoming part of your riding language. Knowing how to measure, adjust, and ride them means you can build training sessions that make sense for you and your horse.

Every time you set up a line, you’re not just building jumps; you’re building confidence, communication, and precision. And that’s what showjumping is all about.

BOX

The distances cheat sheet

The distances guide has been provided to Equestrian Life by the South African Pony Club and has been developed to cater for distances for a 15.2h horse and over. Carefully refer to the pace and the minimum and maximum distances, and remember these distances are guidelines only. They should be adapted according to your horse or pony’s natural stride, the height/type of fences, arena size, footing and terrain.