*Exclusive* Train your riding horse to be a champion in the show ring with these 5 simple steps

The riding horse is a popular type of show horse that is categorised between the show hack and the show hunter. The riding horse is required to move freely and forward, like the hunter, but still showcase the lightness and elegance of the hack. Training the riding horse well will ensure that he encapsulates the perfect show horse; well-mannered, exceptionally schooled and capable of doing jobs outside of the show ring.

According to the British Show Horse Association (BSHA), a riding horse should have quality, substance, good bone, correct conformation, presence and true action.

Riding horses can be shown in two categories, small or large. The small riding horse is a mare or gelding aged four years or over exceeding 148cm and not exceeding 158cm. Large riding horses exceed 158cm. It’s more commonplace for riding horses to be shown in separate height categories, though at local and unaffiliated level there may be just one riding horse class.

In riding horse classes, judges are required to ride the exhibits to assess their way of going. The concept of the perfect riding horse will mean something different to every judge, however ensuring your performance is polished, your turnout is exemplary and your horse is generally looking, feeling and going the best he can will undoubtedly boost your results. Winter is the ideal time to knuckle down and put the work in at home ahead of the upcoming season.

Training the riding horse: five key issues

H&H speaks to some of the circuit’s most successful show horse producers to find out how you can solve common show ring problems while providing extra tips to give you that edge.

1. Crookedness and hanging to the fence

Hannah Horton is a show horse producer who has won major titles on all types of show horse. She was riding horse champion at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) in 2021 riding Buriana Larkrise and she has also won at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) several times, including in 2024 with lightweight show hunter Tigbourne. She is also a respected ride judge.

“When I’m ride judging, I can tell which horses have been consistently schooled alongside an arena fence,” Hannah begins. “You walk away, ask for trot and the horse immediately leans onto the fence or towards the line-up. This shows that the horse has been schooled using a fence line, only goes round and round the edge or is mainly ridden on one rein, their ‘good rein’.

“To fix this, when training the riding horse, I would be riding off the track when in the school. I would be making the horse work independently so he’s not so reliant on the rider’s hand. When a horse hangs towards the fence, this is also often a sign that he’s falling out from the shoulder. I would therefore ride lots of leg yielding exercises off the outside leg – not just off the inside leg – so they learn to move off both legs.

“I had a side-saddle horse who was crooked and would swing his quarters to the right, which was even more of an issue given that you don’t have your right leg while you’re riding sideways! I worked on lots of leg yielding to make him straight and encourage him to use his own core, posture and muscles correctly. It took time and patience, but he eventually gave a lovely ride.”

2. Rushing the paces

Danielle Heath is a show horse specialist who has ridden many champion riding horses during her career, including multi-RIHS champion Times Square III, and Whittaker’s Prince, HOYS riding horse champion in 2012.

Danielle believes that under the pressure of competition, it’s easy to push your horse out of its natural rhythm.

“You want to show off the natural quality of the horse’s paces, which means not rushing, going steady and letting him find his own stride,” Danielle says. “There’s nothing worse than watching a lovely mover being pushed out of its own rhythm and balance, especially in riding horse classes as the picture is very important.

“To work on a horse’s rhythm, I like to incorporate pole work. I place out six poles in a row and walk and trot through them. This helps both you and the horse find that natural stride. Transitions – walk to trot and trot to walk – are also important to practice.”

3. Perfecting the gallop

An exceptional gallop is not just an element hunter judges are looking for; a riding horse must also showcase a flawless acceleration, both in the class and in the championship.

Hannah says that the gallop is the pace that can look messy and unprepared as riders often don’t pay enough attention to it during training.

“A riding horse still has to gallop,” she confirms. “But they must come around the corner and travel; I don’t like to see horses fired off the corner like a bullet out of a gun. It looks messy and the horse can become sharper for it, especially as the season goes on and they begin anticipating it. The horse must travel, lower and lengthen into the gallop, so it looks smooth.

“Riders can also have a habit of only galloping halfway down the length of the ring, but the gallop should cover the whole side.

“At home I ride lots of transitions within the canter pace, including both working and medium canter. Circle work is very beneficial, too. Riding circles in canter helps the horse learn to keep his balance. The rider also learns to balance and be mobile in the saddle so you can trust yourself during the gallop not to switch onto the wrong leg because the pair of you are unbalanced.

“I believe it was Buriana Larkrise’s gallop that won him the RIHS riding horse supreme title. He was able to come off the corner and accelerate the full length of the Hickstead main ring. That arena rides on a curve anyway but he absolutely flew around the bottom half before galloping like fury. We were both winning the championship that day, so we had no option but to gallop like champions!”

4. Repetition counts

Richard Telford, a Scottish showman who has ridden many star show horses and has won titles at HOYS and London International during his career, maintains that repetition is essential when you’re training any type of horse, whether for the show ring or for another sphere.

“When you’re training the riding horse and you give a signal, you’re only getting a reaction to that request,” he says. “Horses are not being good or bad when they respond to a signal. It’s your job as the rider to listen to the reaction and then respond accordingly. If you don’t get the desired reaction right away, keep going until you do get it, and then praise. Then do the same process again. In the early stages of training, this repetition is needed to make a horse supple and to help them understand what the leg means.

“If you get the wrong reaction, you should not chastise the horse or bully or get forceful. This, among other things, can lead them to get overly tense and stressed, which is difficult to combat. Working in a calm and kind way will always be best.”

5. The judge’s mount

The riding horse class is made up of three main phases – the go-round, the ride and the conformation. However, competitors should drill down into the specifics when preparing for each section. Hannah says that one aspect often overlooked during the ride phase is when the judge is getting onto the horse.

“So many horses swing away from the judge while they’re trying to get on,” Hannah says. “If a horse is fidgeting at the beginning, you’re already thinking ‘oh crumbs’ as a judge. It can be because riders don’t practise getting legged up; it’s more convenient and easier for them to use a mounting block at home. When you’re in the ring, though, the judge will always have a leg-up, so your horse must be used to it.”

“While training the riding horse at home, you can practise with a pole on the off side of the horse so it learns that it can’t swing its quarters away every time someone is being legged up. You sometimes see a canny groom mirroring this in the ring by standing alongside when the judge is getting on, though some shows won’t allow this.

“Some horses just aren’t very good with leg-ups, so you need to practise regularly. It’s a small thing but it really matters.”

You may also be interested to read…