‘My job is to challenge the horse but never overstep the mark’: Joe Stockdale on what a good training session should look like

How does a top rider warm their horse up? What do they consider a good workout – and how do they wrap up? Joe Stockdale outlines his system for an everyday exercise session in this exclusive article for H&H subscribers

For all the trophies and laps of honour, every top rider’s success is rooted in the daily grind at home. Joe Stockdale outlines his everyday training routine, from the details of the warm-up through what he wants to achieve in a session, to rounding off with a relaxed pick of grass as a reward at the end.

“I have a checklist to tick off when I’m warming up,” says Joe. “Essentially to jump a course, all we need is to move forward, back, turn left and right.

“If I touch the horse with my leg, does he open up his stride? If I stay tall, think ‘slow’, does the horse come back without me having to pull hard on the reins? Through the turns, are they staying through to the outside rein both ways?

“Once I’ve got these four things, it’s just a case of warming up the body and getting the horse’s mind on the job, asking questions so they’re listening to me rather than worrying what might jump out of the bush. It also keeps me active, rather than going through the motions trotting circles.”

Joe tends to focus on a specific exercise for each horse he is riding. For example, he might work one horse through a set-up to improve their discipline and straightness, using canter poles and tramlines, while another horse may be put through their paces on accuracy, jumping single fences on angles and landing on different leads.

“A good session is when we’re both in sync and comfortable with what we’re doing, but it depends on the day – how they’re feeling and how I’m riding,” Joe explains.

“My job is to challenge the horse, but not ask questions they can’t answer – entertaining them but not overstepping the mark.

“Sometimes I can step up the challenge, other times less is more; I might ask something simpler, they get it right first time, I give them a pat and take them for a hack round the field.

“You have to do what’s best for the horse, not what you want to do, and always be in a good frame of mind yourself, relaxed and not trying to rush them. You wouldn’t expect a five-year-old to jump round a course with no mistakes in perfect balance.

“Marginal gains every day is what I’m aiming for; there’s no pressure and with horses you have to be patient.

“I don’t jump big at home,” he adds. “For instance, my stallion Ebanking [who competes up to 1.60m classes] might jump once in between shows over about 1.10m at home, and then I’ll hire a course at 1.30m. It’s just about keeping the muscles active, rather than the height.”

Joe Stockdale on the benefits of variety in training

Training on a variety of surfaces is one tool Joe believes helps prevent injuries.

“Not only is it boring for me to go round in circles in the school every day, but I’m thinking about the horses’ minds and bodies,” he says. “All those little ligaments that are to do with the foot rolling and moving in a different fashion, like they might do in a jump-off turn, benefit from working on different surfaces.

“I like to work in my grass field, where there is a bit of undulation; I have a dirt track around and up a hill so they can do a bit of hillwork and fitness, and a surfaced gallop as well as the arenas. So that’s four different surfaces to give the horses a nice variety during the week.

“Mentally, too, it keeps them fresh and happy to have a change of scenery every day. They really enjoy going up the hill, having a blow with a bit more speed. Lots of variety helps them in their everyday work.”

How Joe finishes a training session

Whatever type of exercise has been on the agenda, Joe has a routine to finish off.

“If I’ve worked them in the school, usually I’ll jog off for two minutes, to let them catch their breath, have a stretch and get their head down,” he says. “So they have a reward at the end of their work, and a relaxing jog.”

Once he’s finished in the school, Joe rides out to his jumping field, which is dotted with Derby-style fences. He likes his horses to put their heads down to have a pick at the grass, or lets them graze off the man-made bank.

“I like to come out to my field, especially if it’s not too wet, and hack around for a couple of laps, which also means they can have a nice snack of grass before they go back to the stable,” he says. “I like to them to have a little stretch and a graze as a reward for their work.”

Joe remembers the first time he brought Ebanking out here.

“He jumped on to the bank and then couldn’t work out how to get down!” Joe laughs. “I had to leave him there and go and get a lunge line, but he didn’t like me leading him off either, so I got back on and he eventually got it.”

Joe describes this routine as “short-term care” after low-key exercise at home. For those returning from competition, they have three sets of ice wraps to cool the legs repeatedly.

“It’s also about keeping an eye,” he emphasises. “As the horses are groomed every day, they get a full checkover top to bottom, making sure everything is as it should be, no lumps, bumps or swelling anywhere. We are covering all the bases as well as all our physio and veterinary side of things, it’s the everyday things that help them stay on the road and be as happy and comfortable as they can be.”

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