The 2026 British Eventing Season is fast approaching, with the fixtures list already making the rounds and championship dates added to the diary. The countdown is on until you take your first steps out of the start box once again, and we know we can’t wait to get the show on the road.

After another long winter, heavy rain has left fields waterlogged and struggling to drain, and you might be feeling a little on the back foot trying to prepare for the upcoming season ahead. Wet ground or a lack of facilities might have halted training in its tracks, and you might find yourself wondering how you’re going to get ready to tackle the cross-country course at your first event this season.

We are all in the same boat here, everyone is currently wading through mud or scratching their heads for ingenious ways to simulate cross-country training without solid fences or dry ground. Thankfully, coming up with great exercises using our regular, at-home PolyJumps kit is our forte.

We put our cross-country thinking caps on to come up with some fantastic exercises that you can set up at home from the comfort of your arena, using what you’ve already got in your tool belt.

Last season we came up with new ways to simulate cross-country fences in your arena, so if you’re looking for some inspiration for how to set up some cross-country style jumps at home then head over and checkout that blog first…

Why you need to be cross-country ready

A cross-country course is designed to be challenging. It’s fast-paced, bold, undulating, and the fences come at you with little let up, often strung together in complicated combinations. The difficulty of the course is dependent on the level, but even a low-level cross-country course can be taxing for an inexperienced horse or rider.

Knowing how to ride forward and attack the fences and combinations on course is the safest way to execute a successful ride. A good cross-country course favours bold riding and commitment, so it’s important to make sure you and your horse are up to scratch before you try your hand out on the course.

The answer… poles!

1. Long Canter Poles

Having a good, strong canter out on the cross-country course is a fundamental ingredient for a successful, safe, and (hopefully) clear round. It can be hard at first to let the handbrake off and settle into that fast-paced, forward canter; particularly when you haven’t had many opportunities to get used to it.

Whilst you’re slaving away in the arena prepping for this season, canter poles can come in handy helping you up the pace and get a feel for the gears. Putting out a series of canter poles on the floor set out at a longer distance will train your horse to open their stride as you get used to the feeling of a cross-country canter, from the safety of your arena.

Simply set out your canter poles as normal (approx. 10 metres or 3 large human steps) and then roll each pole half a step away so the distances are slightly longer. Remember to adjust the distances to accommodate your horse’s stride. Once your poles are set out, start cantering through them. Approach in a forward canter and then let the poles do the work. With this exercise you can play with the gears bringing your horse back to you at the end or keeping that canter all the way around.

2. Place Pole Between Jumps

When you’re walking any course, walking how many strides you need to make VS actually getting what you want are two very different things. It’s important to know how many strides are between two fences in a combination, to make sure you safely get to the second element. However, a lot depends on how you approach the first fence, as well as how you ride through the combination. For example, you can walk a distance on 6 strides but a backwards jump to the first part and a canter lacking pace means you’re chasing to reach the second fence on 6 strides or fighting to squeeze in 7 strides… neither one is ideal!

Using place poles between fences set to accommodate a forward canter can help a rider practice seeing the strides and getting the correct number of strides in a confident and smooth fashion. The poles between fences help to guide the horse through in the right way and give the rider the chance to feel the canter and practice counting strides.

Getting confident riding with a forward and bold canter will make you more confident out on the course and be able to ride through combinations effectively and safely to get the distances that you want.

3. Bending Lines

Even when you’ve perfected the perfect cross-country canter between fences, a bending line can unravel all your hard work. Being able to stay balanced and forward, as well as seeing a distance on a curve is no mean feat. So, it’s a good job you can still practice your bending lines with poles on the floor too!

A common mistake is that riders often take away too much canter to get the bend in the line, leaving them a little long to the jump. The trick is to maintain the quality of the canter and be able to stay in balance and guide your horse through the turn whilst staying forward… easier said than done.

Place your poles for each stride and follow the angle of the line around. The poles will help to guide your horse and encourage them to stay in a more open canter and give you confidence to ride around your turn.

4. Two poles set apart

The key to effective cross-country riding and a successful cross-country horse is adjustability. As we all know, anything can happen out on the course and even the best riders who leave the start box with a plan need to be able to think on their feet and make changes to get the job done. Being able to tackle a hiccup by applying some quick thinking and adjusting the stride is how you’re going to get to the other side of the combination safely when things don’t go to plan.

To practice adjustability in your horse at home, all you need is 2 poles on the floor. Set down your first pole and walk a level 5 strides out - this is where you’ll place your second pole. Start by riding through in an even canter making the 5 strides easily (you can adjust the distance if it is a little short/long for your horse).

Once you can ride down in a smooth 5 strides, try upping the pace and riding down in 4 strides. This will require a more open canter and commitment to getting there on one less stride. Next, collect them up and shorten their stride so you can fit a nice short 6 strides in instead. The great thing about using poles instead of jumps is that it doesn’t matter if you get it a bit wrong at first!

If you couldn’t tell, we are big advocates of poles here at PolyJumps! We stock a wide variety of standard (3.0 m) and skinny (1.5 m) poles, in multiple colour schemes to perfectly match your stable aesthetic. If you’ve got your eye on something or need to up your pole game, browse our website and get in touch if you’ve got any questions!