This is something I’ve seen play out again and again in my own riding and in my students: dressage and jumping aren’t opposites. They’re complements.

And not just for riders with eventing ambitions.

I’ll be honest—I waited a while to introduce my horse Marengo to jumping. When I first met him, let’s just say he was… spirited. Flighty, reactive, and very capable of inventing excitement where none existed. Adding jumps to the mix early on felt like pouring gasoline on a fire.

So for a couple of years, he was “just” a dressage horse.

But once I did start jumping him, something interesting happened. He was brilliant over the fences—adjustable, confident, and strong—and not despite his dressage foundation, but because of it. Our jumping instructor immediately commented on how rideable he was, how easily his stride could be adjusted, and how quickly he progressed.

Even more surprising? His dressage improved.

As we began touching on upper-level concepts like half steps, I noticed a consistent pattern: on the days after a jumping session, his ability to sit, lift his back, and carry himself multiplied. The jumping wasn’t undoing his dressage—it was enhancing it.

Which brings me to how I teach this concept to students.

Teaching the Connection: Leg Yield to Crossrail

Last week, I taught a simple but powerful exercise to three young riders in our combined beginning dressage and jumping class: leg yield to crossrail.

We warmed up the leg yield on the flat first, going over the aids and making sure each rider could influence their horse’s body—especially the haunches—without rushing or losing balance. Then we warmed up the crossrail separately.

I also made sure the students noticed something important: all three horses were quite forward—and a little pushy—about going to jump.

That awareness matters.

Once we combined the two, riding a leg yield from quarterline (or centerline, depending on the arena and rider level) to the crossrail, things got interesting.

One horse in particular wanted to ignore the lateral aids entirely. Instead of stepping under with his inside hind, he braced against the rider’s aids, swung his body, and rushed straight toward the fence.

Rather than letting him “win” by charging the jump, I had the rider stop, perform a turn on the forehand away from the crossrail, circle back, and try again.

Each attempt got better. The rider became quicker to adjust her aids. The horse became more responsive. By the end, the leg yield actually meant something again, and the jump was just another part of the exercise—not the main event.

They all finished on a note of progress.

As they were dismounting and untacking, I asked them a question:

Why does leg yield help with jumping?

One rider—the same one who had done the turn on the forehand correction—answered immediately:

“It helped my horse start listening to me again instead of locking onto the jump.”

Exactly.

So I asked, What else?

What they were starting to feel happen—but maybe didn’t yet have words for—is this:

Any lateral exercise helps improve balance by encouraging the horse to step under with the hind legs, shift weight back, and become lighter in the shoulders.

And yes—this directly helps a horse who wants to rush to the fence.

For the Rider Who Wants to Jump:

3 Reasons Dressage Makes You a Better Jumper

1. Control of the Body, Not Just the Line
   Dressage teaches you how to influence shoulders, ribcage, and haunches independently. That means you can straighten a horse before the fence, not just aim at it and hope.
   
   

2. Balance Prevents Rushing
   Lateral work shifts weight to the hindquarters and lightens the forehand. A balanced horse doesn’t need to run at jumps to get over them.
   
   

3. Adjustability Equals Confidence
   A horse that understands half-halts, lateral aids, and connection can lengthen, shorten, or wait—making courses smoother, safer, and far more fun.
   
   

And for the Dressage Rider Who “Doesn’t Jump”:

3 Reasons Jumping Helps Your Dressage

I’ve worked with many amateur dressage riders—often stuck somewhere around second level—riding honest, steady geldings that do all the things… but without much energy. The rider is working hard, muscling it on their kick-ride horses, hoping today will be the day the spark shows up and they can perform half passes and lead changes that aren’t quite frankly, a huge struggle.

Here’s where jumping can be transformational.

1. Natural Energy Without Nagging
   Jumps invite power. Even small fences encourage a horse to push from behind in a way that’s hard to manufacture on the flat alone.
   
   

2. Improved Topline Engagement and Sit
   Jumping asks the horse to coil, lift the back, and engage deeply—exactly what’s required for collected work and upper-level movements.
   
   

3. Mental Freshness and Motivation
   Many “lazy” horses aren’t unwilling—they’re bored. Jumping can wake up their work ethic and curiosity, making dressage sessions more productive afterward.
   
   

The Big Picture

Dressage gives jumping quality.
Jumping gives dressage energy.

When taught thoughtfully, each discipline reinforces the other—developing strength, balance, responsiveness, and joy in the work. You don’t need to become an eventer. You don’t need big jumps. Sometimes all it takes is a crossrail, a cone, and a lateral aid that actually means something.

That’s where real progress lives.

This lesson as well as others are available in the Prix Caprilli: From Flatwork to Fences mini-course, exclusively available in The Equestrian Complete Collection.

—
Lyndsi
Circus Unicorn | Horsemanship by Lyndsi 🦄