Riding Exercises

I have an Andalusian who is very heavy on the hand and often looses his balance in canter. We do a 20m circle, in trot, then leg yield him towards the outside rein, bending him around the leg, and then the canter transition is very smooth, not pulling me out of the saddle. This is a successful one, there are lots of ones that don’t go as planned 😂

I’m not sure what other people call this, but we call it the Wheel/Circle of Death. This exercise is great for beginners as it teaches them to bend, use their aids effectively, and react quicker. For more experienced riders, use this exercise for the horses benefit. You can see a big difference in their canter in vs out of the circle. It teaches them a more developed canter which is good for horses looking to move up the levels in dressage. Always work your horses (and riders!) up to the whole circle or multiple circles. Start with just two poles then progress as you see fit. Start with four poles in about a 20 meter circle, then slowly bring the poles into a smaller circle to increase the difficulty. In the photo, you can see part of the exercise and a beginner rider cantering only two poles as she isn’t ready for the whole circle. Happy riding and I hope this helps you!

A big tip is to ride with a halter of any kind. It helps the horse become more sensitive to contact and learn to react more from the seat aids. On the other hand the rider learns to be more effective with the seat aids.

Found on the web. Hope it will be useful for you guys ☺️

A super important exercise to build trust and improve communication between horse and rider when not riding. Also allows the horse to stretch and build muscle. It was my first time lunging a horse, and I did struggle a bit to get her moving or slow her down, but I started to get the hang of it. I had to make sure my pressure and movements were consistent and clear to her so she could follow me, and I think it really helped me practice my communication. I would definitely recommend it to those who haven't tried before.

today's lesson with the dwarf. Well done 😂👍🏻

Saturday is a groundwork day, and I really enjoy this little moments with her. At first she didn't want to pass through the poles, so first we tried poles on the ground and then elevated on one side, she did pretty well, and I'm really proud of her!! 😍😍

This is great to use in Flatwork as it give you a sense of direction and also helps to ensure that you do not go over the poles at an angle. Hope it helps.✨️