Exercises
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Pandiculation vs. Traditional Stretching: Enhancing Flexibility and Movement in Horses
We all know the benefits of stretching for improving flexibility and maintaining muscle health, but not all stretching is created equal. For horses, two primary forms of stretching—traditional stretching and pandiculation—offer different benefits based on how they affect the body. Understanding…
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2 Circles Each Way
Ride 2 circles one way, then change rein through the poles each time, change rein and ride 2 circles on the other way. 🐴 Stay focused – staying on pattern while dealing with any issues that arise is part of the…
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Trot – Canter/Canter – Trot Transitions Can Enhance Suppleness, Strength, and Stability
Why: Transitions form the basis of all training. Riding (or lunging) trot – canter/canter – trot transitions will help to condition the abdominal muscles, improve both stability and suppleness in the back, lumbosacral and sacroiliac regions and are an useful exercise…
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How You Can Improve Mobility in Your Horse’s Trunk
A stiff or rigid trunk often stems from a horse intentionally holding itself still to alleviate pain, such as that caused by ulcers. It can also result from overtraining strength without training suppleness— commonly observed in racehorses and ex-racehorses – or…
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Improve Your Riding & Training with Serpentine Exercises
Why Serpentines are excellent exercises for developing steering, suppleness, balance, bend, responsiveness and communication between horse and rider. Click Here for the High Quality Poster of All Exercises Different Types and Sizes How To Advanced Variations Pro Tips Set cones out…
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Backing Up: Build Strength, Flexion And The Ability To Collect
Backing up is a low-impact exercise that can be done in-hand or under saddle. Practiced with quality and consistency it can improve your horse’s posture, core strength, balance, topline flexion and ability to collect. Encouraging your horse to back up slowly…
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My Thoughts on 60 Days of Training
If you bought yourself a nice, kind, well started 4 year old with 60 days of training, you basically bought yourself a horse sized lump of play-dough. 60 days is nothing. Your horse has no fitness, barely knows anything and has…
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Building Balance and Core Strength: The Benefits of Backing Up for Horses
Backing up is an exercise that engages the horse’s muscles in an eccentric manner. By asking the horse to back up slowly and in a controlled manner, the muscles responsible for decelerating and controlling the backward movement experience eccentric contractions which…
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Training Over Zig Zag Poles
Walk is an important part of any warm up with your horse. It’s generally recommended that we spend 10-20 minutes at the beginning of a ride letting the horse slowly start moving. Walk increases circulation bringing oxygen and nutrients to muscles,…
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Lead Your Horse From Both Sides
One relatively simple way to work on your horse’s straightness and ambidexterity is to lead your horse from both sides. Most horses have a side they prefer to be handled from, and a preferred way to turn when ridden. When you…