Everyone is always asking me for a riding plan! It seems like everyone wants to know exactly what to do and when, and how to structure their rides. I’ve spent well over 10,000 hours in the saddle, so I have a pretty good idea of how to structure a riding session.
In this video, I am riding Uma, and I will take you through my plan for her. There are three phases: the warm-up, the working, and the cool-down phase. Remember that every horse is different, and you will need to adjust your ride and your plan based on your horse’s needs.
Warm Up: The warm-up is different for each horse. You will want to develop a warm-up routine that works well for your horse and follow the same routine each day. At the end of the warm-up, your horse should feel relaxed and supple. Here are some suggestions for a warm-up routine:
- Walk for 10-15 minutes, 5 minutes or more on a long rein. Check in on your position.
- Incorporate bending lines and circles; older horses need bigger bending lines.
- It is ok to trot, smaller and slower in the beginning, as long as the horse is in front of your leg.
- Stretch your horse over the topline and check in on tempo and contact.
Working Phase: In this phase, you will choose two to three sets of different exercises with walk breaks in between them.
In this video, I chose trot-canter-trot as my first exercise, because it helps with connection, suppleness, and it makes sure that my horse is on the aids. If this is too advanced, do walk-trot-walk.
- I check for reaction to soft aids and that my horse stays round in their topline.
- Make sure you do the exercises equally in both directions.
- When you walk, make a quality down transition with no collapsing.
The second exercise I chose was walk-canter-walk to develop collection. If your horse isn’t ready for walk-canter-walk, then pick a different exercise. Examples are Snowman, trot walk trot, ice cream cone. Every time you do a transition, ask yourself, “What can I do to improve the transition next time?”.
The third exercise I chose was leg yields. Ask yourself, “how is my horse responding to the basics (rhythm, suppleness, connection). If in my work my horse gets tense I go back to my warm up; I walk and stretch.
Cool Down Phase
This is where I ask my horse to stretch in the trot, while maintaining self-carriage. I finish with a walk on a long rein.
I hope that this has helped you understand how to plan your ride. Always start in your comfort zone with a routine warm-up. Then if that goes well, try a few more difficult exercises. Remember, “if you let it take the time it takes, it will take less time.” It is great to have a plan, but always be willing to adjust your plan. Some days are better than others, and tomorrow is another day!
Happy Riding!
Amelia
P.S. Another area that riders ask me about a lot is how to plan and prepare for the canter. Whether it is your first time cantering, you are riding a new or green horse, or you’re coming back after time off, it can take a while to build your confidence to canter successfully with your horse. This is exactly why I created my NEW Free PDF Canter Checklist, which is all about preparing you and your horse for success and confidence in the canter! Get your PDF here.
P.P.S. Already cantering, but need help improving? Check out my Free Canter with Confidence PDF, all about the canter, from improving canter quality to improving your position in the canter. Get the PDF here.
