Goals - How to keep challenging yourself and your horse

Article submitted By Lynn. C   To contact Lynn e-mail horsecoach4hire@hotmail.com

Thank you Lynn for the interesting article.

It's frustrating. You pick up any magazine for horses and riders, and almost all of the articles are geared to riders and horses that compete. That's great, but very often, there are people out there who just enjoy riding a horse. They don't have to canter if they don't want to, they don't have to worry about the rising cost of showing.They simply want to work with their horses to enjoy.

But lets face it. It can get boring. It isn't that you don't love your horse or love riding, but it's suddenly a lot more work, when you have a job, family, kids and work at home to do. Suddenly, the thought of leaving your warm home to go to the frigid barn, when it's dark outside, becomes a task. I'm hoping that with this article, I can give you some exercises and suggestions to make that task a fun task!

Whether you have an indoor arena or just an outdoor ring, there are a million things you can do while you ride. It just takes one part creativity, one part planning and two part fun!

For starters, sit down and make a list of things you would like to achieve as a rider and for your horse. Such as working on getting smoother transitions, or feeling when you are on the incorrect diagonal without looking for it.

Not sure what to set as a goal? Then write EVERYTHING down! And yes, even the goals in the distance. Whether you want to jump a course, or ride a simple dressage test, to getting a canter from your horse when you ask, getting your horse to accept the bit, there are many goals you can achieve without needing to be in the show ring. Personal goals are important to ANYONE. Whether a rider or not, we need to have something to strive towards, because it makes us happy.

Now, try making a work out plan. No, that doesn't involve running orsit-ups. It simply is a week schedule of what to work on. I very often tell my riders who have horses, to do it as follows:

Monday--Meday--working on your position on things you want to enhance you as a rider

Tuesday--Horseday--working on your horse and something he/she needs to enhance to better him/her as a horse(and thus you as a rider!)

Wednesday--Playday! Hacking, goofing around--you both need to have fun!

Thursday--Meday

Friday--Horseday

Saturday---Playday

Sunday---Dayoff

Of course, that is just a basic schedule. You would organize it so it meets you and your horses' needs. The basic idea is that you want to work you, your horse and have fun so that it is a well rounded schedule, and you aren't focusing too much on you or your horse at one time. Why? Frustration can set in if things aren't going well, so you want to make sure you spread out your work evenly.

Alright! The Grand Plan is set. Next, see what you need to achieve those goals. Do you need a coach? Even an extra pair of eyes on the ground can help you understand when things are good, and when things are a bit rocky. Then, when you can ascertain what you need to work on, for you and your horse, set the tiniest goals each ride to get that correct. Let's use an example.

Flyinglead changes. They can be tricky. So, your goal would be to get a flying change. To start, you need to do a simple change to start, and slowly phase out extra trot steps, until you are getting the flying change. Instead of saying 'each ride, I'm taking out a trot step. Keep working on it and see if your horse decides to remove a step. Make it fun, and don't over school. That will be tough for you and your horse. If things are not going well, stop and back up a bit. Go back to simple changes, or just trot around the ring, then canter abit, then trot, then canter.

Let's use another example. Riding patterns. You don't need dressage letters to school figure eights and serpentines. All you need to know is to train your eye to see those patterns any where you walk. The key to both exercises is to get a bend, and work straightness and balance.If you have trouble focusing on such patterns, pop to the local dollar store, and purchase some very inexpensive pylons. Or, pop on the computer and make your own dressage letters on paper, then cover them with inexpensive plastic paper covers again, thanks to your local dollar store.

Still stuck? Let's go through everything a horse needs to know. Balance,straightness and suppleness, just to list a few. Those translate into each gait - walk, trot and canter, and into jumping. Break it down even more into transitions, evenness, and flow. Let's talk you as a rider. Your balance, suppleness and strength in the saddle. Basics, basics, basics can never be stressed enough. Work on not only getting yourhorse fit, but you fit. Set small goals to try a two point at the trot, and go around a field once, or just half of a field, and gradually increase that into three laps. Or, try posting for sixbeats, sitting for six beats and continue that repetition. You will find it will deepen your seat and pelvis for a better sitting trot. Some other exercises can include riding a course of poles at a walk,then a trot and working your two point. Wobbly at canter? Get a friend to lunge you at the canter. Work without stirrups. Do short stirrup work. The possibilities are endless.

The key to enjoying riding is to constantly have goals, however small or however large, and to enable yourself to go to the barn and come away smiling, saying 'yes! I did that today' or even 'alright, I started. Then, from there, you will find yourself eager to head to the barn,and work on that goal you've written down. Even if it's just saddling a horse, bridling it, to teaching it to back up, make those goals and find a way to achieve them each time you ride. That also includes that fun hack with friends and laughing. After all, having a horse in your life, or riding, is meant to be with that little piece of freedom we all feel when on horseback and with our horses.

LynnC.