Springtime Riding Plan
I have heard rumors that spring is actually coming. I am not sure if I believe this quite yet, because the daytime temperatures where I live have struggled to get above 30 degrees. Pair this with the darkness, and I am doubtful spring will ever get here!
But, even though I am down about the winter weather right now, I am certain the sun will return as it has every year for thousands of years. It just doesn’t seem like it right now! And to be honest, I have been pretty lazy with my horses the past several months because of the poor weather, and just because I have made excuses to not be outside.
I have been fortunate enough to go to a barn and have a riding lesson each week (which I LOVE) but I want my horse to be as responsive, and willing as my lesson horse. So I want to turn a lazy, pasture pony into a school horse. Meaning I want Ethan to be responsive, respectful, and a willing partner.
But that will not happen overnight. In order to make that happen, I need to have a solid plan in place for how I am going to be spending my time with both of my horses. And I thought it would be fun to share with you, because maybe it will give you some inspiration for getting back into riding this spring.
So let’s get to it! Here is my plan to bring my horse Ethan back up to a regular working schedule over the next 6 weeks and get him ready and fit for summer riding.
And if you are wanting to follow along with me, please do! But there are some ground rules to do first, before starting a training program with your horse.
Ground Rules:
- Make sure your horse is healthy to start training
- Make sure YOU are healthy to start training
- Be sure to have a good feeding plan
- Always practice and promote safety while riding
Alright, now that we have the ground rules in place, let’s get to work!
Week 1 – Back To Basics
We will still be in the daylight savings time conundrum. And I am usually not home before 6:00 PM. But I can work on getting Ethan used to being tied and groomed, and work on his manners.
We will probably have 3 days of grooming, and tacking up, and then just standing. Being able to stand quietly tied is a good habit to form in your horse. It teaches patience, and respect. If you don’t have someplace you can tie your horse, consider building a hitching post. It doesn’t cost very much money and you can get it done in a weekend.
Week 2 Back In The Saddle Again
This week I will build upon what we did the first week. And if it is still dark, there will probably be some work in the dark. But the amount of time working this week is not as important as actually doing the work. This is what is establishing the respect and patience goal.
I can tack him up and walk him around. We can work on leading, and also on stopping and starting. I can also practice mounting. And even if I don’t get all the way on, I can have him learn to stand until I ask him to move forward. If He starts to move off before I am in the saddle I will make him work harder by moving in a tight circle around me, or walking backward. I want him to understand he needs to stand still until I ask him to move forward.
I will have at least one or two opportunities to ride, and I need to do it! I can always find reasons (excuses) of why I can’t get out and ride, but this needs to stop. I need to ride! And I will make a goal of at least two 10 minutes sessions of me, in the saddle during week 2.
Week 3 – Lunging and Walking
I enjoy lunging my horse. It is fun to watch him work around me, and I can watch him move to see if he is balanced, or nervous, or just full of himself! And with Ethan, lunging before riding is something that needs to be done. He gets a little full of himself, and the lunging makes him focus on his job.
I will have him tacked up for each lunging session, because I will ride him at the walk for at least 10 minutes after lunging, each day. My goal will be to lunge for 15 minutes at walk, trot, and canter both directions, and then riding at the walk for at least 10 minutes.
We will have 5 sessions of lunging/walking throughout this week, if it isn’t snowing and if the temperature is above freezing. I don’t enjoy riding when it dips below 32 degrees, and I don’t want Ethan to get a chill, so we reserve the big work for when it is warmer outside.
Week 4 – Lunging and Trotting
Hopefully the weather will cooperate during this fourth week of training! But it will be similar to the previous week, lunging first and then we will work on walk and trot. Again I will plan for at least 5 rides this week. And my time in the saddle, and on the lunge line will also increase. But our work on the lunge line will focus primarily on the trot.
Trotting is excellent work for building muscle and getting your horse in shape. I remember a long time ago when I had a horse as a teenager and I would lunge him at the trot for 20 minutes a day. I did this for a solid 45 days. And even though I didn’t really see the change, because I was with him daily, everyone around me was really impressed with his muscling. He was also very calm, and respectful of me. This is my goal for Ethan this week.
Week 5 – Longer Training Sessions
By the fifth week, you should be seeing an improvement in your own riding, and your horse. He should be reasonably fit by now. So in the fifth week, I again will make sure to have 5 training sessions. Always starting with working on the lunge line, especially for my horse. The lunging will still stay at 20 minutes and we will continue to focus on his trot, and work on the quality of that trot.
After he is settled in, then it is time to ride. But now the majority of my work will be in the saddle. Hopefully he is quiet, so I can work on my two-point position, and rising trot, making sure I am on the correct diagonal.
Riding on your own at home is a challenge. And if you are lucky enough to be riding with a trainer, or even an experienced horse friend it can help you a lot to have them watch you. Unfortunately, I have to go to another barn to ride at, so I am only under scrutiny 1 time a week. However, I can work on my own at home on things that I learned during my lesson. The important thing to remember here is to make your riding at home a priority and do it.
Week 6 – Incorporating Something New
Most of the work for week 6 will be the same as the previous week but adding a little bit more time to each session. By this point, my riding sessions are 45 minutes long each time. The lunging is still around 15 to 20 minutes. So for 5 days a week, I need to be able to carve out at least 90 minutes that I can be working with my horse. Does it make sense now of why I need more daylight? I hope so!
This week we are going to add some new elements. One day might be a trail ride, and one day might be some work over ground poles in anticipation of jumping in the near future. The point is to continue to build on the training, and keep it interesting for both you and your horse. You don’t want to get bored, and we certainly don’t want our horses to get bored!
Establishing a Habit
For the previous 5 weeks, we have been working up to this point. I started slowly and increased the length of time I was in my barn. I like to increase gradually. It establishes a habit. Just like my weekly riding lesson is a habit, so is the time I spend with my own horses.
It takes about 30 days to establish a habit, so set yourself up for success in the beginning, have a plan. By having a plan, and sticking to it, you will likely be able to do it. And when you get to the end of 6 weeks, hopefully you will have a quieter horse that you can enjoy even more!
So lets make a plan! Grab a calendar or make your own and write out your plan for the next six weeks. What are your goals? Each week set a goal of what it is you want to achieve. Something else that would be fun is to photograph your horses progress each week. I would recommend doing his picture after he has been cooled out and groomed, so he looks his best. And you could upload his photo’s each week, so you can visually see how he is progressing.
Let’s Do This Together
Alright, by now I am hoping you are as excited as I am to get back out there and get riding. This means it is time for me to stop writing, and time for you to stop reading, and go formulate your plan. Next week I will share with you day by day how it went for Ethan and I, so you can play along if you like. This will give me accountability to do what I am planning on, and maybe I will inspire you to go along the journey with me!
So be sure to come back next Wednesday, for a follow up on Ethan’s first week of getting back into work. I can’t wait to see how far he (and I) can go in 6 weeks. And if you are up for the challenge, leave a comment below and let me know you are ready to commit as well! Until next week, happy riding!