Variety is the spice of life!
This week I've been contemplating the kind of riding schedule I'm going to stick to once Lady is in full time work once more. Come rain or shine, this year I'm going to try my hardest to stick to this schedule. And I'm no fair weather rider, so even if it is raining you can guarantee I'll be out there tacking up. I know I'm one of the rare ones, the ones that like to ride in rain. But for me, I always find rain quite useful; everything looks different in the rain. Always a bit useful for spook proofing a horse! (Even if there's really no such thing as bomb proof, it's always useful to try and spook proof your ponies!) My schedule this year is nothing new, in fact it's the same old one I tried to stick to with Bambi. Although, the amount of injuries that mare went through, it's a wonder I ever rode her at all. I don't necessarily stick with doing a particular activity on a certain day, I like to think every activity is interchangeable; but below I've put a rough idea of the schedule I like to stick to. Please bare in mind that Lady and I don't tend to entertain jumping so you might want to add some jumping into this schedule if it's something you dabble in! Also bear in mind that Lady is stabled at night and goes out in her field from approximately 8am till 4pm. Monday - Day off. GREAT start. In the olden days (you know, when I was 18), Monday would be the day off so that I could recover from the weekends multiple pub visits. This year, I'm hoping Monday will be my day off because it will be Lady's day for some down time after a weekend of competing. Tuesday - Lunge! A workout on each rein to get her ready for the week ahead. It's also a really useful way of making sure your horse looks fine in its way of going. Have you been competing at the weekend? Maybe cross country on sloppy ground? Lunging is a great way to double check your horse hasn't pulled any muscles that might be making them a bit stiff or uneven. Plus, if you do think they look stiff or uneven you can plan the rest of the week around your horse's wellness. Wednesday - Back on board! A nice little school to remind both you what you do! I like to plan ahead and think of a couple of exercises that could help with any issues we have. For example; I know Lady can run into her canter transitions and fall into her downward transitions. Planning ahead means I can do a little research into an exercise that might tackle this problem. Thursday - Hack or School? It's up to you. If a couple of people from your yard want you to join them on a nice wander, go ahead! But don't forget that hacking isn't another day off. It can still be fun but it's the perfect way to get in a little more schooling. Work on your straightness as you go; make sure your horse is responsive and listening to your aids by leg yielding across the bridleway. If you're lucky enough to have an open field to ride in, then work on some transitions. It's important to me that Lady knows that open country doesn't equal fast. If she feels like she wants to go, I purposely don't let her. I ride circles in walk and make sure she's listening before asking for a nice forward trot, whilst encouraging her to be supple through her whole body. When I'm ready I'll ask for a canter. I have no doubt that it will end in a small gallop (ground allowing) but I always try and make sure it's me that asks for an acceleration! Thursday and Friday - I try and spend it in the school. If you don't want to pass up an opportunity to hack make sure you try and think of a couple of little things you can do to make your horse concentrate and think a little bit. If you do decide to work in the arena, how about popping a couple of pole exercises down? Make sure you read right to the bottom of the blog, I'll be adding in my favourite little polework ideas. If you're competing at the weekend remember that your last schooling sessions of the week are your final chance to knuckle down on those things that need improvement. Saturday and Sunday - I'm hoping to be competing as much as possible this year, so if I'm competing obviously I won't be needing to go in the school for a session! If you know you have a particularly hot horse, you might find it useful to have a quick lunging session before you head off to your competition or clinic. I'm lucky enough that Lady doesn't require an extra workout before going anywhere. If I'm not competing or heading to a competition, Saturday's tend to be a pot luck day, a lucky dip choice of whether I school, hack or lunge! If I have competed on a Saturday, Lady usually has a chilled Sunday with a short lunging session to combat stiffness. I also make sure to do a couple of stretches with her, taught to us by our physiotherapist. If I'm competing or attending a clinic on a Sunday then I add stretches to our Monday lunge session. ----------------------------------- If like me, you find that sometimes you fall into the habit of following the same schooling exercises every time, my biggest advice is to plan ahead. Like I've mentioned previously, it's such a good idea to have in mind a couple of different exercises that you can try each session. I love to drop a couple of poles in the arena every so often. An easy, one that can work so many ways is to drop two trot poles in the centre of the arena. Use as simple trotting poles or practice your upwards and downwards transitions by riding between the poles. It can also aid straightness and ensure your horse is really switched on and engaged. Working around the arena as usual, try and hit an upwards or downwards transition as you move between the poles. Another favourite of mine, which takes a little longer to set up, is poles on a circle; a perfect way to work on your horses suppleness, flexibility, focus and coordination. If you want to find more examples and ideas, Pinterest is full of really inspiring ideas to get you feeling motivated about those schooling sessions!
Until next time x
