Ride Plan for Monday Night

If I don’t have a ride plan, I tend to trot a bazillion times around the arena and ride in little paisley-shapes. This is a tentative ride plan for both JR and Wizard for tomorrow night.

Goal: To improve and continue work on relaxation, suppleness, and connection to leg, seat, and hands.

Warmup:

For JR, I will long line for 5 minutes and longe him for about 10 minutes. He had about 2 weeks off of riding but now the saddle has been adjusted. If he feels tired, I will modify as needed.

Warm up at the walk on a loose rein, allowing the horse to take in his surroundings. Begin work at the trot on half the arena, first asking the horse to stretch down and reach for the bit. Ask for walk/trot transitions, using the entire arena. Encourage engagement of the hind end by asking for the transitions frequently. Be sure to actively ride into and out of the walk. DO NOT pull for a walk. Ask for the trot when the inside hind leg is ready to go forward. Change directions and work on walk/trot to the right and to the left until the horse feels more supple and is on the rider aids.

Ride on a 20m circle in both directions. Count the number of steps on the circle and determine if the number is similar the next few times around the circle.

Work:

Ask for a Figure 8 with a walk in the center, making sure to trot only after the center line.

Go back to riding a 20m circle in both directions, riding short into the circle and ask for a leg yield for just a step or two outward toward the rail and the edge of the circle.

Begin work on a more sophisticated and balanced trot by alternating between a forward trot and a working trot, making sure to keep the rein aids light and soft. If the horse gets tense or resistant, give, give give and ride softly.

Cooldown:

Trot on a loose/soft rein on a 20m circle, counting the number of steps again. Did they change? Are they the same?

Walk on a loose rein until horse is cooled out.