showjump2003
Well-Known Member
Hey. Can anyone help me with some ideas to make schooling beneficial and interesting on my own? I go out to the field with my horse, 10 mins later I'm bored and thats the session over! I need help!
Anyone want to be my virtual riding instructor? lol
- Thread starter showjump2003
- Start date
Gentle_Warrior
Well-Known Member
wil watch with interest - SAME HERE !!!!!! LOL that's why we hack more than skool, although have no choice but school lately till I trust him again
Haflinger
Well-Known Member
Why not try schooling whilst hacking?
showjump2003
Well-Known Member
I can't hack at the moment because the roads are too busy with easter holiday makers unless i get up really early which doesn't suit me!
kirstyfk
Well-Known Member
Make a lesson plan for yourself. Get some books out, look at exercises and then tell yourself for instance, work on transtitions for 10 minutes, bending for another 10 etc and with your warm up and cool down it should be a good work out.
Or learn a dressage test and run through it a couple of times, seeing where you need improveing and working on it.
I am the same, I get so bored but I feel the above helps.
Or learn a dressage test and run through it a couple of times, seeing where you need improveing and working on it.
I am the same, I get so bored but I feel the above helps.
Rockchick_uk
Well-Known Member
Your the same as me hun, i go in to the school with good intentions and after 15 mins im bored, Indi is bored and we just give up, i need someone there blaring at me lol.
x
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Shilasdair
Patting her thylacine
I can suggest themes.
TRANSITIONS
For example - tomorrow you could work on transitions - first progressive (walk to trot, trot to canter) then acute when your horse is listening (halt to trot, walk to canter).
Make sure you use your legs to send your horse forward, your seat to balance, and soft hands (or your horse will resist by hollowing, stepping back, jogging).
FEEL
Try to connect with where your horse's legs are at any given moment. So in walk - try to say left hind, left fore, right hind etc as the horse places them on the ground (without looking at first then check to see if you are right). Try rising while looking up to see if you can feel whether you started on the correct diagonal. And try to feel (before you look) whether your halt is square. Helps you to connect...
Hope this very long essay helps!
S
TRANSITIONS
For example - tomorrow you could work on transitions - first progressive (walk to trot, trot to canter) then acute when your horse is listening (halt to trot, walk to canter).
Make sure you use your legs to send your horse forward, your seat to balance, and soft hands (or your horse will resist by hollowing, stepping back, jogging).
FEEL
Try to connect with where your horse's legs are at any given moment. So in walk - try to say left hind, left fore, right hind etc as the horse places them on the ground (without looking at first then check to see if you are right). Try rising while looking up to see if you can feel whether you started on the correct diagonal. And try to feel (before you look) whether your halt is square. Helps you to connect...
Hope this very long essay helps!
S
showjump2003
Well-Known Member
Thanks. My horse goes like a girraffe so exercises to get her stretching down would be good!
Allykat
Well-Known Member
Transitions...as described above, but also within the gait so work on lengthening and shortening the stride. This is best done between 2 markers a good distance apart. Ride normally and count the number of strides between the 2 markers, then ride again increasing or decreasing the number of strides taken.
Circles.....are they round? is your horse bending round your inside leg, looking to the inside. Decrease and increase circle size, by pushing in with outside leg and back out with inside leg
Changes of rein, changes of bend, surpentines, shallow loops, straight lines....
That should keep you occupied for a bit.....schooling is one thing I never seem to run out of ideas for
Circles.....are they round? is your horse bending round your inside leg, looking to the inside. Decrease and increase circle size, by pushing in with outside leg and back out with inside leg
Changes of rein, changes of bend, surpentines, shallow loops, straight lines....
That should keep you occupied for a bit.....schooling is one thing I never seem to run out of ideas for
Llwyncwn
Well-Known Member
Some really useful advice above. You could also ask Partoow and Tierra - they are both fantastic with schooling issues. In fact, they are both so good that you feel inspired enough to turn off the pc and tack up
juliebrewer
Well-Known Member
If your bored imagine what your horse must be feeling.
To overcome my bordem i practise dressage test, that way I'm alsways tryying to improve them, and remember them!!
To overcome my bordem i practise dressage test, that way I'm alsways tryying to improve them, and remember them!!
Shilasdair
Patting her thylacine
To stretch 'giraffes' try
LEG YIELD
First in walk from the 3/4 line to the wall, but remember to ride a few straight strides when you first go onto the 3/4 line to avoid wiggling. Then trot it.
Go onto a 20m circle wherever you fancy in walk, then spiral in to a 10m circle and leg yield back out (keeping correct bend but being sure that your horse doesn't crab out thru shoulder). Repeat in trot.
Trot large, and leg yield in trot from 3/4 line to wall again. When you reach the corner, ask for canter - this is good for roundness and engagement. You can try leg yield in canter too.
POLEWORK
Put poles down at approx 9ft apart (depending on size of horse) along one side of school, then walk and trot them in rising trot (to free back). Encourage your horse to take the rein forward and ride lightly. Get a handy helper (your OH) to place poles 4 1/2 ft apart then trot them, gradually widen them slightly so you feel your horse stretching (but not stumbling all over) - this will encourage stretch.
You can also encourage flexion in joints, and roundness by (carefully) raising alternate ends of poles and shortening them a little from 4 1/2ft (again, depends on your horse's stride), then trotting over them.
Try to finish your schooling sessions by riding lightly (take some more weight in your stirrups and less in the saddle) and gradually giving the rein forwards while your horse stretches. See if you can halt with seat aids rather than hand aids!
Have fun
S
LEG YIELD
First in walk from the 3/4 line to the wall, but remember to ride a few straight strides when you first go onto the 3/4 line to avoid wiggling. Then trot it.
Go onto a 20m circle wherever you fancy in walk, then spiral in to a 10m circle and leg yield back out (keeping correct bend but being sure that your horse doesn't crab out thru shoulder). Repeat in trot.
Trot large, and leg yield in trot from 3/4 line to wall again. When you reach the corner, ask for canter - this is good for roundness and engagement. You can try leg yield in canter too.
POLEWORK
Put poles down at approx 9ft apart (depending on size of horse) along one side of school, then walk and trot them in rising trot (to free back). Encourage your horse to take the rein forward and ride lightly. Get a handy helper (your OH) to place poles 4 1/2 ft apart then trot them, gradually widen them slightly so you feel your horse stretching (but not stumbling all over) - this will encourage stretch.
You can also encourage flexion in joints, and roundness by (carefully) raising alternate ends of poles and shortening them a little from 4 1/2ft (again, depends on your horse's stride), then trotting over them.
Try to finish your schooling sessions by riding lightly (take some more weight in your stirrups and less in the saddle) and gradually giving the rein forwards while your horse stretches. See if you can halt with seat aids rather than hand aids!
Have fun
S