flatwork is so dull - any ideas??

[MandyMoo]

So, I do try and do my flatwork to keep Socks supple and toned, however we both find it so monotonous!

Currently my routine is;
Start off in walk, just walking around to loosen off, doing some 15/20 metre circles and half circles for bending for 5-8 minutes.
Pick up trot, do plenty transitions trot-walk-trot to get him engaged for 5 minutes or so.
Pick up canter, again, doing lots of transitions canter-trot-canter-trot-walk-canter-walk-trot for another 5 minutes or so.
I then return to trot and do some shortening and lengthening within the trot (well, I say shortening and lengthening..I just bring him back and push him on within the gait to get some variation and keep him engaged).
I do the same in canter.

THEN I'm bored...and somehow it only seems to take me about 25 minutes despite giving him stretches in between exercises and walk off's in between?!?! god knows how I do it all so quick?!.............so I then can't think of anything else and tend to then let him cool off and finish - but I'd love to be able to be one of those people who can do flatwork for 45 minutes, it would really benefit both mine and Socks' fitness!


So, any ideas?! Just basic stuff...I am no dressage diva (and neither is socks haha)

ETA: keep in mind my yard does have two arenas (60x20 and a 40x20, but the surfaces have gone awful as of late, so I tend to stick to the smaller of the two...and one end of it is a bit sticky/deep so really I'm only in a 30x20 arena!!)

 

[_GG_]

Firstly, I would introduce some lateral work...start him on shoulder in and leg yield exercises.

You can start bigger transitions, so work on walk to canter and canter to walk. Work on halt to trot and trot to halt.


You can also use poles very effectively in your flatwork to help elevate the trot and canter and add a new dimension to keep the horse interested.

I could go on forever, but I think your best bet would be to get an instructor out, preferably a BD trainer, look on the BD website for a list of those local to you. Only when someone has assessed your current level can the right exercises be advised on.

I also think it is good to allow the horse some large canters as well during a schooling session...it can really help to unlock any stiffness and give them a little more enthusiasm

 

[be positive]

You seem to do a lot of transitions but are they really improving his way of going, it almost sounds as if you go through the same routine but never actually achieve much, possibly, without meaning to be critical, not sure what you are trying to achieve.
If you warm up, then do some transitions but aim to keep going until they are really good, aim for each one up and down to become softer, more correct, get the horse really working with you, vary where you do them, on a circle at 1/4 points, on the track at each or every other letter, work on the inside track making sure he is truly working straight.
Introduce some leg yielding, as you come out of it ask for an upward transition, try working on counter canter it is very useful to get the horse engaged and straight.
Serpentines with transitions every time you cross the centre line or put in 10 metre circles on each side, great for helping with bend.
There is so much you can do just use your imagination.

 

[MandyMoo]

Firstly, I would introduce some lateral work...start him on shoulder in and leg yield exercises.

You can start bigger transitions, so work on walk to canter and canter to walk. Work on halt to trot and trot to halt.


You can also use poles very effectively in your flatwork to help elevate the trot and canter and add a new dimension to keep the horse interested.

I could go on forever, but I think your best bet would be to get an instructor out, preferably a BD trainer, look on the BD website for a list of those local to you. Only when someone has assessed your current level can the right exercises be advised on.

I also think it is good to allow the horse some large canters as well during a schooling session...it can really help to unlock any stiffness and give them a little more enthusiasm

thankyou I did have a flatwork instructor last summer but have just lost touch which her/haven't bothered over the winter due to all the bad weather!!!

but thanks - I'll take on board your suggestions!

 

[MandyMoo]

You seem to do a lot of transitions but are they really improving his way of going, it almost sounds as if you go through the same routine but never actually achieve much, possibly, without meaning to be critical, not sure what you are trying to achieve.
If you warm up, then do some transitions but aim to keep going until they are really good, aim for each one up and down to become softer, more correct, get the horse really working with you, vary where you do them, on a circle at 1/4 points, on the track at each or every other letter, work on the inside track making sure he is truly working straight.
Introduce some leg yielding, as you come out of it ask for an upward transition, try working on counter canter it is very useful to get the horse engaged and straight.
Serpentines with transitions every time you cross the centre line or put in 10 metre circles on each side, great for helping with bend.
There is so much you can do just use your imagination.

Well, I originally was told to do lots of transitions by my instructor last summer because Socks was not very sharp off the leg at all, and if I stayed in one gait for too long he got heavy in my hand/unresponsive - so the transitions helped to keep him engaged from behind and listening, and made him sharper off my leg - but I suppose I achieved that ages ago, so should have got new exercises rather than pointlessly sticking to my old ones........

Thanks - some good ideas

 

[Mavis007]

Find a dressage test to go to in a month or 2, then practice it! I certainly find it far easier when I have something to really work towards and help focus on. Choose a test you know is possible but contains things you will need to work on so it is realistic but not too easy

 

[MandyMoo]

Find a dressage test to go to in a month or 2, then practice it! I certainly find it far easier when I have something to really work towards and help focus on. Choose a test you know is possible but contains things you will need to work on so it is realistic but not too easy

good idea! thankyou

 

[dieseldog]

I feel your pain!

We normally have a few jumps out in the arena, as we never get round to putting them away and today I spent the whole time weaving in and out of them and circling around them, lots of changes of direction. My horse seemed to enjoy it and it made her listen to me and come off her forehand as she didn't have a clue where she was going next. Lots of changes in pace too. Just something different you can do when going round and round is too boring and its too dark to go hacking.

 

[brighthair]

What about downloading some schooling sessions to use?

 

[star]

Flatwork is only as dull as you make it! I find myself running out of time - will easily manage 55mins and then think maybe I ought to stop!

I walk for a good 10mins at the start - normally 5mins in a really long deep stretch then pick up the walk and do some walk-halt transitions aiming to get him at least square in front (not so good at feeling behind) and some lateral work in walk - LY, SI, travers, HP, walk-halt in SI, walk piris etc), then move into a nice stretchy rising trot and a loose canter on each rein. Quick walk stretch then move onto transitions - trot-walk-halt-trot moving on to trot-halt-trot and trot-walk-trot then trot-halt-rein back- trot/canter with some trot SI/LY and medium trot thrown in. Moving into canter, working on canter-trot-canter then canter-walk-canter, moving canter on and back, counter canter. Once I've done all that on both reins and had a final stretchy trot on both reins then 5mins of walk to cool down it's easily coming up for an hour. I try and make sure each transition is good - if not, it gets repeated. If I'm working towards a dressage test I'll ride through that somewhere in the middle of the session and then work on specific movements. I only have a 20x35m school and never get bored. My horse always feels like he's improving with what I work on.

 

[MandyMoo]

I feel your pain!

We normally have a few jumps out in the arena, as we never get round to putting them away and today I spent the whole time weaving in and out of them and circling around them, lots of changes of direction. My horse seemed to enjoy it and it made her listen to me and come off her forehand as she didn't have a clue where she was going next. Lots of changes in pace too. Just something different you can do when going round and round is too boring and its too dark to go hacking.

What about downloading some schooling sessions to use?

Flatwork is only as dull as you make it! I find myself running out of time - will easily manage 55mins and then think maybe I ought to stop!

I walk for a good 10mins at the start - normally 5mins in a really long deep stretch then pick up the walk and do some walk-halt transitions aiming to get him at least square in front (not so good at feeling behind) and some lateral work in walk - LY, SI, travers, HP, walk-halt in SI, walk piris etc), then move into a nice stretchy rising trot and a loose canter on each rein. Quick walk stretch then move onto transitions - trot-walk-halt-trot moving on to trot-halt-trot and trot-walk-trot then trot-halt-rein back- trot/canter with some trot SI/LY and medium trot thrown in. Moving into canter, working on canter-trot-canter then canter-walk-canter, moving canter on and back, counter canter. Once I've done all that on both reins and had a final stretchy trot on both reins then 5mins of walk to cool down it's easily coming up for an hour. I try and make sure each transition is good - if not, it gets repeated. If I'm working towards a dressage test I'll ride through that somewhere in the middle of the session and then work on specific movements. I only have a 20x35m school and never get bored. My horse always feels like he's improving with what I work on.

Thanks all

Star - I reckon maybe I should just spend longer on each of the things I do, as looking at your routine you don't really do THAT much more than me (just the lateral work really) - but your schooling seems to take double the time that mine does???? Hmmmm....maybe I do need to just do each exercise for longer.

I did lots of serpentines and spirally circles this morning which Socks seemed to be entertained by!

 

[KatB]

I think you need to start going into each session with an aim, so one day just to get him supple and working in different frames on your request, other days working on changes, another day working on counter canter, etc etc, and work these aims around your normal routine which to me is just a warm up!! Bring as you school to improve your jumping, gettig the canter as established as possible, and working him to develope elasticity and athleticism should be your aims, so lots of different exercises should be happenig regularly to keep strengthing and developing him

 

[siennamum]

My problem is that though I often have a plan I get distracted and change it halfway through.

I decide in advance that I want to work on a specific school movement or 2. This week it was serpentines with a transition over the centre line, I also like to ride a loop back to the track with a transition at the end.

I aim to be as accurate in all school movements as possible and ride all transitions as if I am in a test environment.

Sometimes we get in the groove and I have to stop as horse is tired, others he suprises me and we finish early as he is being good. It is different when you only school a couple of times a month as I do tho.

 

[SpottedCat]

I think a really good trainer would help you loads - I always have 'homework' which is what my flat schooling sessions focus on, and that means I have an aim and know what I am working towards.

 

[soulfull]

One simple exercise which I find not only does my lad love doing but is good for loads if things including his core muscles is halt rein back you have to get it crisp and fairly fast (if you get it right you will see the shoulders elevate. Then walk on and keeping flexion at poll go into a good crisp trot, then canter, repeat
Very soon you will be going halt to canter
As soon as he starts
Anticipating either the trot or the canter change it
My lad finds it great fun and it's improving all his paces no end but especially the canter
In the rein back make sure you hold your core well. Think of a ball in his feet and the bottom of your tummy rolling up slightly and backwards. Then when going forward hold your ball where it is DON'T let it roll forwards!

 

[MandyMoo]

thankyou all - as ever, great advice from you HHOers !

 

[lauraandjack]

I'm sure I read somewhere once a dressage trainer saying that you should warm up the canter before you start doing a lot of trot work, as it loosens them up better.

I second the idea of picking a dressage test and working on the movements. Flatwork IS dull if you don't have a goal in mind! If you're bored the horse will surely be bored too!