Fun/unusual flatwork exercises

[kyanya]

The horse I'm currently riding is anticipating what I want at the moment when I'm flatwork schooling, which is verging on the horse taking control, which is something I definitely don't want to happen!

So do you have any ideas of exercises to ride that he won't be expecting, to get him listening again rather than being Mr Know-it-all!

We work in walk, trot and canter (and plenty of transitions between these), circles, serpentines, direct transitions, a bit of leg yielding and sometimes I put in some turns on forehand/haunches and reinback.

 

[Janah]

One of the ones I use is trot small circle in each corner with varied trot or canter down long sides, just for fun throw in occasional canter on short side. Makes mine listen.

Hope that helps.

 

[Maddie2412]

hmm i like 10m circle reclining to the track(ie a sort of icecream cone shape) MBF working trot(or canter) at F half 10m at D head straight to B and repeat and I do sitting trot FD then rise good for bending and fun...

also 3/4 line leg yield to track next corner canter just makes the think

mini figures of eight ie horizontal instead of vertical BXEXB... really keen on these!!

let me know what u think! x

 

[Kokopelli]

Go on a circle and ask for:
Shoulder in
Quarter in
Shoulder out
Quarter out

It gets the horse and yourself thinking

 

[noblesteed]

Stuff that works with my lad who is very inattentive and gets bored and starts spooking:

10m circle in corner coming into a shallow loop but add another 10m circle at x then finish shallow loop and do another 10 m circle.
On a circle, trot to turn on forehand to trot.
Transition game where you count amount of strides in each pace, say 4 walk, 4 trot, 4 canter, 4 trot, 4 walk and so on.
Pole work.
Lots of work on counter flexion down long side in all paces.

I got a book 100 Schooling Exercises and there are tons of ideas in there to liven up your schooling.

 

[blitznbobs]

Sounds like he's ready to learn something new... Have you thought about teaching him half pass or flying changes or even pirouettes? Sometimes they get bored of the same stuff all the time if it 's not hard enough for them...

I like doing something different at every second letter (or every letter as they get more trained - this is too much for a lot of horses) and as long as you can think 3 letter ahead this is a great way to stop them antisipating. On the other hand this isn't a bad thing... MY GP horse used to carry on doing one time changes after I stopped asking... in the end I only ever asked for the first 3 and he gave me the rest for free!!

Bx

 

[mystiandsunny]

Don't do the same things each day - pick a 'focus' for each day you ride, and never have the same one twice. So one day focus on transitions, another on lateral work, another on quality of paces etc. The exercises you do to develop your 'focus' will be different, so nothing is expected, and if the horse pre-empts something you will do, bring them back to whatever you were doing before, and then do something different, so they never make the decisions.

 

[carnivalking]

I tend to do pole work such as counting strides and circles

 

[Gypley]

i like 3 loop serpentines in canter halting across the centre line

 

[Goldenstar]

One 15m circle at A on the right rein ( RR ) K across the diagonal to X .
At X circle left 10 metres to X and then across the diagonal to H .
C 15 m circle at M across the diagonal to X .
X 10m circle left to X ,X across the diagonal to F .
Return to A and repeat .
When you are ready change the rein and do the same the other way .
You can use this in all sorts of different ways using leg yielding on the diagonal lines or half pass or medium paces .
You can use walk trot and canter work in counter canter , do medium paces or stretches on the 15m circles , collection on the 10 m ones
It's a great exercise which you can use to help any horse working at any level.
It good when you have lost a bit of focus and don't know what to do just get started on this and before you know it you're into it .

 

[MuddyMonster]

I use a lot of pole work.

You can raise them, collect or extend between them, halt in between them, rein back over them - mixing up the exercise each time you come in really helps.

I often make a square out of poles & do something different inside the square each time you approach - you can then approacg four ways, too.

Even poles on a straight line - you can incorporate a circle between or over them, ride straight between two poles even figure of eight over them.

If you cones or plastic mounting blocks/jump stands then you can set them out to weave in and out of, use as figure of eight's or circle around too. If you do lateral work, then you can leg yield to and from them as well.

I quite like incorporating a bit of spook-busting in too - we often have a 'scary' coat, unbrella or something lying around we use to our advantage

 

[Merrymoles]

I like pole work but we also used pole pods as an extra toy, for example, setting up a bending line down the centre line and weaving in and out, or leg yielding from one to another, or using them as a point for a turn around the forehand, or making them the marker for transitions.

I find if something engages my brain, it engages his brain too and we both stop looking for problems or things to spook at...

 

[oldie48]

I've also got the 100 schooling exercises book and it's great as the exercises tell you what they are suitable for eg lazy horse etc. Mr B is very quick to anticipate so I do transitions at different markers eg every other, each one, at B, E C A etc so he can't work out which, I'm also teaching him voice aids which I think he really likes. the other thing I find really useful is loads of different lateral work, sometimes it isn't very good but it gets him buzzy and listening and we both enjoy it.

 

[Pedantic]

I put blocks or road cones across the school and some poles and jumps, I then walk trot and canter in and out of blocks/cones from both ends and sometimes ride along side to keep my Po guessing, sometimes put jump and or poles at end of the blocks/cones so he has to pay attention to what we are doing, he seems to quite like this rather than just round and round, more fun for both of us

 

[hairycob]

Have you seen the Horsephysio Facebook page? Loads of ideas for pole work. Some of them need a massive area and a helper but you can pick ideas out.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I play cowboys and indians with the shetlands when I am on Gray... It keeps him amused!