What do you do in a typical schooling session?

[ChestnutHunter]

As the title says really! Just curious to what you all do with your different horses.
My schooling sessions have gotten somewhat boring and horse does not really concentrate,
so looking for some new ideas!! (especially canter work!)

 

[Aniseed]

I asked a fairly similar question the other day and was given some interesting exercises to work on in canter.
Have a look at this thread
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=376836

 

[MegaBeast]

Currently doing a lot of raised trot poles, canter bounces - have a series of three planks across the school and a bounce of two uprights also across the school approx 20m apart and circle over them both, keep the bounces small as this is "flatwork".

I also do a fair bit of stride adjustment - two poles 5 strides apart and add/take away strides.

Work on a 20m circle with lots of canter trot canter transitions - started recently as this is required in some of the Novice tests I've done recently.

Work on really pushing the canter on down the long sides and then collecting right up into a circle at each end then push on out of the circle.

Four poles at the "circle points" and canter over them

 

[katie_and_toto]

Start off walking on long reins, then trotwork on long reins including large circles to let him stretch, then canter a few laps on each rein on long reins, then he has a quick breather. After that I pick up the reins and he does some proper work in an outline, including some smaller circles and serpentines etc. He has regular breathers

That's what we normally do, and am currently working on leg yield, spiralling from 15m outwards

 

[SusieT]

It varies but basically
flatwork-Spend 10 mins or so walking, trotting on a long and loose rein (useful to teach them if they don't know-and gets them used to working calmly wherever they are!). Then bring them together a bit but not fully and have a short canter. Then after the ten mins I will bring the trot into 'dressage' mode so to speak and perhaps do serpentines etc. Maybe some leg yield, work towards some advanced movements. I don't spend a lot of time in canter really (eventers) more trot, but will do trot work til I'm satisfied then move onto canter and again, serpentines, figure of eights with leg changes. Odd lines.
Jumping-10 minute warm up on the flat then pop over a cross pole, a vertical and a spread then whatever I am working on for that session. could be a double to get them jumping well, or a course, or a bounce or what not.

 

[dressager]

Mines a bit laid back so spens quite a lot of time just getting him forwards and straight... He has felt more crooked since he recently had his back done so working on the straight part a great deal at the moment!

Start with at least 15 mins in walk. Initially just FWLR, but then I practise riding the short sides in medium walk (he hates this!) and then FWLR across the diagonal. Then spend time in trot off the track (ie down 3/4 line to ensure he's working equally between L and R aids) but no small figures at this point to get him forwards. Some days I will then charge him round the school in canter to get him off my aids! Lots of on and back work to get him working into the contact.

After the "waking up phase" I work more on straightening. At the moment we have regressed to trotting and cantering squares instead of circles to help prevent him falling in! We may do some shoulder in and half pass in trot but only if he feels ready. He finds the sideways easy but have to be strict on maintaining a consistent contact and enough forwards movement.

In terms of canter work some days I work on the counter canter. I might ask for it on a shallow loop or just canter across the diagonal. On stiffer days I might ask for shoulder in on a circle then ride forwards down the long side with plenty of transitions in between until he's more even in both reins. On better days we work more on collecting the canter on a circle, but again, interspersed with lots of forwards riding.

Every day is different but still working on basic things like impulsion, straightness and contact. And we finish by stretching down in trot/canter then 15 mins FWLR and nice hose down

 

[Halfstep]

Ohh, interesting. It does depend on the horse, naturally, but in general my warm up is the same. Walk stretching but on a contact for c. 5 minutes, including a few big circles and changes of rein. Then pick up the walk towards medium walk and ride some leg yields across the diagonal, and some halt walk transitions. I then do some standing flexions. Then to rising trot, asking the horse to stretch into the bridle lower and a bit rounder in the frame. Again leg yield on the diagonal, with increasing steepness. A bit of shoulder in, but in rising trot with a touch more neck bend than you'd ask in a test. Canter, sending forwards down the long side, collect (a bit) in the corner, deep and low on a circle, pick up across the diagonal, flying change (if the horse knows them) and same on the other rein. After this, I'd usually do some walk work, walk pirouettes etc, then pick up the trot in sitting and do collected work, half passes, whatever I want to work on etc. Forwards and back on a circle in trot and canter, this I'd do on nearly all horses after they've warmed up. On a more experienced horse I'd spiral in in travers and shoulder in out on a circle in canter. Before cooling down I do (if the horse is ready for this) piaffe/passage work. Then stretch the horse in trot and canter, then walk on a long rein until fully cooled off.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

walk on a long rein though big circles and changes of rein, some shallow leg yield.
then pick up to medium walk and ride either shoulder in and travers on a circle or steeper leg yield zig zags.thats about 5 mins.

up in to trot in a low and round frame and for my particular horse i must make sure he is off the leg at this stage or he never really *lets go*, so.....i pull my leg off from the thigh a few times and gently set back against him and if he doesnt quicken the hind leg and power forward he gets sent forward in to GALLOP until a twitch of my leg results in a sharper/quicker action behind.he is always praised for going forward and never punished if he offers to canter/passage instead as long as its active.probably have to do that 3 times.

ride some leg yields in the LD frame, on a loose rein, checking he is not being supported by my hands.probably twice each way.ride a circuit each way flexing the neck and checking he can carry the flexion withut nagging.

walk a circle or two on a long rein.

pick up to a deep frame and ride some *half transitions*, so trot, almost walk, power of in to medium trot, collect, repeat. if i do that 4/5 times over a figure of 8, he is really stepping under and off the leg.thats another 5 mins.

my horse prefers not to canter in the warm up so here id probably have another walk on a long rein.

pick up in to competition frame and work on my *main schooling*-i tend to pick 2 trot things and 2 canter things to work on, but within that i do a lot of varying the frame and tempo and do a lot of give and re-taking in between movements.
currently developing the half pass in trot and canter and working on flying changes so exercises geared towards that.
i do lots of short (1 circle) walk breaks each time he tries for me.

if i want i might pick up a schooling whip and do a few half piaffe steps at the end, then trot him off low and round, though big turns and circles, maybe let him have a canter and a buck if he wants to, then walk off on a long rein until he's cool and breathing normal.

 

[little_flea]

I like these threads! I am mainly riding Maggie (11, experienced show jumper and Elementary dressage, very straightforward and responsive, not very flashy mover, needs more "energy" and impulsion) and Flo (9, but very novicey, just started jumping and does Novice dressage, flashy paces, on the forehand, can get tense and spooky and rush).

Generally - I try and play with "energy" - collecting the paces and sending them forwards, like balancing a jigsaw to encourage the horses own balance and always have them listening and in self carriage. I look for the feeling where I know I can ask for an extension of whatever pace I am in at any moment, and equally be able to ask for a halt at any moment (obviously with the required preparation!) Not riding around the track or on a circle in the same pace for long - always doing something - small circles, bigger circles, serpentines, a few lateral steps, transitions, bringing paces back and then sending forwards.

With Maggie I don't warm up long & low as she just tends to run around and look at what's going on around her - better to ask her to work straight away and stretch her afterwards. Walk/trot transitions to ensure she is really quick off the leg - easiest done on a 20m circle. Lots of trot work with circles and serpentines as she is a very big horse and needs to be supple. Basic lateral work, making sure she moves off the leg but not letting the energy escape sideways - so for example going down the centre line, a few steps leg yield, then straight, leg yield again etc. Some mediums. Canterwise, again, lots of forwards and bringing back and getting her really bouncy - she show jumps so really needs this. 7-10m circles in each corner to get hocks underneath (thinking canter pirouette). TEMPO is the key word for Maggie. Not speed, but energy.

Flo - trying to harness the energy and having adjustable paces without rushing. LOTS of transitions. Lots of halts, and just for her to stand there until I ask her to go again (not sticking head up in the air after 3 seconds, not trying to scratch her head etc...) She has an amazing hindleg but her front end can't catch up so she easily comes on her forehand - I must fight any temptation to squeeze her together and "lift" her as it makes her very tense and some riders in the past have upset her with this. Her shoulder will lift from my leg riding her INTO the contact - so halfhalt, balance, and ride up into the bridle. Difficult to ride a horse with a huge engine forwards to get it to become lighter in front.

And my favourite things to think about when schooling:

– My hands holding the bit - there are no reins - just a direct link from my elbow to the horse's mouth (Sally Swift, and my dear trainer John Bowen)
– When pushing the horse forwards, open up the hips
– In downwards transitions and half halts - think of my being on a playground swing, and the movements you would do to stop the swing (shoulders, stomach and pelvis)
– (picked up from HHO, can't remember who said it, but it was such a good illustration) EDWARD GAL HANDS! Softly riding forwards up into the hand.

Apologies for the essay, it was obviously very constructive for me to write this down! Thank you! Phew!

 

[Johnboy1]

WOW Little Flea...... you have been paying attention !!!!!!!!!! xx

 

[little_flea]

WOW Little Flea...... you have been paying attention !!!!!!!!!! xx

Oh I see! Hahaha! Yes, I have paid attention. Because if I didn't, I fear my instructor would bang the walls of the school until my took off bucking down the long side. x

 

[Hemirjtm]

I do like these types of threads

If I'm schooling on the flat I'll start off 5mins on a long rein, then ask for a dribbly trot to get him swinging accross his back before I ask him to collect. We will then have a very sluggish canter where he is not working at all to let him 'let loose' so to speak!

I will then ask him for a really really slow 4 time walk, so I can really feel it. He is normally very long and low still at this point. Every now and again I will bring him into a contact still keeping the 4 time rythm, then let him go long and low again. He has a good walk but we do lots of transitions within the walk to help with the canter and the trot!

Onto the trot work. Again he starts off really long and low but forwards, trying to 'lift' his front end up and get his lazy backside underneath him! We do most of our trot work like this, leg yielding, lots of transitions, lengthening, shortening strides. I will then sit for a little while to 'collect' him, lift up his ribcage. But he will still be long and low! After about 20mins I will then ask for 3 or 4 strides of canter at a time, getting him really off the leg and listening. Sitting on his backside! We don't do much canter work to be honest.

Once we have worked on canter transitions I do lots of collecting, shortening and lengthening his strides.

And then back to trot work. I will now start to ask him to come up into a contact, really work from behind and come up at the shoulders. I do this for about 5mins. Then I call it a day.

We do lots of circles, transition, lateral movements, increasing and decreasing the circles...etc.

I try and vary it everyday so that he doesn't get bored! I'm introducing counter canter and the moment, and his flying changes are getting better He has a medium trot, and extended is coming !!

enjoy trying all the new excersises with your horse
x

 

[Stormy123456]

Well...

Spanner (5 y/o) - After warming up: Flatwork - we work on getting the correct bend in trot, lots of transitions, walk to trot, trot to walk, then work on getting a balanced calm canter, keeping a constant contact on the rein, but squeezing with leg, then canter to trot transitions (as they are pretty dire), stop her from running, and get a nice trot again.
Jumping - working on acceptance of me sitting in the saddle, polework, keeping a constant rythem and making sure she had a forward canter, not backward!

I try my best to keep them short, rewarding and vary alot of hacking, and other stuff around them, as she gets bored quite easily, hence, were still on the very basics!

Tango (7 y/o - but really green jumping) Flatwork: working on our medium trot, counter canter, leg yield.
Jumping - Not letting him run before or after the fences, holding him into each, with a bouncy uphill canter, with lots of impulsion. Lots of reward, since he's bit of a wuss!

 

[rowy]

At the moment with dancer (17 yr old tb) I am working on getting her more supple and improving her topline. this involves:
warmup: getting her to stretch down but on the contact and rounded and bending her to each side.
The pick up trot again in a long frame getting her to round and down into the contact.

Main schooling:
back into trot on a more higher frame and doing lots of leg yield and shoulder in particularly on the left rein that she is more stiff on.
lots of walk trot walk transitions to get her calm and working properly.
then canter doing shoulder in and straightening exercises on a circle.
then back to trot and getting her calm and round again (gets wound up after canter)
the into trot on a long frame again getting her to stretch
finishing off with 5 mins getting her to stretch in walk on a long frame.

also atm doing LOTS of work with the white boards around them because she is scared of them :S
and pole work to also help develop her topline.