Skilled riding is often all it takes to improve a horse’s athleticism, performance, and overall well-being. But just as often, even good dressage-based training programs fail to fully root out the habits and patterns that prevent many horses from reaching optimal movement and correctness of their gaits.

Anything from a poorly fitting saddle to inconsistent exercise, an injury, or past postural imbalances can create compromises. These quickly become deeper impediments to a horse’s movement mechanics that persist even with good, regular riding schedules.

The body’s way of taking care of itself during physical imbalances is to put up defenses. These defenses take the form of muscular spasms, adhesions, restricted joint motion, and signals to and from the central nervous system to move differently.

Curing these defenses is not as simple as giving the horse a period of rest, though that can seem like a sensible solution. Putting a horse out in the field for a few months with the hope that everything will clear up rarely fixes the underlying problems.

Therapies like chiropractic care and massage are generally successful in releasing areas of immobility so the horse is able to move optimally. However, they only set the stage; they do not by themselves create healthy movement.

For that, the horse must be taken through exercises that habituate correct new patterns. This is where corrective exercises come in.

Let’s Go Galloping!

Galloping offers one of the most generally therapeutic exercises for a riding horse. It can release tension and stiffness in the horse’s back and hindquarters—sometimes more effectively than bodywork and stretches combined.

The classical masters of dressage often advised riders to take their horses for a brisk canter across the fields regularly because it’s one of the simplest tools to keep a horse tuned up with full, free range of motion.

Misunderstood nowadays as something that only applies to racehorses and eventing horses, galloping often fails to exist within the domain of most arena and recreational riders. And yet it helps cure rhythm irregularity in the gaits, a hollow back, and one-sidedness.

Galloping does not need to be an all-out, white-knuckled affair as some wary riders fear. It just needs to be a brisk version of cantering without holding the horse tightly with the reins.

Compared to other gaits, the galloping horse pushes himself forward with more powerful contractions of his back muscles. These forceful contractions are followed quickly by relaxation of the muscle fibers. The contraction/relaxation cycles prevent tension or stiffening of the horse’s long back muscles, which is often created by other work.

Horses that are able to canter briskly for a period each week, whether out in the field or around an arena, maintain better symmetry in the activation of their hind legs and more freedom through their back.

Start in the Arena

For those who are wary of their horse’s behavior when encouraged to canter quickly, or have other concerns such as the horse tripping, getting fatigued, or not steering very well, I recommend the following exercise.

While your horse will not be receiving the same benefits of a prolonged canter bout, you will lay a good foundation to get there soon. It is intended for the comfy confines of an arena or large enclosed area.

1. Shorten your stirrups by one or two holes. This helps you ride in a lighter seat up off the horse’s back.

2. After a normal warm-up, strike off in a canter.

3. Now come up in a half-seat, lighten the reins, and encourage your horse to move a little faster.

4. Try to travel around 10 miles per hour, not faster or slower. This is not an out-of-control speed, just a brisk effort.

5. Continue around the perimeter of the arena or on a very large circle (no smaller than 40 meters) for 30 seconds.

6. Take a short break by jogging around for 30 seconds.

7. Repeat this four times.

Once horses learn that galloping involves a fair amount of sustained work, it ceases to be thrilling. Horses that are initially excited or reactive about the freedom of galloping learn that it’s just another part of their work week, but you must help them get over that initial hurdle.

Use a watch for this exercise. Many riders don’t know what 30 seconds of galloping feels like, and they are prone to quit after a much shorter time.

Be sure to go at least 30 seconds—or longer—with each canter. This is the time you’ll need for your horse to settle into his strides for the right physiological response.

This excerpt from 55 Corrective Exercises by Jec Ballou is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books. This reprint originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Inactivity sometimes plays a larger role in creating poor muscle patterns than incorrect training or injuries. When a horse doesn’t move enough throughout the day as nature intended, circulation diminishes. This translates to sluggish muscles and dehydrated tissues surrounding them. Over time, this creates ingrained restriction in range of motion. This is of particular concern for senior or injured horses.

Too many of us overlook the value of schooling at the walk, thinking that there is not much to accomplish. To be clear, walk workouts do not improve cardiovascular fitness, but—fear not—cardio plays a minimal role in your horse’s mechanics and movement patterns. However, walking workouts benefit your horse by mobilizing the spinal joints and increasing stimulation of postural muscles.

It’s also worth noting that the equine lymphatic system lacks a central pump. Lymph circulation relies instead on muscular contractions. The lymphatic system helps maintain fluid balances between blood vessels and tissues, which is crucial for not only movement but immunity and injury repair.

Also read – Developing Core Stability for Horse and Rider

During any period of reduced exercise due to weather or time constraints, you can accomplish a great deal in 25 minutes with one of the following walk routines. Within each routine below, spend about two minutes on each exercise, then continue to cycle through them like a circuit until your time is up.

Walking Routine No. 1

For 25 minutes, do the following continuous circuit:

◆ Long and Low Transitions: With the horse in a long-and-low stretched frame, ride transitions from working walk to extended walk; repeat. Aim to keep his head and neck reaching down low toward the ground into a light rein contact during these transitions. He will need to use his core muscles for balance.

◆ Polish Your Turns: Interspersed with intervals of active, ground-covering walking, practice several turns-on-the-forehand and turns-on-the-haunches in each direction. Be sure to ride several energetic walk steps between each turn.

◆ Proprioception Box: Arrange a box on the ground using four ground poles touching at the corners. Ride a variety of patterns over and through the box: cloverleaf, circle around each corner, figure eight, et cetera.

Walking Routine No. 2

For 25 minutes, do the following continuous circuit:

◆ Accordion Topline: Riding around the edge of your arena in a brisk, forward walk, as you practice lengthening and shortening the reins and asking your horse to change frames from longer to shorter.

◆ Spiral In and Out: From a 20-meter circle, spiral in to an 8-meter circle, and then, maintaining inside bend, leg-yield back out to your original 20-meter circle, being careful not to lose energy.

◆ Snowman: Ride once around a 20-meter circle to the left. Then, at the top, change bend and ride a 10-meter circle to the right. Resume the 20-meter circle to the left. Your figure should look like a snowman with a fat body and a smaller head on top.

◆ Simple Ground Poles: Set up as many poles as you have available in a random fashion all around your arena. Proceed in a brisk walk over the poles, and creatively ride various turns and loops.

Walking Routine No. 3

For 25 minutes, do the following continuous circuit:

◆ Speed Changes: Ride various figures in the arena while changing the speed of your walk. Aim for four distinct speeds (super slow, slow, medium and fast), and spend 20 strides at each speed. Repeat.

◆ Cornerstone Transitions: Ride transitions to the halt every 10 strides. At every other halt transition, ask the horse to back up six to 10 steps, then carry on.

◆ Wavy Lines: Ride a “scalloped” edge around the track of your arena. Maintaining a brisk, lively walk tempo, ride a wavy serpentine with approximately 3-meter loops back and forth from left to right, and so on.

When performed consistently (four to five days per week), purposeful walking routines can have a surprisingly beneficial impact on your horse’s body. Although it’s not as outwardly visible, their value is much greater than inactivity. Your horse will thank you!

This article about the benefits of walking your horse appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Benefits of Riding Your Horse at the Walk appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Work at the walk, practiced and touted by old classical dressage masters, is always better than letting a horse stand around when he is not able to perform a regular training schedule. Walking allows for full contraction of the long back muscles in a contraction-relaxation cycle that prevents tension. Further, the fine-tuned motor control that is possible at the walk enables you to help your horse find more range of motion and joint flexion.

Inactivity sometimes plays a larger role in creating poor muscle patterns than incorrect training or injuries. When a horse doesn’t move enough throughout the day as nature intended, circulation diminishes. This translates to sluggish muscles and dehydrated tissues surrounding them. Over time, this creates ingrained restrictions in range of motion. This is of particular concern for senior or injured horses.

Too many of us overlook the value of schooling at the walk, thinking that there is not much to accomplish. To be clear, walk workouts do not improve cardiovascular fitness, but—fear not—cardio plays a minimal role in your horse’s mechanics and movement patterns. However, workouts with mounted walking exercises mobilize the horse’s spinal joints and increase stimulation of postural muscles.

It’s also worth noting that the equine lymphatic system lacks a central pump. Lymph circulation relies instead on muscular contractions. The lymphatic system helps maintain fluid balances between blood vessels and tissues, which is crucial for not only movement but immunity and injury repair.

During any period of reduced exercise due to weather or time constraints, you can accomplish a great deal in 25 minutes with one of the following walk routines. Within each routine below, spend about two minutes on each exercise, then continue to cycle through them like a circuit until your time is up.

Walk Routine No. 1

For 25 minutes, do the following continuous circuit:

◆ Long and Low Transitions: With the horse in a long-and-low stretched frame, ride transitions from working walk to extended walk; repeat. Aim to keep his head and neck reaching down low toward the ground into a light rein contact during these transitions. He will need to use his core muscles for balance.
◆ Polish Your Turns: Interspersed with intervals of active, ground-covering walking, practice several turns-on-the-forehand and turns-on-the-haunches in each direction. Be sure to ride several energetic walk steps between each turn.
◆ Proprioception Box: Arrange a box on the ground using four ground poles touching at the corners. Ride a variety of patterns over and through the box: cloverleaf, circle around each corner, figure eight, et cetera.

Walk Routine No. 2

For 25 minutes, do the following continuous circuit of mounted walking exercises with your horse:
◆ Accordion Topline: Riding around the edge of your arena in a brisk, forward walk, as you practice lengthening and shortening the reins and asking your horse to change frames from longer to shorter.
◆ Spiral In and Out: From a 20-meter circle, spiral in to an 8-meter circle, and then, maintaining inside bend, leg-yield back out to your original 20-meter circle, being careful not to lose energy.
◆ Snowman: Ride once around a 20-meter circle to the left. Then, at the top, change bend and ride a 10-meter circle to the right. Resume the 20-meter circle to the left. Your figure should look like a snowman with a fat body and a smaller head on top.
◆ Simple Ground Poles: Set up as many poles as you have available in a random fashion all around your arena. Proceed in a brisk walk over the poles, and creatively ride various turns and loops.

Walk Routine No. 3

For 25 minutes, do the following continuous circuit:
◆ Speed Changes: Ride various figures in the arena while changing the speed of your walk. Aim for four distinct speeds (super slow, slow, medium and fast), and spend 20 strides at each speed. Repeat.
◆ Cornerstone Transitions: Ride transitions to the halt every 10 strides. At every other halt transition, ask the horse to back up six to 10 steps, then carry on.
◆ Wavy Lines: Ride a “scalloped” edge around the track of your arena. Maintaining a brisk, lively walk tempo, ride a wavy serpentine with approximately 3-meter loops back and forth from left to right, and so on.

When performed consistently (four to five days per week), purposeful walking routines can have a surprisingly beneficial impact on your horse’s body. Although it’s not as outwardly visible, their value is much greater than inactivity. Your horse will thank you!

This article that offers mounted walking exercises for your horse appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

• Ground Pole Exercises for Horses

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Simple ground pole exercises for horses can sometimes be the most effective because riders are likely to practice them more consistently. And when it comes to movement and fitness, consistency matters above all.

I often use the following ground pole exercises for horses in clinics because they offer an easy way to derive the benefits of pole work without the logistics and effort involved in setting up more complex routines. When you are short on time or dealing with poor weather, these offer a convenient way of ensuring you do not miss the exercise your horse needs.

Riders are occasionally surprised how a little rearranging of the horse’s posture, as required with ground pole maneuvers, can create notable improvements. These adjustments include activating and lifting the base of the neck, greater rotation in the trunk and back, and stimulation of sensory nerves in feet and forelegs.

These exercises alone will not make a horse fit, but when practiced for five or 10 minutes before your ride, they help activate nerve pathways and deep postural muscles that might otherwise hibernate during periods of less overall exercise. Practiced with intention and focus, they can function like the type of drills performed by a dancer or sprinter prior to performing a routine.

These exercises can be performed from the saddle, although I generally encourage riders to do them from the ground so they develop a daily habit of observing their horse’s posture and alignment. Making them part of your pre-ride groundwork is a useful part of your warm-up.

For set-up, you can use fence posts, jump poles, or whatever pole you have available that measures at least 2 meters (6 feet) long. By no means do you need to set these up in an arena. Since you only need a small amount of space, I encourage you to use an area outside your arena.

Back and Forth with Forelegs

For horses with a strong side dominance or ones that are tight and restricted on the forehand, I have found this exercise to be helpful.

Most horses will initially step on the pole or be clumsy with their feet. Don’t assume they are being naughty or evasive; continue with the exercise, and generally within several repetitions, the footwork will resolve.

◆ Stand your horse perpendicular to a single pole lying flat on the ground.

◆ Ask him to step one front foot, and then the other, over the pole.

◆ Once both front feet are over, ask him to stand still for 1-2 seconds.

◆ Now ask him to step his feet back across the pole.

◆ And then immediately walk his front feet forward over the pole again.

◆ Continue repeating this forward-backward movement for 6-8 repetitions.

Cross-Over at Oblique Angle

Excellent for stimulating the deep scapular (shoulder) muscles, this maneuver asks the horse to move his foreleg away from his midline, which helps mitigate the effects of repetitive front-to-back movement. If you have small riser blocks available, raise the ends of your pole 6 inches off the ground.

◆ Walk your horse across the pole at a diagonal angle; imagine his body making a 45-degree angle with the pole.

◆ Continue walking back and forth across the pole obliquely …

◆ … OR turn your pattern into a figure-8 by circling around the end of the pole after each time across.

◆ Repeat a dozen times.

Transitions Beside a Pole

In this exercise, the pole serves as an alignment tool. The horse is aware both visually and physically of the pole’s position, and he therefore makes small adjustments to account for his own positioning beside it. In this way, his sensory nerves are stimulated with very little interference on your part.

Remember that sensory nerves communicate with motor nerves. The more we support this communication, the more refined a horse’s movement can become.

The goal is to be as close to the pole as possible at all times without actually standing on it.

◆ Walk your horse energetically toward the pole, aligning him parallel to it.

◆ When the horse’s body is alongside the pole, halt promptly.

◆ Stand immobile for 3 seconds.

◆ Then back up 6 steps, remaining as close to the pole as possible without hitting it.

◆ Immediately walk forward and halt again.

◆ Walk forward away from the pole and prepare to re-approach it, repeating the above sequence.

Once you have repeated the sequence above, you can modify it to include trotting on your approach to the pole. You can also vary which side of the pole you choose to halt in order to keep your horse’s attention.

Transitions Before & After a Pole

The objective here is to make lots of small adjustments to your horse’s balance and energy. I often think of this being akin to a “quick feet” drill that soccer players do.

◆ Place a single pole on the ground or raised to a height of 6 inches.

◆ Walk or jog toward the pole. Two steps before you cross the pole, transition to a different gait/speed to cross the pole. For instance, if you are approaching at a jog, quickly transition down to a walk, step over the pole, and then immediately resume jogging.

◆ Repeat this sequence, alternating transitions between walk, jog, and halt, both before and after you ride across the pole each time.

◆ Be sure you do not repeat the same sequence. The goal is to keep you and your horse alert and responsive.

These are some of my favorite quick, efficient uses of a single pole to keep your horse’s routine engaged when you might have less time or agreeable weather. There are plenty of other creative uses for a single pole, as well: circling around a pole, sidepassing over a pole, straddling a pole with each set of legs, and doing small gymnastic jumps.

The key point is that while a grid or sequence of poles offers terrific strength training, you can still accomplish some good work with one plain old pole on the ground.

This article about ground pole exercises for horses appeared in the March 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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If you’re the type of person who enjoys setting a goal and tackling each step to achieve it, chances are good you’ll find a western dressage show quite satisfying. For the newcomer, barriers to entry are low, but the payoffs in terms of training refinement and partnership with your horse are enormous.

Shows are affordable, low-key, and do not require special equipment or attire. Mastering a western dressage test pushes you to polish and assemble many of the skills you’ve probably already worked on in clinics and everyday schooling. Many riders discover that they can perform certain skills in isolation, but weaving them together in a dressage test is an unexpected challenge. But it’s a challenge that often gets riders hooked.

Below are some tips and guidelines to get you started or further your involvement with the sport.

Making Contact

The first question that arises for most people, especially those coming from other western disciplines like reining or pleasure showing, is how much—or how little—contact the horse and rider should have with the bit.

The short answer is a slight positive tension. The longer answer is that it all depends on how ideal the horse’s body carriage and gaits are. In other words, slackness or drape in the reins will not be prioritized above the horse moving with correct rhythm, body mechanics and alignment.

A western dressage horse moving correctly on the bit should stretch into the contact. He shouldn’t be shown with exaggeratedly draped reins. Instead, there should be light rein tone evident. It should appear that the horse is seeking a feel of your hands, with his neck arching and stretching forward from his body.

This is called “looking through” the bridle. As the horse progresses through the levels of training and showing, it’s expected that the rein contact will become lighter as a result of attaining perfect posture and balance. At this point, the reins will appear nearly loose.

Riding one- or two-handed is permitted, but you must perform the entire test without changing back and forth. Curb and snaffl e bits are permitted, with snaffle bits being most common.

Using strong, visible rein cues, constantly bumping the bit, or causing a horse to gape his mouth are considered serious faults. Special emphasis is given to a quiet mouth with head carriage that reflects the appropriate degree of collection and balance for each individual horse. This means the judge takes account of your horse’s natural conformation and balance when evaluating his specifi c outline or frame during competition.

Western Dressage Movement

The western dressage horse should demonstrate a full, swinging stride in all gaits with the hind feet coming forward and landing under the rider. He should move with impulsion, a forward-thinking attitude, engagement and looseness.

The general assumption is that a western dressage horse moves slowly, but this isn’t necessarily the case. A horse that moves well, as noted above, is more important than how rapidly or slowly he jogs or lopes. Slow-moving gaits are not an end goal unto themselves; they should be proof of balance, the result of correct training that includes schooling in lively working gaits.

A correct tempo for each western dressage horse differs according to his individual conformation, limb length, and ability to flex his hindquarters. As your horse’s balance and strength increase and he’s able therefore to carry more weight on his hindquarters, his tempo will naturally slow down. What he gains in loftiness and joint flexion and a softly swinging back, he trades for the quicker gaits of an undeveloped, unbalanced horse.

Competition Notes

As you prepare for a western dressage test, it’s important to keep in mind that this quality of movement is what you will be primarily evaluated on. A successful test is not just the ability to ride an accurate pattern, though that is a component of what judges look for. A much larger part of the evaluation comes from consistent, high-quality gaits and movement demonstrated throughout the pattern.

For competitions, working western attire and equipment are the norm, as opposed to flashier show-ring styles. A clean pair of riding jeans and plain long-sleeve shirt will get you started in the sport. Chaps, chinks, and helmets are optional.

Western dressage was officially branded in the U.S. in 2010, and in 2013, the U.S. Equestrian Federation named the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) an affiliate organization. At whatever level you choose to participate—locally, regionally, or beyond—your horse’s athleticism and longevity will bloom.

This article about western dressage originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

• Get Started in Western Dressage
• Need a new challenge for the coming year? Try Western Dressage
• Western Training: To Post or Not to Post

The post Try Western Dressage appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Walking allows for full contraction of the long back muscles in a contraction-relaxation cycle that prevents tension. Its low-aerobic effort ensures recruitment of small muscles that support the spine, the ones that create and store postural patterns.

Further, the fine-tuned motor control that is possible at the walk enables you to help your horse find more range of motion and joint flexion that will become habitual.

During periods of reduced exercise due to either weather or injury, you can accomplish a great deal in 25 minutes with one of the walk routines featured here. Even for riders with busy lives, there is no reason to not make use of these. Walking exercises during the warm up process of your ride can become extremely beneficial for your horse.

Concentrate on creating the highest quality movements and figures for these 25 minutes. Treat them with the same focus as you would a dressage test or show. You can easily extend their benefits by doing three minutes of dynamic stretches or calisthenics prior to mounting.

Within each routine featured here, spend about two minutes on each exercise and continue to cycle through them until your time is up.

How to Handle Downtime

Interruptions to a horse’s normal training routine or exercising fewer than three days per week will lead to a measurable loss of fitness after four weeks. This “detraining” effect continues up to 12 weeks, at which point a rider should consider the horse entirely out of condition.

A horse’s metabolic system and connective tissue are stressed by large vacillations in fitness, especially as he ages; every effort should be made to avoid long layoffs lasting more than four weeks at a time. Obviously, every rider will experience schedule restraints that lead to periods of lesser activity, during which the walking routines I’ve just described, at the minimum, can be used.

During periods of less activity, riders often may fret unnecessarily about the horse losing cardiovascular fitness. Instead, they should concern themselves with postural tone and fitness of muscular patterns. Horses make cardiovascular adaptations quickly and efficiently. It’s fine for them to lose fitness in their respiratory system, sweating responses, and blood volume for an extended period. Once a horse is placed back in full-time work, his cardiovascular system makes fitness gains in as swiftly as two weeks. His supporting tissues, muscles, and bones, however, will require up to four months or more.

Do not be tempted to make up for a diminished training schedule by getting your horse out once or twice a week and making him work up a good sweat with the hope that you are thwarting fitness loss. I sometimes see riders with good intentions but tight schedules show up at the barn once or twice a week, only to hook their horse onto the longeline and run him around until he is panting and sweaty. Obviously, they believe they are combating a deterioration of fitness.

In reality, they are doing more harm than good. While they are in fact taxing the horse’s respiratory system, they are allowing his postural muscles to slacken while simultaneously creating poor habits in his gymnastic muscles that build tension during these short bursts of activity without precise alignment, warming up, or signals from his proprioceptors.

Exercises: Walk Routine 1

With each of these routines, spend about two minutes on each exercise and repeat for 25 minutes.

It’s far better to forego the once-weekly, sweaty workout in place of multiple shorter sessions using exercises to recruit postural muscle effort. In sum, allow cardiovascular fitness to go by the wayside because it comes back quickly. Do not allow postural practice and muscle training to go by the wayside because you will create problems down the road.

Here is the first set of horse exercises at the walk. It includes accordion topline, spiral in and out, snowman, and simple ground poles.

Accordion Topline:

Riding around the edge of your arena in a brisk, forward walk, practice lengthening and shortening your reins and asking your horse to change frames, from longer to shorter.

Spiral In and Out:

From a 20-meter circle, spiral in to an 8-meter circle. Then, maintaining inside bend, leg-yield back out to your original 20-meter circle, being careful not to lose energy.

Snowman:

Ride once around a 20-meter circle to the left, then, at the top, change bend and ride a 10-meter circle to the right. Resume your 20-meter circle. Your figure should look like a snowman with a fat body and a smaller head on top.

Simple Ground Poles:

Set up as many poles as you have available in a random fashion all around your arena. Proceed in a brisk walk over the poles, riding turns and loops creatively.

Exercises: Walk Routine 2

Here is the second set of horse exercises at the walk. It includes long-and-low transitions, polish your turns, and proprioception box.

Long-and-low Transitions:

With the horse in a long-and-low frame, ride transitions from working walk to extended walk; repeat. Aim to keep his head and neck reaching down low toward the ground into a light rein contact during these transitions. He will need to recruit core musculature for balance.

Polish Your Turns:

Interspersed with intervals of active, ground-covering walking, practice several turns-on-the-forehand and turns-on-the-haunches in each direction. Be sure to ride several vigorous walk steps between each turn.

Proprioception Box:

Arrange a box using four ground poles with the corners of the box lifted on risers. Ride a variety of patterns over and through the box—cloverleaf, circle around each corner of the box, figure eight.

Exercises: Walk Routine 3

Here is the third set of horse exercises at the walk. It includes speed changes, cornerstone transitions, and wavy lines.

Speed Changes:

Ride various figures in the arena while changing the speed of your walk. Aim for four distinct speeds (super slow, slow, medium and fast), and spend 20 strides at each speed. Repeat.

Cornerstone Transitions:

Ride transitions to the halt every 10 strides. At every other halt transition, ask the horse to back up 6 to 10 steps, then carry on.

Wavy lines:

Ride a “scalloped” edge around the track of your arena. Maintain a brisk, lively walk tempo and ride a wavy serpentine with approximately 3-meter loops back and forth from left to right.

This excerpt from 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses by Jec Aristotle Ballou is adapted from and reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com).

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Enticed into these situations for a variety of reasons, a number of riders are drawn to horse-share or leasing arrangements not just for their own interests, but for the horse’s.

Shared Ownership

“Honestly, I don’t think I would have a horse again if I couldn’t share it with someone,” says Nancy Chin of Santa Cruz, Calif. She has shared Flash, a 15-year-old Morgan gelding, with Barbara Arroyo for the past 10 years.

The pair bought Flash together spontaneously at a local breeding-barn liquidation sale and have shared equally in all of his costs and responsibilities since then. Individually, each rider was overwhelmed by the prospect of buying a horse, but together, it seemed manageable.

In hindsight, they chuckle about the absence of formal planning but wonder if their 10 harmonious years without a written contract might be an indicator of how well these relationships can work with the right people involved.

The share has worked so well that Chin and Arroyo now question the merits of sole ownership, particularly in terms of the horse’s well-being. In places like coastal California where they live, turnout is almost non-existent due to the high price of land, so sharing a horse helps ensure it gets enough exercise.

“This is not just about the cost,” says Chin. “If you work full-time, you physically cannot get your horse out every day. And they need to get out and move.”

Having multiple owners covers all the bases for the horse, while simultaneously meeting each rider’s needs. In the case of Chin and Arroyo, the women’s schedules vary enough that they seldom find themselves in conflict for riding time.

Leasing

Types and terms of sharing and lease arrangements vary as much as the horses they serve. For Jana Marquardt of the San Francisco Bay area, sharing her gelding with lessees offered her a chance to pass along her knowledge of horsemanship and dressage.

Marquardt honed her skills on borrowed horses as a working student throughout high school before getting her own horse. When she added graduate school to her schedule, she knew the most beneficial decision for her—and her horse Binki—was to team up with someone. She asked for referrals from her network of trainers and friends and entered a half-lease with a young woman learning dressage.

“I had limited time, but I wanted to keep [Binki] moving and healthy,” says Marquardt. She regularly coaches her lessee while continuing to ride Binki three times a week herself. She believes this sharing of expertise adds value and focus to lease arrangements. Binki’s current lessee, 15-year-old Maya Desai, agrees.

“It’s a great way to learn from another person, especially when that person is more accomplished,” says Desai. Her lease terms include not only riding the 20-year-old gelding, but also providing an equal share of his maintenance costs, including supplements, blanketing and care.

More important for Marquardt than a lessee’s riding expertise or preferred discipline is how much that person can contribute to the horse overall. “The question I ask is, ‘Does the rider maintain or enhance the horse’s mental and physical well-being?’

“I’m pretty picky. I’m very upfront with my expectations. I’m looking for that thoughtful, caring person of any age, and I think you can get a good read on someone by watching them interact with your horse for a while.”

Long-Distance Collaboration

Marsha Heiden of Garrettsville, Ohio, agrees that leases or co-ownerships can produce win-win benefits for riders and owners along with optimal well-being for the horse.

This led Heiden, a former dressage instructor at Lake Erie College, to involve co-owners in two of her young Andalusians, which meant sending the horses out of state to live and train. This arrangement is working for everyone involved.

Heiden’s experience illustrates the possibility that achieving a horse’s full potential might require teamwork. “I buy, breed and start young horses, but I can’t ride all of them or attend to them the way a single, fully engaged co-owner can do,” she says.

“My goal was to get my finest horses into the hands of great riders with great trainers that would allow the horses to get the opportunities that I alone can’t provide.” In cases like these, Heiden’s partners are able to train on horses they might not otherwise get to ride. Meanwhile, Heiden can rest assured her horses are getting the care and consistency they need.

Since last year, Stephanie Boyles of Boulder, Colo., has co-owned Kyra, a 5-year-old Andalusian mare, with Heiden. The collaboration has fulfilled Boyles’ interests in learning how to develop a horse’s potential, and she values the knowledge that Heiden brings to the relationship.

“To have a partner to think through the stages of training is really valuable to me because I like the conversation,” says Boyles.

Put it in Writing

To ensure their relationship remains smooth, Heiden and Boyles keep a clearly written agreement, especially in regards to who pays for what. Since the horse lives in her custody, Boyles pays for all current training and expenses in addition to any major medical costs. Heiden reserves the right to fly out and ride Kyra on occasion, and would receive half of the sale price if both parties agree to sell her.

A strong written agreement can prevent miscommunication, financial issues or clashes when planning for the future. Perhaps more importantly, says Boyles, is that it makes co-owners think about all the possible situations that might arise during the commitment.

The wording and formality of these contracts varies greatly. Sample lease forms can be found online; many riders draw up their own documents. These are helpful, even when there is no monetary obligation on a lessee’s part, says Marquardt. “Make sure everything is spelled out in a lease agreement, even if it’s a work exchange,” she advises.

This includes the steps necessary to terminate the commitment, stipulations of use (number of days per week, activity types, limitations of use) and other considerations. Both parties need to clarify their expectations for all areas of a horse’s use and care. This helps dispel the litigious anxiety that prevents more people from sharing horses, in Marquardt’s opinion.

Peace of Mind

Over the years of leasing her older school horses to students, Tunbridge, Vt., dressage trainer Lori Berger recognizes the value of an agreement written by an attorney. While she believes the positive aspects of lease arrangements outweigh any negatives, a sound contract can offer peace of mind, especially when the lessee and the owner aren’t at the same barn. She currently has two horses leased out, one on her farm and one elsewhere in Vermont.

“Leasing is a great option when all parties are very clear on what everyone’s responsibilities are, especially financially,” says Berger. She cites the example of colic surgery: state who should make the decision to do it, and who should pay for it.

Post-Competition Life

“I’ve found that leasing out my horses when they’re no longer able to perform the jobs I do with them is a way for me to ensure that they’re in good situations as they age,” says Berger.

Lease agreements made by trainers can allow students access to schoolmasters. In exchange, leasing ensures Berger’s horses’ maintenance expenses are taken care of and they continue to get attention and exercise after they retire from top-level competition.

“My student has the opportunity to ride a horse with more training than she could have afforded to buy, and I am thrilled at the amount of attention my mare receives,” says Berger.

Overall, horse sharing is a winning situation for all involved when everyone understands the terms. The financial benefit to both individuals is clear, but the party with the most positive outcome remains the horse.

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Secrets of Successful Horse Sharing appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

No groundwork patterns should be practiced to the point of boredom, dullness, or excess. The following are my top tips for using gymnastic exercises from the ground, followed by an upgraded longeline routine.

Building Your Groundwork Routines

During any given week, rotate between five to 10 different exercises. Try not to repeat the same routines on consecutive days. Once a horse becomes familiar with a pattern, his neuromuscular system adapts to perform it more efficiently, meaning he no longer makes physiological gains from the exercise. The outcome of this is a dull response.

Be sure your patterns include plenty of straight lines. It’s critical not to keep your horse on a continuous curved line, as this strains his joints and ligaments once the surrounding muscles fatigue. Be creative with your groundwork to intersperse straight lines: This can be as simple as interrupting your circle work after two or three minutes to lead your horse around the arena in a straight line before resuming circles again.

Change up your terrain. If you often perform your routines in a sand arena, try working on grass one day, or get on some gradual inclines if you usually work on flat ground.

Plenty of exercises can be performed in various locations, including backing up, walking over ground poles, stationary bending exercises, turning on the forehand and turning on the haunches, to name a few. Changing terrain changes the stimulus, which allows your horse to continue to adapt his body in new ways.

Choose exercises that address your horse’s specific needs. Groundwork needs to be relevant to your individual horse, not only to hold his attention, but also to be purposeful in developing him physically.

Groundwork Exercises: A Better Routine for Longeing Your Horse

This pattern is incredibly effective for improving a horse’s coordination, balance, and ability to use his body to move well. It’s far more useful than longeing a horse around a repetitive circle. The changing speeds ask for different muscular efforts and require him to make frequent adjustments to his balance, rather than moving around robotically.

1. Longe your horse once around a 20-meter circle at the walk. You might choose to include cavalletti poles on this circle.
2. Now, walk or jog beside him as you guide him to a different area of your arena.
3. Now ask him to canter around a 20-meter circle. Return to a trot or jog.
4. Again jog beside him to a different area of the arena.
5. Now trot around a 20-meter circle. You might wish to include cavalletti poles on this circle.
6. Return to the walk and repeat the entire sequence several times in each direction.

This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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To gain the usual benefits of cavalletti routines but also free up a horse’s tight shoulders, I recommend occasionally modifying how you ride across ground poles. This involves riding obliquely rather than straight across the poles. This is a new horse cavalletti exercise that is done at an angle.

By using this technique, first at the walk and then later at a slow trot, you’ll target the sling of muscles that suspends your horse’s torso. By pulling his front leg outward to step over the pole at an oblique angle, your horse must use the muscles surrounding his shoulder blade while also stabilizing his shoulder joint.

This new cavalletti exercise will allow practice at different angles for you and your horse and can also help equalize the use of both sides of the horse’s body. For instance, if your horse is routinely “right-sided,” or stronger and tighter in his right shoulder, you will help loosen this pattern by asking him to open that leg outward from his body by approaching the ground poles at an angle.

Meanwhile, you can strengthen his weaker left side by approaching poles at an angle that requires him to take a step over the poles with his left front.

Begin this new horse cavalletti exercise by placing several ground poles around your arena in no particular arrangement. Just lay them down at random intervals around your space. It works best if there are several meters between each pole.

The coordination needed for this simple exercise helps lay the foundation for positive new patterns of movement, such as range of motion in the shoulder joint and core stability. It’s also a good way to tune up your own finesse and precision when riding over poles.

Horse Cavalletti Exercise: Riding Over Poles

1. Start in an active, marching walk.
2. Approach the first pole at a diagonal angle. Imagine someone having a bird’s eye view of you from overhead; your horse should appear to be crossing the pole perfectly diagonally.
3. Turn and ride to your next pole. Keep riding over all the poles in your arena and crossing them obliquely.
4. Do the same routine in a slow trot. The purpose of this routine is to emphasize the horse’s core stability; don’t be in a hurry. It’s better to have a slower trot than one that is too fast.
5. Don’t cheat! Many riders begin getting distracted, in which case the horse takes charge and begins crossing each pole straight across instead of obliquely. Remain consistent with your approaches.

This article originally appeared in the November 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Expert Exercise: A New Angle appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

On the other hand, when he is falling forward with his balance and pushing the base of his neck down, he will travel with rough, hurried strides, especially in the canter, which can feel like careening. For a better canter, you want to teach him to lift the base of his neck.

This is where an exquisitely timed half-halt helps. Without perfect timing, though, or when the half-halt is not working for various reasons, a neck rope offers a valuable assist. Learning how to canter with a neck rope can be very beneficial. In fact, you might be surprised at the difference it can make in the quality of your canter. For this exercise, you can use nearly any thick rope available at your barn that is comfortable in your hands.

How to Use a Neck Rope

1. Place a soft, braided rope around your horse’s neck as shown in the photo.
2. Hold your reins with normal contact. At the same time, hold the neck rope with one or both hands, hooking your pinky finger(s) around it.
3. Adjust the rope tightly enough so that when you pull upward 1 inch or so, it lifts into your horse’s chest and neck.
4. Now begin cantering around a large circle, asking your horse to move with good energy.
5. Use small, upward tugs on the rope, but try not to tug on your reins at the same time.

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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